SCIENCE

Someone Wound Up in the ER for Drinking Too Much Licorice Root Tea

Licorice root extract can lead to lowered potassium levels in the body, spiking blood pressure to dangerous levels.

Everything You've Ever Wanted to Know About Donating Your Body to Science

From research labs to 'body farms' used by forensics students, here's where your donated cadaver might end up.

A Fad to Dye For: The Brief Life of Hypercolor Clothing

The novelty shirts, shorts, and pants were one of the hottest clothing items of 1991, with a special dye that changed color in response to temperature changes. Before long, Hypercolor proved to be too popular for its own good.

What's the Difference Between A Dead and Live Virus?

A virus straddles the fuzzy boundary between living and dead, which is why biologists and doctors talk about "inactivated" viruses, not "dead" viruses.

The Most Painful Places to Get Stung, According to the Researcher Who Made Bees Sting Him for Science

Michael Smith created a pain map of the worst places on the human body to get stung by a bee—and he used himself as his test subject.

6 Amazing Facts About Sally Ride

Sally Ride—the first American woman in space—paved the way for female astronauts, and proved there is such thing as a stupid question.

No Venom, No Problem: This Spider Uses a Slingshot to Catch Prey

The triangle weaver spider uses its webbing to hurl itself like a spring-loaded nightmare at unsuspecting prey.

Bad News: The Best Time of the Day to Drink Coffee Isn’t as Soon as You Wake Up

Sorry, night owls, but scientists and nutritionists say you're not doing yourselves any favors when you fuel up on java as soon as you wake up.

Now Ear This: A New App Can Detect a Child's Ear Infection

A new app developed by researchers at the University of Washington uses a smartphone to check for fluid levels in a child's ear, a possible sign of an ear infection.

An image of a different asteroid, called Lutetia

Mark Your Calendars: An Enormous Asteroid Will Fly Past Earth on April 13, 2029

The good news: The asteroid Apophis isn't going to wipe out life as we know it, so we can sit back, relax, and enjoy the celestial show!

2624-Year-Old Cypress Tree Discovered in North Carolina Swamp

The ancient cypress is one of the oldest living non-clonal trees on Earth, but climate change threatens its existence.

The Reason Some Cats Look Like They're Wearing Socks

The feline fashion statement depends on whether a certain gene that gives their fur its pigment is mutated.

Peter Dinklage stars as Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones

Math Says Tyrion Lannister Is Game of Thrones's Real Star

In 2016, a team of mathematicians crunched the numbers and determined that Peter Dinklage's character is the true star of the show.

Wasps Have the Ability to Use Logic, According to a New Study

Wasps not only pack a sting. They can also exhibit a kind of logical deduction never before seen in invertebrates.

A Game of Thrones Quiz Is Helping Psychologists Learn More About How People Respond to Ethical Dilemmas

There are a lot of 'Game of Thrones' quizzes that will tell you if you're a Cersei or a Jon Snow, but this survey is based in—and helps support—psychological research

Why Heated Concrete Can Explode Like Popcorn

The common building material doesn't burn, but it can explode like microwaved popcorn. Using state-of-the-art thermal imaging, scientists now understand why.

How Can Cockroaches Survive Nuclear Attacks If They Can Be Killed By Insecticide?

We've all heard the old saying that the only thing that would survive a nuclear winter would be cockroaches (and maybe some Twinkies). So then why are they susceptible to bug sprays?

Shrimp in Rural England Have a Cocaine Problem

The crustaceans are showing the effects of wastewater contamination, testing positive for cocaine and other illicit substances.

What Caused Pangea to Break Apart?

The ocean basins are constantly opening and closing, so what caused Pangea to break apart is slowly putting the next supercontinent together.

NASA Reveals How Living in Space for a Year Affected Scott Kelly’s Poop

Astronaut Scott Kelly used cotton swabs to take samples of his fecal matter. He then sealed it in tubes and sent it back to Earth via rocket.

Astronomers Want Your Help Naming the Largest Unnamed Dwarf Planet in the Universe

The icy rock planet in the Kuiper Belt has gone 12 years without a name, but now people can cast a vote to give it an official identity. Just not Boaty McBoatface.

Unraveling the History of Human Hair

Archaeologists and geneticists are looking at how human hair, and its countless hair types, evolved over millennia. Their research could shed light on the habits of our ancestors.

Event Horizon Telescope collaboration et al.

First-Ever Photo of a Black Hole Unveiled

The moment astronomy and sci-fi lovers have long awaited is finally here. That's an actual black hole you're looking at.

Kids Whose Parents Read to Them Hear Up to 1.4 Million More Words

If you read one short book to your kid per day, they'll enter kindergarten knowing 290,000 more words than kids whose parents didn’t read to them. The gap is even wider for kids who hear five books per day.

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