SCIENCE

How Do Tsunamis Work?

The earthquake-triggered waves are both destructive and unpredictable.

Here's What Actually Happens When You're Electrocuted

There's a reason why "electrocution" sounds like "execution."

Does Einstein's Theory of Relativity Imply That Interstellar Space Travel is Impossible?

The answer is slightly counter-intuitive.

A Cold Nose Might Mean You're Working Too Hard, Researchers Say

An overloaded brain may lead to an icy sniffer.

Astronauts on the ISS to Teach Christa McAuliffe's Lost Science Lessons

The teacher was one of seven victims of the Challenger disaster.

There May Be an Ancient Reason Why Your Dog Eats Poop

Fido's gross behavior could have helped its wolf ancestors stay healthy.

Buckingham Palace Was Built With Jurassic Fossils, Scientists Find

The British palace's limestone is riddled with mineralized microbes from 200 million years ago.

Scientists Reveal Long-Hidden Text in Alexander Hamilton Letter

And it's kind of racy.

11 Primal Facts About Dian Fossey

Get to know the real-life researcher behind "Gorillas in the Mist," who was born on this day in 1932.

Mysterious 'Hypatia Stone' Is Like Nothing Else in Our Solar System

"These latest results are opening up even bigger questions about its origins."

Ocean Waves Are Powerful Enough to Toss Enormous Boulders Onto Land, Study Finds

Strong winter storms in Ireland in 2013 and 2014 were able to hurl 600-ton boulders right out of the sea.

Humblebraggarts Are the Worst (Science Says So)

We all know one. And would probably rather not, according to a new study.

Scientists Name Brazilian Cave Spider After Aragog from Harry Potter

Brazilian scientists gave a recenty identified cave spider the name Ochyrocera aragogue, after Hagrid's enormous pet spider Aragog.

10 Quick Facts About Cobalt

It was named after subterranean German goblins.

©Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello

Inside the Kitchen of Thomas Jefferson's Acclaimed—and Enslaved—Chef James Hemings

Hemings learned the art of French cooking in Paris and brought haute cuisine to America.

8 Amazing Things Discovered During the Expansion of the London Underground

Europe’s largest engineering project uncovered countless historic treasures, ranging from bones to Tudor bowling balls.

Climate Change Is Making Nearly All Sea Turtles Born on These Beaches Female

Researchers warn that “the complete feminization of this population is possible in the near future.”

Why Your Radiator is So Loud, According to Science

No, it's not a tiny man with a hammer.

Scientists Accidentally Discover Ancient Hepatitis B in a 16th-Century Mummy

They thought they were studying the earliest evidence of smallpox, but found a different disease altogether.

If Our Brains Are So Active During Infancy, Why Don’t We Remember Anything From That Time?

This universal phenomenon is known as "infantile amnesia."

Scientists Are Using an Ancient Egyptian Pigment to Create New Technologies

Egyptian blue, the world's earliest-known artificial pigment, could help pave the way for advances in medical imaging and forensics.

What Are Quarks?

We know what they are, but will never see one in the macroscopic world.

The Ozone Layer Is Healing, Thanks to an International Ban on Harmful Man-Made Chemicals

The 1987 Montreal Protocol prohibited the use of ozone-destroying substances. Now, it looks like it paid off.

Illustration by Eric S. Carlson in collaboration with Ben A. Potter

11,500-Year-Old Skeleton Reveals an Unknown Group of Ancient Migrants to the Americas

The infant's genome—the oldest complete genetic profile of a New World person—reveals the existence of a human lineage that was previously unknown to scientists.

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