How the push to search for signs of life on exoplanets fueled the development of the technology we use in our latest generation of smartphones. Plus, what your punctuation habits can say about you as a writer––and a new webs…
A proposal for approaching this next phase of the pandemic less like an epidemiologist and more like an engineer. Plus, new findings from the Mars Perseverance rover that has NASA breathing a sigh of relief. And product plac…
Should you read the spoilers for horror movies before you watch them? Plus, a butterfly species in Finland with parasitic wasps in its belly… and even more wasps inside of that one. And, what if instead of lamps we one day u…
How candy corn went from a year round candy marketed at farmers to the love-to-hate it Halloween treat it is today. Plus, a new interactive image gallery that starkly shows what effects three degrees of global warming will h…
What is it that makes spiders so frightening to us, and why do most of us kill them without sparing a second thought? Plus, a Scottish nightclub that’s using the body heat of their dancing patrons to heat and cool the venue.…
It’s Indigenous Peoples’ Day. More and more local governments are making it official, but why did we start celebrating Columbus Day to begin with? Plus, the impressive and gnarly competition to be crowned Miss Navajo Nation.…
The winners of the Nobel Peace Prize have been announced! As well as the winners in Chemistry and Literature. More on each winner, as well as a question about whether we really need the Nobel Prize. Plus, the remnants of the…
The WHO has officially approved the first-ever malaria vaccine. The United States Postal Service is trying out being a bank. And the story of a white-naped crane named Walnut who fell in love with a human named Crowe.
A Russian film crew have arrived on the International Space Station to shoot the first-ever feature length film in space. A woman has received a brain implant that is successfully treating her depression by painlessly zappin…
Are we prepared to reckon with how much of the world came to a stop when Facebook went down yesterday? Plus, thanks to a new discovery, you may soon be able to find out if you had an identical twin in the womb using just a s…
The sexist history of the rollerboard suitcases. Plus, the facts about Merck’s new COVID-19 antiviral pill, including its connection to Thor. And the return of Nick Lutsko’s absurdist Spirit Halloween music videos.
The persisting myth of tampered-with and tainted trick-or-treat candy, and why it’s an urban legend that will never die. Plus, how we humans produce speech and a website that shows you both the beautiful engineering and the …
The very American history of the Chinese takeout box, and a look at the new “Americancore” trend. Plus, archaeologists have uncovered a hidden neighborhood in the ancient Maya city of Tikal that sheds new light on the imperi…
What will happen to the bodies of people who die on Mars? Plus, AI has indicated that a famous painting at the National Gallery might be a phoney. And festival-goers at Glastonbury are endangering rare eels with their drug-a…
Could removing methane from the atmosphere be a viable strategy for slowing global warming? And are all of these disparate new ideas and strategies to solve the climate crisis going to lead to real solutions? Plus, pulling b…
How 19th century New Yorkers took advantage of a loophole in the strict drinking laws and ended up creating the world’s worst sandwich. Plus, a supernova that’s been missing since the twelfth century has been found! And how …
Ancient footprints discovered in New Mexico are shaking up what we thought we knew about when humans first arrived in the Americas. Plus, how much plastic do we unknowingly ingest each year? The answer is probably more than …
The dark side of the history of epidemiology. Plus, a study that proves, yes actually, birds were louder and more numerous during lockdown. And two women in their hundreds who have lived incredible lives and refuse to quit d…
Sharing some reflections, some poetry, and a bit of a historical context on what it is that makes fall strike such a strong chord with so many of us, in honor of this first day of fall. And a look at NASA’s upcoming Lucy mis…
How Ted Lasso filled a whole stadium for a crowd scene during the pandemic, and how advances, especially in AI, are beginning to change filmmaking. Plus, a Colorado man has won a yearlong treasure hunt for golden tickets, ma…
The history and science of mosh pits. Exciting developments in the treatment of poison ivy reactions, including a possible vaccine. And how to catch tonight’s Harvest Moon, and why we call it that.
The history and future of food trucks, and a look at the old tradition of “night lunch.” The visually-striking lanternfly that eastern US states are begging people to kill. And why you may not be getting that book you ordere…
How the social lives of the characters from Jane Austen’s novels are analogous to our digital ones today, and what we can learn from them about being over-stimulated. Plus, a study illustrating how we could build bases on Ma…
SpaceX’s Inspiration4 all-civilian crew is blasting off tonight in Cape Canaveral. Here’s everything you need to know about the historic launch. Plus, the Māori Party in New Zealand has introduced a petition to rename the co…