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Science & Nature

A collection of 263 issues

The Fragile Reality: How the Act of Measurement Forges the World

In the bizarre realm of quantum physics, particles exist as a wave of pure potential until we try to look. The very act of measurement, a physical interaction, forces this cloud of possibilities to collapse into a single, concrete reality.

Science & Nature Inventions & Discoveries Religion & Philosophy

When the Sun Stands Still: The Surprisingly Modern Story of Lāhainā Noon

Twice a year, the sun passes directly over Hawaii, causing vertical objects to cast no shadow. This surreal event, known as Lāhainā Noon, has an origin story as surprising as the phenomenon itself, born from a public contest that reconnected science with culture.

Science & Nature Culture & Design Space & Astronomy

The Unsung Genius of Forgetting: How Your Brain Actively Deletes Memories to Make You Smarter

We treat forgetting as a failure, but neuroscience reveals it's an active and essential process. Your brain intentionally prunes old connections and overwrites data, not as a bug, but as a critical feature for efficient learning and mental well-being.

Science & Nature Medicine, Psychology & Health

You Don't Glow in the Dark: The Unsettling Difference Between Irradiation and Contamination

Getting an X-ray doesn't make you radioactive, but what if radioactive dust got on your coat? The distinction between being exposed to radiation and being contaminated by it is the critical, often misunderstood, factor in how radiation actually spreads.

Science & Nature Medicine, Psychology & Health Technology & Innovation

Solving for Stubborn: The Mathematical Riddle of the Self-Righting Shape

Inspired by the shells of turtles, two Hungarian scientists solved a long-standing mathematical riddle by creating the Gömböc—the first known 3D shape that, by its geometry alone, is guaranteed to always right itself to a single, stable position.

Science & Nature Inventions & Discoveries Oddities & Curiosities

Your Body's Built-in Forge: The Astonishing Science of Stomach Acid

Scientific studies confirm a shocking biological truth: the hydrochloric acid in your stomach is potent enough to dissolve a steel razor blade. This incredible corrosive power is contained by a remarkable failsafe—a constantly regenerating mucus layer that prevents you from digesting yourself.

Science & Nature Medicine, Psychology & Health Oddities & Curiosities

The Botanical Betrayal in Your Fruit Bowl

Botanical science reveals a surprising truth: oranges are technically a type of berry, while strawberries and raspberries are not. This delicious classification error exposes the fascinating disconnect between how we cook and how nature classifies.

Science & Nature Food & Lifestyle Oddities & Curiosities

The Scientific Showdown Between Kansas and an IHOP Pancake

A whimsical 2003 scientific study set out to test a cliché, pitting the topography of Kansas against an IHOP pancake. The results, which revealed the breakfast food to be far lumpier than the state, challenge our very perception of what it means to be 'flat'.

Geography & Places Science & Nature Oddities & Curiosities

The Bird That Conquered the World, Then Reclaimed It from Our Skyscrapers

Long before humans mapped the globe, the Peregrine Falcon had claimed nearly all of it. Its true story, however, isn't just about geography; it's about a brush with extinction and an astonishing comeback in the most unexpected of habitats: our cityscapes.

Science & Nature Environment & Climate Geography & Places

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