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frog eggs floating on a pond. they are clear blobs with a black dot inside

Nature’s strangest eggs—from spongy clusters to gelatinous blobs

By Laura Baisas

A retro-style color illustration depicts a cross-section of a futuristic multi-tiered moving sidewalk system. A group of elegantly dressed commuters from the mid-20th century stand on an elevated, reddish-brown platform that is supported by a series of visible white mechanical rollers. The illustration shows three parallel platforms layered at slightly different heights to indicate varying speeds, with a dark subterranean tunnel and a stationary train car visible in the lower-left corner.

In 1871, cities almost got moving sidewalks. Why are we still waiting?

By Bill Gourgey

Young white woman eating an ice cream touched her temples due to a headache. She's blonde wearing a yellow shirt on a pink solid background.

Ask Us Anything

What’s a brain freeze and why do they happen?

Teenage boy with dark curly hair with braces exercising good dental using a water pick while looking at his reflection in a bathroom mirror.

Do water picks really work? Dentists weigh in.

A wide-angle photograph shows a woman sleeping on her side in a large bed, tucked under a heavy, rumpled white duvet. Her head rests on a white pillow, and her face is partially illuminated by warm morning sunlight streaming through the slats of a window. The room has a minimalist aesthetic with light-colored wooden paneled walls and soft, high-contrast lighting that creates long shadows across the bed.

The best sleep position, according to science

By Laura Kiniry

A tight, candid close-up captures three Black men of different generations leaning their heads together in shared laughter. The man in the center is older with a grey beard, flanked by two younger men. All three have their eyes closed or squinted with joy, showcasing genuine, broad smiles and visible teeth. The image has a warm, intimate feel, emphasizing a strong emotional connection.

Ask Us Anything

Why is laughter contagious? Blame your brain.

By Clarissa Brincat

A digital illustration of a large, prehistoric marine reptile, specifically a Pliosaur, swimming in a deep blue ocean. The creature has a dark, streamlined body with a pale underbelly, four powerful flippers, and a massive, elongated head. Its jaws are slightly open, revealing rows of sharp, protruding teeth. Beams of sunlight pierce through the water's surface from the top right, illuminating the predator as it glides through the clear, underwater environment.

The sea monster goes ‘bloop’—or does it?

By Andrew Coletti

A medium close-up photograph shows a woman with her eyes closed, lying peacefully in bed while wearing light pink over-ear headphones. She is tucked under a textured grey blanket, resting her head on multiple pillows. The lighting is soft and natural, emphasizing a calm and restful atmosphere.

Ask Us Anything

White noise vs brown noise: What’s the best sound for sleeping?

By Laura Kiniry

Gemini said An over-the-shoulder photograph shows a person training a small black dog on a polished wooden floor. The person, seen from the back in a grey sweater, holds up their hand in a "stay" or "wait" command gesture. The dog, a small black mixed-breed with floppy ears and a pink collar, sits attentively and looks up at the person with a focused expression.

Are some dog breeds really easier to train? Not really.

By RJ Mackenzie

A person lies in bed under a white duvet, their face partially illuminated by a bright shaft of morning light filtering through dark, heavy curtains. They have one hand resting on their forehead in a gesture of fatigue or waking up, creating a moody, high-contrast atmosphere of early morning.

Is it better to be a morning person or a night owl? What the science says.

By Laura Kiniry

a postage stamp with a bison on it

New stamp honors Yellowstone’s iconic bison

By Nidhi Sharma

A colorized historical photograph of prolific inventor Beulah Louise Henry, known as "Lady Edison," seated at a desk. She is dressed in a formal purple satin dress and pearls, operating a complex, specialized typewriter of her own design. She is looking down at a sheet of paper she is feeding into the machine.

Inventor Beulah Louise Henry’s unstoppable rise to becoming ‘Lady Edison’

By Shoshi Parks

A wide-angle, underwater photograph of a young sea lion with large, dark eyes and long whiskers looking directly into the camera lens. Sunlight beams down through the clear blue water, illuminating the sea lion's head and other sea lions swimming in the background. The foreground shows a rocky seabed covered in marine life, including several dark, spiny sea urchins.

How marine mammals stay hydrated in a salty sea

By Sara Kiley Watson

A conceptual graphic featuring a young child with an afro standing alone against a textured purple and orange gradient background. A large, empty white thought bubble floats significantly above their head.

Not everyone has an internal monologue

By Jennifer Byrne

A conceptual photograph of a young woman with light-colored hair and a tattoo on her forearm, wearing a white t-shirt against a plain white background. The image uses a multiple-exposure effect to create several overlapping, translucent silhouettes of her figure, conveying a sense of disorientation, dizziness, or blurred vision. She has a pained or nauseated facial expression and is resting her head against her hand.

Why some people get motion sickness—and others don’t

By Laura Kiniry

A medium shot of a dark-furred cat standing on a desk cluttered with vintage papers and an inkwell. The cat is looking alertly to its right, with its whiskers and fur illuminated by a dramatic light source against a dark, moody background.

The CIA once trained cats to be Cold War spies

A close-up photograph of a Halobates, an ocean water strider, resting on the surface of the water. The insect has a long, slender dark body and very thin, wire-like legs that create slight indentations on the water's surface tension. Its reflection is visible on the surface, and the background is a soft, out-of-focus light blue and white.

Do any bugs live in the ocean? Short answer: Not really.

By Andrew Coletti

A close-up photograph of a young child with blonde hair smiling broadly, revealing several missing front baby teeth. The child is playfully covering their eyes with both hands, with a plain grey wall in the background.

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Why do we even have baby teeth?

By Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

A vibrant digital collage on a textured blue background featuring several human mouths in various speaking poses. Speech bubbles emerge from the mouths containing text in different languages and scripts, including "ESPAÑOL", "日本語" (Japanese), and "tiếng Việt" (Vietnamese), accented by colorful symbols like a hashtag, exclamation point, and question mark.

Ask Us Anything

Why are languages spoken at different speeds?

By RJ Mackenzie

Gemini said Two budgerigars, one blue and white and one green and yellow, perched on a wooden branch while appearing to "whisper" or interact closely.

From chirps to ‘hellos’: Why some birds talk like people

By Laura Kiniry