Features (Page 3)

Latest in Features

A macro, close-up photograph of the bottom of a human nose, clearly showing the two nostrils and the texture of the surrounding skin. The eyes are closed in the background.

Ask Us Anything

Why we have two nostrils instead of one big hole

By Sarah Philip

A dramatic, low-light photo of a person with dark skin against a blue background, experiencing intense distress or pain. They are clenching their jaw and holding their hands to the sides of their head, with blurred motion around their head suggesting movement, panic, or disorientation.

What happens to your body during a panic attack?

a couple riding bikes in the pouring rain while holding umbrellas

What does ‘chance of precipitation’ really mean? A meteorologist explains.

By Laura Baisas

A close-up film still of a fictional dinosaur, the Dilophosaurus, from Jurassic Park, aggressively facing the camera with its mouth open, showcasing its sharp teeth and a large, vibrantly colored frill flared around its head. The scene is dark and misty.

Ask Us Anything

Were there any venomous dinosaurs?

By Andrew Coletti

A close-up photograph of a young child's face with freckles, wearing a knit winter hat dusted with snow. The child is smiling and deliberately crossing their eyes. The background is a blurry white winter scene.

Ask Us Anything

Is crossing your eyes really bad for you? We asked an optometrist.

By Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

A white woman with brown hair wearing a grey sweater and yellow coat holds of a pine branch to her nose and smells. She seems to be walking down a sidewalk. There's an out of focus wire fence behind her and what looks like a street to her left. She looks happy and content as she smells the pine branch. There are more out of focus pine trees and branches behind her.

Ask Us Anything

Why smelling a pine tree can instantly lift your mood

By Jennifer Byrne

A vibrant, digital illustration of a glowing DNA double helix structure against a dark blue background. The helix is composed of numerous small, multicolored, light-filled blocks and lines that represent the genetic code.

How scientists analyze ancient DNA from old bones

a man rows a rowboat with a large black dog swimming next to him

A day with Newfoundlands, the original ship’s dog

By Laura Baisas

A shallow depth-of-field close-up of a stainless steel frying pan sitting on a black, glossy induction cooktop, with steam rising from food cooking inside the pan. The kitchen background is blurred, showing a window and a refrigerator.

Ask Us Anything

Are induction stoves better? These chefs think so.

A close-up photograph of a vibrant yellow snake, coiled around a horizontal brown branch. The snake, a white-lipped island pit viper, has reddish accents on its tail and is looking directly at the camera with large, bright eyes, set against a softly blurred green and blue background.

Ask Us Anything

How do snakes move? It’s not all slithering.

By Clarissa Brincat

A plate filled with a traditional holiday meal, featuring sliced roasted turkey breast, a scoop of stuffing, green beans, diced sweet potatoes, and a spoonful of cranberry sauce, all resting on a white plate set on a rustic wooden table.

Can one big meal really make you gain weight?

By Jennifer Byrne

A close-up shot of an Asian woman with dark hair looking intently into a mirror, touching both sides of her face with her hands. Her expression is concerned or thoughtful, and she appears to be examining the skin or puffiness under her eyes. The background is bright and dominated by the reflection of a bathroom or vanity.

Ask Us Anything

Why we get dark circles and eye bags

By RJ Mackenzie

A close-up, shallow depth-of-field photograph of a person's hand holding a sleek, silver pen, poised to write on a crisp white piece of paper resting on a light wooden surface. The background is brightly blurred.

Ask Us Anything

Why are most people right-handed?

By Clarissa Brincat

Philly’s ‘transit vigilante’ created a real-time bus tracker for his neighbors

By Laura Kiniry

A fluffy orange and white cat is curled up and lounging inside a small, low-sided cardboard box that is lying on a wooden floor, looking directly at the viewer with a relaxed expression.

Why do cats love boxes? Evolution has an answer.

By RJ Mackenzie

person petting a turtle

Endangered Species

Trafficked turtles get a second chance at life in New Jersey sanctuary

By Laura Baisas

A historical color photograph of the large Great Lakes freighter, the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, sailing on the water. The ship has a prominent white superstructure at the bow with a dark red hull and a tan smokestack near the stern emitting a plume of black smoke. The weather appears overcast.

How the Witch of November doomed the ‘Edmund Fitzgerald’

By Bill Gourgey

Ask Us Anything

How squirrels actually find all their buried nuts

By Jennifer Byrne

A close-up view of the back of a person's head, showing a receding hairline and a circular patch of thinning hair or male pattern baldness on the crown, surrounded by short, gray and brown hair. The background is pure white.

3 hair loss myths you probably believe

By Clarissa Brincat

A person's lower legs and feet, wearing thick, gray fuzzy socks, are stretched out against a clean white duvet or sheet. The image is bright and minimal, suggesting a cozy, relaxed moment in bed.

Ask Us Anything

Do you need more sleep in fall and winter? Probably.

By Laura Kiniry

A high-angle shot shows a person's hands placing a white plate of food—rice pilaf with mixed vegetables and a piece of chicken—into a white microwave oven. The food is centered on the rotating glass tray, and the background is a bright blue wooden surface.

Is microwave cooking nuking all the nutrients?

By Andrew Coletti

A vintage photo collage featuring an oval cut-out image of seven people—three men and four women, who appear to be young college students—dressed in 1920s-era clothing. They are standing close together and looking at the camera. The background is a texture of yellowed, old newsprint with blurred text about a sleep experiment.

In 1925, seven students went 60 hours without sleep—for science

By Bill Gourgey

Two men are standing behind an enormous, pale orange Atlantic Giant pumpkin, with their hands resting on it. They are inside a large greenhouse structure, surrounded by green vines and leaves. Both men are smiling and wearing casual t-shirts and jeans.

Giant pumpkin growers face off for world gourd domination

By Diana Hubbell

A close-up photograph of a young girl's face peering out from under a large, white duvet or blanket. She is lying in bed, holding the blanket close to her chin, and has a frightened expression. The background is dark, emphasizing the light on her face.

Ask Us Anything

Why you ‘see’ things in the dark, according to an ophthalmologist

By Diana Hubbell

A colorful vintage poster illustration featuring a large Uncle Sam figure in a stars and stripes outfit, leaning down to adjust the hands of a massive clock with Roman numerals, which has a red center. Below him, a smaller man is running frantically with a small clock showing the time is one hour earlier. The text at the top reads "VICTORY! CONGRESS PASSES DAYLIGHT SAVING BILL." The style is reminiscent of early 20th-century American political or war-time posters.

The U.S. tried permanent daylight saving time—and hated it

Can dogs really smell fear? A vet weighs in.

By Clarissa Brincat

A close-up, head-on portrait of a Dalmatian dog with striking bright blue eyes. The dog has a white face with black spots covering its head and ears, and is wearing a brown leather collar. The background is a simple, blurred gray surface.

Can dogs sense ghosts?

By Clarissa Brincat

A nighttime photograph shows a suburban house transformed into a dramatic haunted house display, illuminated by intense purple and blue lighting. The front lawn is covered with numerous Halloween decorations, including glowing ghosts, demonic gargoyles flanking a sign that reads "THE VENEZIALE MANOR," skeletons, and lighted pumpkin figures. A bright moon or spotlight shines in the upper right.

Teen turns his suburban home into elaborate haunted house every October

By Laura Kiniry

A photograph of a young couple sitting close together in a dark movie theater, looking scared or startled during a film. The man on the left has his hands covering part of his face, grimacing, while the woman next to him is covering her face with one hand. They are sharing a large bucket of popcorn.

Is fear contagious?

By Sarah Philip

A photograph of an old, abandoned operating room with peeling, distressed green paint on the walls. The room is symmetrically framed, featuring a central metal operating table and a large surgical lamp hanging from the ceiling. Two tall, barred windows on either side are brightly backlit, casting a dramatic light into the dim room.

Ask Us Anything

What makes a place seem ‘haunted’?

By Laura Kiniry

pouring coffee into a white cup that is sitting on coffee beans

Coffee’s delicious journey from tiny bean to tasty brew

By Sara Kiley Watson

A dramatic, wide-angle photo of a scarecrow standing in a dry cornfield or patch of tall, brown crops at sunset. The scarecrow is dressed in a dark hat and long coat, with a sack covering its head and stick arms outstretched. The sky above is colored with orange and pink clouds.

How scarecrows went from ancient magic to fall horror fodder

A striking photograph of a bright, full moon against a dark, deep blue night sky, partially obscured by dark, dramatic clouds. The moon is intensely bright, giving the scene an ethereal glow.

Yes, the moon really can affect your sleep

By Clarissa Brincat

A macro, close-up photograph of human skin texture showing small hairs standing straight up, a phenomenon known as goosebumps or gooseflesh. The skin tone is light, and the background is a solid, clear blue sky.

Ask Us Anything

Why you get goosebumps when you’re scared—or inspired

By RJ Mackenzie

Exploration Acres corn maze seen from aerial photograph

Inside the making of a world-class corn maze

A fit, shirtless man performs a Pilates exercise on a reformer machine. He is in a deep lunge position, with his arms stretched out to the sides holding the machine's ropes. His body is taut, and he is looking straight ahead in a bright, modern studio.

Fitness & Exercise

Pilates started in a WWI internment camp

By Sara Kiley Watson

An overhead shot of a human composting vessel, which resembles a long, rectangular planter box with a light wooden frame. The interior contains a layer of straw, wood chips, and organic material, with colorful pink and purple flowers scattered throughout. A white cloth-wrapped form rests in the center.

Ask Us Anything

How human composting turns bodies into soil

By Jennifer Byrne

A close-up film still showing the face of an actor portraying Dracula, with bloodshot red eyes, blood dripping from his mouth, and pointed fangs visible. To the left, a woman's pale neck and chin, stained with blood, are visible as she is held by the vampire. The lighting is dark and dramatic.

Science Fiction

The spooky (and sweet) history of fake blood

a set of billiard balls on a pool table

How billiard balls led to plastic everywhere

By Avery Schluyer Nunn

A small, light blue vintage box of TAMPAX tampons is shown resting on a white surface. The box has blue text that reads "Sanitary Protection + Worn Internally," "TAMPAX," and "Accepted for Advertising by The American Medical Association." A single tampon, wrapped in paper and plastic, leans against the box.

How WWI and WWII revolutionized period products

By Cat Rainsford

A vintage photo collage featuring a man in a shirt and tie, intensely focused while looking into the eyepiece of a microscope. The image is overlaid on yellowed old text, likely a magazine or newspaper clipping, with blurred headlines visible in the background.

How a hatter and railroad clerk kickstarted cancer research

By Bill Gourgey

Artifacts found while Dr. Kathleen Martínez searches for Cleopatra's tomb.

The search for Cleopatra’s long-lost tomb leads to sunken seaport

By Laura Baisas

a heat pump system outside of a yellow house. it is a gray box with a fan inside and white piping

Swap your boiler for a money-saving heat pump

By Sara Kiley Watson

a station wagon in a driveway

A life-long car lover recreated the Griswold’s famous station wagon

By Laura Baisas

A colorized vintage advertisement featuring two smiling World War II-era pilots, both in flight suits. The pilot on the left is holding up a box of Milky Way candy bars, and the pilot on the right, who is leaning out of a plane cockpit, is looking down and smiling at the box.

How WWII made Hershey and Mars Halloween candy kings

By Diana Hubbell

A colorized vintage photo shows a smiling blonde woman in a salmon-colored dress waving her hand while seated at a dark wooden counter or bar. Two men in white staff uniforms and hats are leaning over the counter, laughing with her, one of whom is holding a cigar. The other offers her a drink in a tall glass. Several other men in hats are visible in the background.

The radioactive ‘miracle water’ that killed its believers

A close-up shot of a hand holding a wooden mallet with a red, fuzzy end, positioned over a bronze singing bowl. The bowl is resting on a light-colored surface, and the background is softly blurred with warm, glowing fairy lights, suggesting a relaxing, indoor setting.

I tried a sound bath to see if it actually made me calmer

By Mack DeGeurin

a tyrannosaur skeleton on display in a musuem

Amateur paleontologist opens fossil museum in rural Minnesota

By Sara Kiley Watson

A high-angle shot of a smiling, bald, Black man in a white TSA uniform shirt and striped tie, holding two large, curved swords with golden hilts above his head. He is looking up at the blades with a playful expression. Behind him are several large, black bins filled with various confiscated items, including scissors, lighters, and tools.

Want knives? How to buy what people leave at airport security.

By Diana Hubbell

A blue, semi-transparent anatomical illustration of a human torso, neck, and shoulders from the front. The main focus is on the spine and nervous system, which are highlighted with glowing red lines running down the center of the back and branching out into the chest. The background is solid black.

Ask Us Anything

Does vagus nerve stimulation work? A scientific cure-all explained.

By Clarissa Brincat

A high-angle, close-up shot of a person with dark hair and a bright, joyful smile, holding a small dog close to their face. The person's eyes are closed, and the dog, with its eyes also closed, has its mouth open in what looks like a happy, excited expression. The two are embracing in a moment of affection.

Ask Us Anything

Why your dog gets so excited to see you

By Laura Kiniry

a man hiking on a sunny fall day standing near a grove of trees changing color and a lake

What exactly is the UV Index? A dermatologist explains.

By Laura Baisas

A poster with the bold red and yellow text "WEATHER IS A WEAPON" at the center. The poster features a black and white photograph of a rural landscape with telephone poles stretching into the distance. In the top left, a menacing cartoon cloud with a face is visible. A small, separate card at the bottom right encourages people to "buy WAR BONDS."

During WWII, the U.S. government censored the weather

A light-toned painting shows a body wrapped in a white shroud lying on a bed or stone slab. Above the body, a translucent, ghostly figure with long hair and a white garment floats away, reaching upward with its arms. A framed window on the left side of the room reveals a blue sky and green hills with a mountain in the distance. The style is soft and ethereal, suggesting the departure of a soul.

Science Fiction

The 21 grams experiment that tried to weigh a human soul

A man is lying asleep in a bed with pillows and a striped comforter, set up outdoors in the middle of a forest. The bed has two small bedside tables with lamps. The ground is covered in pine needles and scattered with rocks, and tall, thin tree trunks rise around him, creating a surreal and cozy scene.

Is sleeping outside good for you? Science has a clear answer.

By Laura Kiniry

A pink drink in a clear wine glass with a long stem is placed on a white bedside table in a dimly lit room. A glowing lamp with a white shade and a potted green plant are also on the table. A bed with white linens is visible in the foreground on the left. The scene has a soft, warm glow.

The real science behind this viral magnesium sleep hack

By Clarissa Brincat

A futuristic, metallic, humanoid robot with a glowing face and a pointed finger stands facing a young woman with long, red hair. The woman, wearing a gray shirt, is looking directly at the robot with a focused expression. They are in a studio setting with a dark, uniform background.

ChatGPT passed the Turing Test. Now what?

Ask Us Anything

Do binaural beats really help you focus?

By Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

a leopard seal on an ice flow with its mouth open

Leopard seals sing like the Beatles

By Avery Schluyer Nunn

A person wearing a dark top is shown at a dining table, holding a black chopstick and picking up a piece of white fish from a large bowl of what appears to be a spicy broth. A single red chile pepper is visible on top of the fish. In the background, the person is holding a small bowl of white rice in their other hand.

Does eating spicy food help you lose weight? Science has a clear answer.

By Diana Hubbell

a backyard version of fenway park complete with a green monster, signs, and scoreboard

A dedicated son brings Fenway Park to his dad’s backyard

By Laura Baisas

A silver, retro-style alarm clock with two bells and a white face is in sharp focus on a dark surface in the foreground. In the blurry background, a person with dark hair is lying in bed, asleep. The lighting is dim, suggesting it is either early morning or nighttime.

Is it better to sleep in cycles?

By Clarissa Brincat

A person is shown from the chest up, in a green plaid shirt, holding a glass of clear water with a dropper over it. A dark green liquid is dripping into the water from the dropper, creating a swirl. The scene is on a white surface and surrounded by several potted green plants in white containers, with some loose leaves scattered around.

Is chlorophyll actually good for you?

By Lauren Leffer

A photo collage with a vintage illustration of a futuristic, brown and orange sailboat, with a large sail-like structure and a smokestack, positioned on a deep blue sea with white waves. In the background, there's a faint, light-tan newspaper clipping with the headline "A Sailing Ship" and a masthead for "POPULAR SCIENCE" from February 1925.

100 years ago, ‘ghost ship’ sails baffled Einstein—now they’re making a comeback

By Bill Gourgey