Facts of the Matter: Scientists still stymied by matter-antimatter asymmetry conundrum
The concept of matter-antimatter asymmetry has captivated the scientific community for decades. Read more
Latest Stories by Richard Brill
Facts of the Matter: Latitude helps determine how we see sunrise, sunset
A word from Captain Obvious: The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Read more
Facts of the Matter: Gemstones’ color relies on interaction with light
Some minerals have color because of what they do to light that passes through them or reflects from their surfaces. Read more
Facts of the Matter: Earth’s timeline is marked by several mass extinctions
When speaking of mass extinctions, we evoke a seriousness that transcends anything that we have experienced in human history. Read more
Facts of the Matter: Benefits of popular painkiller, blood thinner balance risks
For more than 100 years the safest, most effective, least expensive and widest-ranging drug known to man has been available to ease headaches, stop inflammation and lower fever. Read more
Facts of the Matter: Ocean-atmosphere interplay affects weather and climate
We have understood for a long time that the oceans play a significant role in transferring heat from the equator to the poles, but only in recent years have we begun to understand the importance of the link between ocean and atmosphere. Read more
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Facts of the Matter: Earth’s unique atmosphere lets water exist in all 3 phases
Earth is the water planet, but perhaps it is equally appropriate to call Earth the water cloud planet. Although liquid water is a distinctive feature of planet Earth, water clouds are even more so. Read more
Facts of the Matter: Mitochondria hard at work creating energy within cells
Feeling tired today? Most of us grow more weary as the day goes on and as the years pass. We say we are out of energy or getting low on energy, which is a fact. Read more
Facts of the Matter: Systems in nature never reach equilibrium, but can get close
Equilibrium is a state of balance of opposing actions that is central in virtually everything that happens, from basic physics to dance and the arts, economics and social ideologies. Read more
Facts of the Matter: MRI machines seek hydrogen atoms to analyze soft tissue
Before the development of magnetic resonance imaging, X-rays were the only way to image inside the body. But X-rays are too energetic and show hard structures such as bones while they penetrate connective tissue and organs that show only as ghostly images. Read more
Facts of the Matter: Search for superconductor that doesn’t require frigid conditions continues
There are two ways that a substance can respond to an electric field. Read more
Facts of the Matter: Input-output system is key to beaches’ sand quantity
A beach seems constant from day to day, yet it is an ever-changing river of sand. On a geologic time scale the life of a beach is like a fruit fly in our human time. Read more
Facts of the Matter: Silicon atoms better suited for creating rocks, not life
Searching for water on Mars and looking for other distant planets that may be Earth-like recalls that it is not only water, but also carbon that is necessary for life. Read more
Facts of the Matter: Arsenic’s well-known dangers are felt through water and crops
Today’s chemical measurements are 1,000 times more sensitive than in the 1970s. Analyses at the parts per billion range — about one drop in a swimming pool — are commonplace. Read more
Facts of the Matter: Sugar remains unregulated despite well-known dangers
Folk wisdom has recognized the role of empty calories in weight gain and obesity for years, but there has not been much public discussion about the addictive qualities of sugar. Read more
Facts of the Matter: During summer solstice, sun appears to pause in the sky
Just in case you might miss it, take note that the summer solstice will occur on Wednesday at 4:57 a.m. as the sun reaches its northernmost point of 23.26 degrees latitude in its annual journey through the sky. Read more
Facts of the Matter: Understanding role of zero makes modern world possible
Zero, nothing, zilch, nada? The number zero is a misunderstood enigma. Its place in our number system is relatively recent, appearing much later than the Arabic numerals we use to display number digits. Read more
Facts of the Matter: Geckos’ sticky feet are due to atomic-level phenomenon
Behold the ubiquitous gecko climbing a vertical wall in the blink of an eye or scurrying across the ceiling in gravity- defying dashes. Read more
Facts of the Matter: Humans’ glassmaking ability has evolved over millennia
Glass is one of our most common and often overlooked technologies because it is so common, but that has not always been the case. Glassmaking technology has a history longer than history itself. Read more
Facts of the Matter: Theories abound for humans’ inability to find intelligent life
Where is ET? After nearly 50 years of searching for intelligent signals from space, astronomers have yet to receive a single verifiable signal of intelligent origin. Read more
Facts of the Matter: Rare earth elements, essential for electronics, are in demand
The rare earths are a relatively abundant group of 17 elements that are so chemically similar that 15 of them occupy a single row and column in the periodic table. Read more
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