The old saying advises us to eat an apple a day to keep the doctor away. Knowing about antioxidants and free radicals, you might add spinach and broccoli, carrot sticks, a cup of tea, and … pizza. Yes, pizza! Read more
The allure of a diamond makes it the most highly revered among gemstones. It has many qualities that make it so desirable and beloved, not the least of which is its rarity. Read more
To build a sundial that keeps accurate time is not an easy task. A sundial is more than merely a statue that casts a shadow on numbers as the sun moves across the sky. Read more
Greek mythology has Prometheus sneaking into Olympus to steal fire from the gods. Other cultures have similar myths. Read more
Lowly bananas are the world’s most popular fruit. Sadly, the yellow fruit is in danger. Read more
Imagine a world without patterns, a featureless, colorless canvas of nothingness. Read more
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Sea level exists as a concept for us. No measurement can define a “global” sea level. Such a thing does not exist. In reality it can only be what we define it to be at a given time. Read more
Today is the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere, but the longest day in the southern hemisphere. Read more
‘Liquid crystal” ought to be an oxymoron, but technology has rendered it sensible instead. A crystal is by definition a solid with a repeating, orderly, three-dimensional l attice. Read more
Helium is No. 2. It is the second-lightest element on the periodic table with atomic number of two. Read more
Since the development of MRI scans from the first crude machines in the 1970s, the technology has become more efficient. Read more
The Standard Model is what physicists call the current theory of fundamental particles and their interactions. Read more
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
What is it that gives numbers their power? Read more
Clouds come in all shapes and sizes, but they are usually flat on the bottom. Read more
The aurora borealis, or northern lights, is a common sight at north polar latitudes. The name aurora borealis comes from Latin and Greek. Read more
Outside the window, 7 miles up, the wings of the jet airliner slice through the invisible air that seems magically to keep it aloft. It reminds me that we are immersed in Earth’s invisible atmosphere all of the time. Read more
All paint inside a can is black until the can is opened. Strange as it might seem, it is true. What we see as color is a matter of perception, intrinsic properties of an object and the light that illuminates it. Read more
The calendar is such a basic thing that we take it for granted. It consists of 52 weeks of seven days, plus one extra day, for a total of 365 days. Read more
Earth’s gravity creates tidal forces on the moon that keep it locked with one side always facing Earth. This is why we always see the same face of the moon and never see the backside. Read more
Although we cannot measure “life” directly, astronomers have confidence that soon we will be able to reliably detect the chemicals of life such as oxygen, methane and nitrogen in the atmospheres of distant planets. Read more
