There are adventures, and there are extremely tough adventures. Learn the details of a grueling, 600-plus-mile wilderness race and the 19-year-old who became the youngest to win it so far.
Author Archives: admin
How MRI Works
If you’re afraid of small, confined spaces, spending time inside an MRI scanner might terrify you. Still, this incredible invention has changed the face of medicine forever. Learn how MRI scanners “see” inside patients, why doctors use them, what it took to develop them, and much more.
What Is Democracy?
Almost everyone knows that the United States is a democracy. So what? Why does that matter? Read this article to learn one teen’s answer. Discover how our system of government helps make it possible for our many, many voices to be heard.
Little Rock Central High School: National Historic Site
In 1957, nine students in Arkansas decided that they would attend Little Rock Central High School. Their decision led to big changes all over the United States. Visit this National Park Service site to find out how and why.
Jack Andraka, the Teen Prodigy of Pancreatic Cancer
Imagine, at the age of 15, being recognized for efforts in detecting a deadly disease. Read an article and view a video to discover more about a young researcher who has earned the label, “The Edison of our times.”
Oliver Sacks Shares Tales of Musical Hallucinations
In a hallucination, what is unreal seems real—whether a brief impression or a complete and lifelike scene. Ben Thomas discusses renowned neurologist Oliver Sacks’s book titled Hallucinations in this article.
How Did Ex-Slave’s Letter to Master Come to Be?
Read this article to find out more about ex-slave Jordan Anderson and his famous letter to his former master.
What Happened to the Two Other Men on Paul Revere’s Ride?
Although their own “midnight” rides were as important as that of Paul Revere, the efforts of William Dawes, Samuel Prescott, and others have sometimes been forgotten. Read this exciting history of what happened that famous April night in 1775. You may not realize just how many people it took to spread the news that the British were coming.
Metamorphosis: Animal Shape-Shifters
A human can’t change into an insect, but the process of a caterpillar changing into a butterfly is mysterious and fascinating enough. British university professor Stuart Reynolds explains how it happens.
Housing the Victims of Natural Disaster
It’s very difficult to build affordable homes that can withstand earthquakes. Read this article on the Pinwheel house, a revolutionary design from MIT’s School of Architecture and Planning. The home is designed to withstand even the most powerful of quakes and eventually may cost only $1,000 to build.
The Day the Universe Changed
With each new gadget, tech companies declare that everything has changed. Whether that’s true will remain to be seen, of course. Looking back, though, it’s far easier to see clearly what discoveries and inventions really did change everything. In this fascinating 10-part series, James Burke examines the advances that altered our world.
Why Seeing (the Unexpected) Is Often Not Believing
If you were walking in the park, talking on a cell phone, you’d notice a clown riding by on a unicycle, right? The surprising answer is, not necessarily. On this multimedia page, award-winning science reporter Alix Spiegel explores the phenomenon of inattentional blindness, in which we miss seeing something obvious but unexpected.
Mark Bezos: A Life Lesson from a Volunteer Firefighter
When ordered to “save” a pair of shoes from a fire, volunteer firefighter Mark Bezos felt terribly disappointed. After all, he had wanted to be a hero. Find out why he now thinks that we all should decide to get out there—and save the shoes.
Natural Disasters
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) helps Americans prepare for, protect against, and recover from disasters. Visit FEMA’s site to learn what you should do before, during, and after an earthquake, flood, hurricane, volcanic eruption, tsunami, or even a bit of bad space weather. Remember that it never hurts to be prepared!
The 10 Smartest Animals
Human beings make and use tools, create art, and use language in wonderful ways, which shows that we’re mighty intelligent. But we’re not alone: chimps, dolphins, elephants, pigs, dogs, cats, squirrels, crows, and even squid are pretty smart, too. Check out this site to learn more.
Need for Speed?
Did you know that electromagnetic technology makes roller coaster rides scarier than ever before? Or that pilots one day will rely on that same technology to launch jets from aircraft carriers? Visit this site to learn about big changes in the world of roller coasters.
Who Takes Risks?
Many people assume that men are more likely to take risks than women or that teens are the most likely engage in risky behavior. But this press release issued by the Association for Psychological Science suggests otherwise.
Sacrifice Amid the Ice: Facing Facts on the Scott Expedition
In 1910, two separate expeditions set out to be the first to reach the South Pole. Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen’s expedition was successful, and Robert Scott’s expedition from England tragically fell short of its goal. Read about the great risk these men undertook and the price they had to pay for taking such risks.
On Forgiveness
What is forgiveness? Can you truly forgive if you are consumed with thoughts of anger or revenge? Written by a professor of philosophy at Boston University, this essay explores these and other questions.
Why We Protest
Learn about crowd psychology and the nature of protests by examining the Occupy Wall Street movement.