With an unusually cold winter, the ice caves of Lake Superior draw many visitors every year. Check out this collection of amazing photographs.
Tag Archives: Science & Nature
Brain Confidence: How Our Neurons Make Decisions
It might seem that careful thought about all of the options would drive our decision making. But researchers have found that confidence is a bigger driver.
Philae lander makes historic touchdown on comet
Watch a video of, and read about, the historic landing of the first ever robotic spacecraft on a comet.
Magnified photos expose the secret beauty of sand grains
Dr. Gary Greenberg uses high-quality microscopes to magnify and photograph grains of sand from beaches all over the world. Read this brief article to learn more. Make sure to click the link to view his spectacular images.
How Animal Camouflage Works
If an animal isn’t as fast or strong as its predators, then it has to be smarter to avoid being eaten. Find out about one adaptation that helps some animals outsmart the enemy.
Are We Genetically Inclined To Be Materialistic?
Culture can help people to learn to share freely. Listen to this report comparing people in modern economies like those of the United States to hunter-gatherers.
What if everyone on Earth spoke the same language?
Did you know about 6,909 distinct languages are spoken worldwide? However, some experts predict that half of current languages will be gone by 2100. So, what is the future of language? Are we headed toward a world where everyone speaks the same language?
Running the risk: why experience matters when making decisions
Psychologist Ben Newell explains how previous experience affects risky decisions.
How Nature Resets Our Minds and Bodies
Something as simple as a window with a view of trees can help improve the recovery of hospital patients. This article explores how exposure to nature can help people suffering problems from ADD to cancer.
Grit: The power of passion and perseverance
It is difficult to predict who will succeed at long-term tasks. In this talk, Angela Duckworth argues that a person’s persistence, or “grit,” is what will help them overcome challenges.
Social Insects Inspire Design of Autonomous Robots
Robotics may seem to owe little to nature and everything to technology. But engineers have used the actions of social insects to guide the movements of robots that are not directly controlled by humans. Read this article to discover what robots can learn from ants.
Eureka!
“One sometimes finds what one is not looking for,” said Alexander Fleming, whose chance observation of a contaminated experiment led to the the world’s first antibiotic. This Smithsonian article discusses inventions and discoveries that centered on a flash of insight in a mind prepared to see what it wasn’t looking for.
Hurricane Katrina
What contributed to the devastating power of Hurricane Katrina? History® provides text, videos, and links on the formation and impact of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Agreeing to Disagree
It may be easier to have a conversation with someone who already agrees with you, but it’s better for your brain to talk with—and listen to—someone who disagrees with you. In this article, Art Markman, Ph.D., a cognitive scientist at the University of Texas, discusses the practical applications of psychological research on disagreement.
Survival of the Friendliest
In this short video, Brian Hare explores the importance of friendliness in the animal and human worlds.
Thinking of Home Makes It Harder to Learn a Foreign Language
Changing from using one language to another can be a challenge, one that is made even more difficult by reminders of one’s home country. This article by Emily Underwood explains why.
Pursuing the Impossible, and Coming Out on Top
Free climbers Kevin Jorgesen and Tommy Caldwell reached the summit of El Capitan’s Dawn Wall in Yosemite after over 18 days of hard work. Many consider it the toughest, most challenging rock climb in the world. Read about it here.
Are Pigs as Smart as Dogs, and Does It Really Matter?
An opinion columnist explores the idea of whether we should think about how smart the kinds of animals we eat might be.
Animation basics: The optical illusion of motion
This video explains how a human characteristic called ‘persistence of vision’ is the key to motion in animation.
Imagine a world without fossil fuels
Can you imagine a world where humans aren’t reliant on fossil fuels? Such a thing may seem impossible, but Christiana Figueres believes this ambitious goal is not only possible, but within reach.