Trying to hit a ball, make a speech, or do any job flawlessly under pressure can lead to choking. Overthinking an action can lead to making a fatal mistake. Read what scientists are finding out about the brain and this human failing.
Tag Archives: Science & Nature
The Amazon Basin
The Amazon River is teeming with amazing sights. Explore pictures of its strange and beautiful wildlife in this article.
The size of your brain’s visual center affects how you see the world
A scientist from University College, London, has discovered that a purely physical aspect of the brain may be responsible for how people can look at the same thing and see two different things.
Good Art Is Popular Because It’s Good. Right?
In an effort to find out why certain pieces of art are successful, a Princeton professor designed a study that concluded that chance has a lot to do with it.
How Smart Is An Octopus?
Dogs, dolphins, and parrots are known to show intelligent behavior, but now the octopus is being studied too. Watch the unusual actions that are making researchers take a closer look at these weird underwater creatures. Then read about the intelligent actions observed in several other animals.
Decade-Old Rover Adventure Continues on Mars and Earth
The rovers Spirit and Opportunity landed on Mars in 2004. Ten years later, Opportunity is still exploring. Learn about the team behind the rovers, and what they have accomplished.
Can Phobias Be Cured in Our Sleep?
Read about a new study suggests we can train our brain to overcome our fears while we sleep.
Why are there so many arches at Arches?
Arches National Park has the densest concentration of natural stone arches in the world. With over 2,000 documented arches in the park, we find out how did so many arches form?
Why do we see illusions?
How do optical illusions fool us? Watch as Mark Changizi explains how the brain interprets straight lines as curves and sees motion in still images.
Microbes at Work
The tiniest organisms are the most essential to sustaining life on earth. Discover the many ways in which we depend on microbes.
How Wilderness Survival Kits Work
For a hiker lost in the wilderness, packing the right supplies is a matter of life and death. Find out what’s most important to carry along to ensure survival and a safe return home.
Artful Animals
Through the years, African artists have crafted animal artifacts as symbols of specific ideas and traits. Explore the many links on this site to view some artifacts and to discover how the traits of various animals play a key role in African folktales.
Hurricane Katrina
In August of 2005, Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast, causing widespread flooding in New Orleans and killing many people. Revisit the experience of the storm and learn about how people responded in the aftermath.
Sinister! Threats from the Left Are Scarier
New research shows that people are more scared of threats that come from the left. Read about the experiments conducted which prove the theory, and the ideas around why it is so.
Underdogs: The Bloodhound’s Amazing Sense of Smell
Read about the amazing bloodhound, whose nose consists of approximately 230 million olfactory cells, or “scent receptors”—which makes them perfect tracker dogs.
Survival Training, Ferret Style
Wild animals such as weasels survive by following their instincts. But what about animals raised in captivity? Endangered ferrets in one breeding project are taught the instincts they need before being released into the wild.
Fukushima nuclear crisis continues to unfold
An earthquake and tsunami in 2011 caused heavy damage to the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan. Three reactors melted down, and radiation escaped into the air and water. Watch a report about how workers are still trying to contain the damage.
How to make someone fall in love with you, according to science
Sometimes it seems there are just about as many theories on why we fall in love as there are couples in love. But statistics have shown that certain factors play a huge part in what attracts us to certain people and what keeps relationships strong.
The Girl Who Swims With Sharks
20-year-old Madison Stewart is on a quest to save sharks. Though they might not look like they need protecting, many species of sharks are in danger because of humans engaging in controversial practices and markets. Stewart hopes to change peoples’ minds in time to save these magnificent fish.
Using nature’s genius in architecture
Humans can learn a lot from nature: In this TED talk, learn how architects are imitating natural processes and structures to create more efficient buildings.