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.
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.
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!
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.
We know dolphins are smart. In some studies, dolphins come in just behind humans in terms of brain power. Now researchers have discovered that dolphins use names for each other and have individual identities. Read this article to find out how these amazing marine mammals communicate with one another.
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.
Have you ever wondered whether night vision goggles really work? They do—find out how in this informative article.
Scientists assert that climate change is inevitable. The good news, however, is that humans can adapt to it. Read this article to learn one writer’s opinion about how we can do that.
Astronomers like to think our solar system has remained more or less the same for billions of years. However, in studying the spectacles of Saturn’s rings and Jupiter’s moons, some researchers are challenging that notion.
Bees play a critical role in the natural world, but they are mysteriously disappearing from their hives. Learn more about Colony Collapse Disorder and about what scientists are trying to do about it.
