• What Would Happen If The Earth Stopped Spinning?

    Good news: no force known to humankind could make Earth suddenly stop spinning, and scenarios where the planet instantly or rapidly stops spinning are completely hypothetical. The slightly less good news is that if we're wrong about that and it one day does happen to us, we're pretty much screwed.

    By Mark Lambert Read More
  • How Do Birds Know Where To Migrate?

    It's long been one of nature's greatest mysteries: how the heck do birds know where to go for the winter? If most humans tried to migrate south without a map or a GPS, we'd probably end up in Nova Scotia. Scientists have been trying to solve this mystery for a long time.

    By Becki Robins Read More
  • Are Sharks Really Afraid Of Dolphins?

    Dolphins are cute and playful. Sharks are scary and full of teeth. So how can it be true that a ruthless predator like a shark is afraid of a sweet little thing like a dolphin? Could such a concept even be true at all? Well, yes and no.

    By Becki Robins Read More
  • What Happens When You Hold Your Pee?

    When you've got to go, you've got to go, but sometimes there's no convenient place to do your business. We've all experienced the agony of a full bladder. What happens when you're stuck in traffic, or the line to the restroom is winding down the hallway and you have no option but to hold your pee?

    By Christine Liwag Dixon Read More
  • Here's The Reason Why Yawns Are So Contagious

    You probably know from firsthand experience that yawning is incredibly contagious. In fact, you might be yawning now because, according to Psychology Today, simply "reading the word 'yawn' can make people yawn." What makes human bodies behave this way? Don't fall asleep -- we have answers.

    By A. C. Grimes Read More
  • Why Is Saturn Losing Its Rings?

    If our Solar System's planets were people on a bus, Saturn would be the guy in a purple cape, smelling of patchouli and smoking a corn husk pipe. With its distinctive rings, Saturn is the eccentric bus-guy of our cosmic neighborhood. Sadly, Saturn is slowly losing its ring-bedazzled mojo. But why?

    By Mark Lambert Read More
  • What Do Tarantulas Eat?

    Contrary to what many think, tarantulas are not generally a threat to human life, and they can't (and won't) try to eat you. But what will they eat?

    By Jim Dykstra Read More
  • What Will Happen To The Earth When The Sun Dies?

    As far as existential threats that you have to push to the back of your mind just to get through the day go, the inevitable death of the sun in a scant few billion years has to take the wildly depressing cake. But come on. How bad could things really get? The answer, folks, is bad.

    By Tom Meisfjord Read More
  • What Would Happen If Mosquitoes Went Extinct?

    From a human perspective, mosquitoes suck. They drink our blood and transmit diseases like yellow fever, malaria and West Nile virus. In fact, mosquitoes cause over 1 million deaths per year, making them one of the world's deadliest species So, say we choose to eradicate them. Should we?

    By Jim Dykstra Read More
  • What's The Difference Between Magma And Lava?

    You've heard of both "magma" and "lava" when it comes to that hot stuff from the end of Lord of the Rings. You know it's spicy enough to melt evil rings. But you might not be clear on the difference between the two terms. Well, we'll keep you from embarrassing yourself in front of the elves.

    By Mark Lambert Read More
  • Do Sharks Sleep?

    Sharks are enigmatic creatures, but if there's one emotion we've felt comfortable assigning to them, it's severe crankiness. But what if it's not in their nature to be underwater rage machines? What if they're just really tired? Do sharks need a nap? Could they nap if they wanted to?

    By Tom Meisfjord Read More
  • Are Elephants Really Scared Of Mice?

    It's basically a cartoon trope: the giant, seemingly unflappable and mighty elephant is reduced to abject, prancing terror at the sight of a plucky mouse (who's probably involved in an elaborate heist to obtain cheese). Is there any truth to it? And if not, where did this weird notion come from?

    By Mark Lambert Read More
  • What's Brain Freeze, And Why Do We Get It?

    One moment you're enjoying a nice cold treat with your two closest friends. The next, you're doubled over in pain as a thunderous pain claps your temples. Unfortunately, you're not Harry Potter sensing Voldemort, you've just got brain freeze. What is this scourge of summertime snow-sweets?

    By Jim Dykstra Read More
  • What Would Happen If Everyone Jumped At The Same Time?

    We humans love to break records, and messing with gravity seems to be one of our species' odd and enduring obsessions. But what would happen if we decided to take things to the next level by convincing every human on earth to jump at exactly the same time?

    By Mark Lambert Read More
  • What Would Happen If There Were No Moon?

    The human race has an odd relationship with the battered, lonely space-bauble lazily circling our planet. It means many different things to our species. But setting our love affair with Earth's largest natural satellite aside, what would happen if it weren't there?

    By Mark Lambert Read More
  • What Would Happen If Bees Went Extinct?

    We love bees. We love them so much that Jerry Seinfeld made a movie about them. The industrious little bugs generate the world's supply of honey and inspire folksy art the world over, but they're also a vital part of both our ecosystem and our economy. Without them we'd be in a sea of troubles.

    By Jim Dykstra Read More
  • Do Spiders Sleep?

    Spiders aren't the kind of critters you can easily sneak up on, and for the 75 percent of our species who find spiders repugnant or terrifying, it's often this constant watchful alertness they find most disconcerting. So that leads us to the slightly weird question: do spiders sleep?

    By Mark Lambert Read More