The Science of Fireworks
Fireworks are a display of color and chemistry. Everyone loves fireworks, especially astronomers. Find out why.
How Fireflies Make New Medicines
Fireflies light up the summertime night, but the glowing molecules inside them are also used by scientists to make new drugs.
Can We Make A Transporter?
Lots of technologies on Star Trek have become a reality. But what is missing is the transporter. Lawrence Krauss, physicist and author, sheds some light on the possibilities.
Making Ketchup Hurry Up
Ketchup takes a long time to come out of the bottle. Fortunately, science has a few answers for how to help ketchup hurry up.
How Animals Camouflage
Get ready to be introduced to nature's best master of disguise--the cuttlefish.
Smart Shirts
In the future, you will be able to download data from your shirt, which has electronics embedded in the fabric.
How Lightning Makes Magnets
When lightning bolts zap iron minerals they make magnets called lodestones. NASA scientists coax bolts to strike rocks using a trick from Ben Franklin.
Say Cheese, Pandemic
There are special cameras, called thermal cameras, that can detect heat. These cameras are the first defense against threats and diseases.
Saving Monarch Butterflies
Twenty years ago, there were a billion monarch butterflies. Now, there are less than 10 percent of them left. Their disappearance is linked to a weed.
Meat Grown in a Lab
Scientists can now grow beef outside of the cow. In the not-so-distant future, you might get your burger from a beaker.
How Animals Gossip
Imagine if we could talk to the animals. To do so, we will have to think about time differently.
How Plants Know Which Way Is Up
Seeds that are buried deep in the soil need to figure out which way their roots and stem should go. Ends up they have special cells to tell them what's up.
Bubbles that Print
Deep in your ink jet printer are millions of explosions, which cause bubbles that help you print.
Space Suit Secrets
Astronauts wear special suits so that they can work many hours in space. Find out about a special accessory they wear, which is very useful if they drank too much Tang in the morning.
Invisibility Cloaks
Scientists have made invisibility cloaks in the laboratory. What does it take to make something invisible? A bit of brain trickery.
As Sweet As Pi
Pi is the mysterious number of 3.14 that keeps our appliances running, our GPS going, and our clocks ticking. This number is pretty sweet.
How Atoms Keep Time
We keep time by measuring repeating patterns, like a swinging pendulum or the earth's rotation. But, the best way to measure time is with atoms inside atomic clocks.
How Frog's Legs Helped Make the Oscars Possible
In the 1700s, a scientist was dissecting frogs and found the legs twitched when touched with his tools. This freaky experiment allows us to make golden statues and get power from batteries.
Making a Phone Call in Ancient Africa
To send messages over long distances, the ancients used a drum. Recently, scientists have discovered how drum beats travel for miles with the help of the surface of the Nile.
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