Category: Articles • Page 6/16

An EEG machine
Humoring the Gelotologists
Science's best current explanations for why humans react so strangely to 'humorous' words and situations. Written by Alan Bellows • 14 Jan 2008
Sergei’s Litter
From the 1920's through the 1950's, a Soviet scientist by the name of Sergei S. Bryukhonenko spent countless hours sl... Written by Scott Cianciosi • 20 Dec 2007
Transforming the Earth
Humanity's home is far from factory-fresh these days. Frankly, the Earth has received its share of scratches and dent... Written by Matt Castle • 13 Dec 2007
Midgley in the laboratory
The Ethyl-Poisoned Earth
Chronically catastrophic chemist Thomas Midgley accidentally poisons the world with a neurotoxin, and Clair Patterson tries to stop him. Written by Alan Bellows • 08 Dec 2007
Arecibo Observatory, a 305-meter-wide radio telescope (courtesy of the NAIC - Arecibo Observatory, a facility of the NSF)
Space Radio: More Static, Less Talk
Owing to radio's aptitude in transporting information, our planet is endlessly peppered by man-made low-frequency rad... Written by Alan Bellows • 30 Nov 2007
Aurora over Bear Lake, Alaska
The Sound of the Aurora
If you happen to be reasonably close to one of the Earth's magnetic poles, the next time there’s a particularly inten... Written by Richard Solensky • 16 Nov 2007
The Gimli Glider
When a botched imperial-to-metric conversion left a commercial jet with insufficient fuel, pilots had to improvise. Written by Alan Bellows • 12 Nov 2007
Guppy Love
It has long been observed-- though not scientifically-- that women seem to show a vague preference for men who are al... Written by Jason Bellows • 05 Nov 2007
Dr. Bill Bass, forensic anthropologist
The Remains of Doctor Bass
Under normal circumstances, one would expect a wandering throng of students to demonstrate animated displeasure upon... Written by Alan Bellows • 29 Oct 2007
The Crabs of Christmas
Every year around the end of the October, the red crabs of Christmas Island begin their march. Up to 100 million indi... Written by Matt Castle • 26 Oct 2007
NORAD - Keeping an eye towards the sky to protect the United States.
The Apocalypses That Might Have Been
In the early dawn hours of November 9th, 1979, just a month and a half after the inexplicable Vela Incident, crews ma... Written by Dan Gillis • 22 Oct 2007
Juan Fernandez Island
The Solitude of Alexander Selkirk
It’s a small spot on the map. Below the thirty-fourth degree south latitude, the island of Juan Fernandez casts a mo... Written by Ben Taylor • 19 Oct 2007
Rendering of a Vela satellite in orbit
The Vela Incident
On 22 September 1979, sometime around 3:00am local time, a US Atomic Energy Detection System satellite recorded a pat... Written by Alan Bellows • 16 Oct 2007
The Mechanical Battery
In a world where everything from our automobiles to our underwear may soon run on electricity, more efficient portabl... Written by Christopher S. Putnam • 12 Oct 2007
Dictyostelium discoideum composite photo, Copyright © M.J. Grimson & R.L. Blanton; Biological Sciences Electron Microscopy Laboratory, Texas Tech University
Amoebic Morality
Once food had been plentiful, but no longer. In the early days of the colony, the amoebas had feasted on a rich supp... Written by Carol Otte • 09 Oct 2007
The Ruins of Alamut
Fortress of the Assassins
The nobleman awoke on a sunny spring morning. Feeling uncomfortable, he shifted himself, only to notice an extra wei... Written by Scott Cianciosi • 03 Oct 2007
courtesy Wisconsin Historical Society
The Forgotten Fire
On October 8th, 1871, the small Wisconsin logging town of Peshtigo was consumed by one of the most severe and woefull... Written by Dan Gillis • 20 Sep 2007
Smedley Darlington Butler
The Revenge of the Fighting Quaker
In the early 1930s, a secret collection of prosperous men are said to have assembled in New York City to discuss the... Written by Alan Bellows • 14 Sep 2007
China's first nuclear test, codename
Spies on the Roof of the World
In the waning weeks of 1964, the US Central Intelligence Agency was gripped by anxiety in the wake of troubling news.... Written by Alan Bellows • 28 Aug 2007
Extra charge for delivery insurance
One Small Step For Mail
There are few who would call postal delivery exciting. The reasons for this attitude are difficult to pin down, but i... Written by Christopher S. Putnam • 20 Aug 2007