Werner Heisenberg, who revolutionized quantum theory with his famous uncertainty principle, said, “When I meet God, I am going to ask him two questions: Why relativity? And why turbulence? I really believe he will have an answer for the first.” Read more
Concrete and cement are not the same thing, although the two terms are used interchangeably. Read more
Research has debunked the old adage that we use only 10% of our brain and has firmly filed it in the “urban myth” category. Read more
Ozone is present in extremely low concentrations throughout the Earth’s atmosphere. It is concentrated in the stratosphere, where it protects us from being fried by sunlight, and accumulates near the surface where sunlight forges it into the key ingredient of smog. Read more
Mineral resources are nonrenewable. They are both finite and irreplaceable, and they are diminishing. Read more
Dog is man’s best friend, but for how long humans and dogs have been living together is a very combative and controversial field, “more that any other subject in prehistory” according to one researcher. Read more
The greatest influence on the Earth’s temperature is the tilt of its axis. Read more
Light from the sun takes a mere eight minutes to travel to Earth across nearly 100 million miles of empty space. But it takes 120,000 years to travel just 400,000 miles from its origin in the sun’s core to its surface. Read more
As with many issues over which emotions run high, there are many myths surrounding irradiation, not supported by or directly contradicted by good scientific studies. Read more
The one thing you know for sure is that no product is chemical-free. Even the air we breathe is a chemical. Read more
Beyond merely noticing how cloudy it is, how often do we really pay attention to clouds? Read more
The old saying advises us to eat an apple a day to keep the doctor away. Knowing about antioxidants and free radicals, you might add spinach and broccoli, carrot sticks, a cup of tea, and … pizza. Yes, pizza! Read more
The allure of a diamond makes it the most highly revered among gemstones. It has many qualities that make it so desirable and beloved, not the least of which is its rarity. Read more
To build a sundial that keeps accurate time is not an easy task. A sundial is more than merely a statue that casts a shadow on numbers as the sun moves across the sky. Read more
Equinox derives from Latin for “equal night,” actually referring to equal length of day and night. It is not true that day and night are exactly the same length everywhere around the globe, but they are nearly. Read more
Greek mythology has Prometheus sneaking into Olympus to steal fire from the gods. Other cultures have similar myths. Read more
Lowly bananas are the world’s most popular fruit. Sadly, the yellow fruit is in danger. Read more
Imagine a world without patterns, a featureless, colorless canvas of nothingness. Read more
Sea level exists as a concept for us. No measurement can define a “global” sea level. Such a thing does not exist. In reality it can only be what we define it to be at a given time. Read more
Today is the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere, but the longest day in the southern hemisphere. Read more
The hottest lights on the market today are cool light-emitting diodes, or LEDs. Read more
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