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Column: Standard Model is favored but flawed physics theory
The Standard Model is what physicists call the current theory of fundamental particles and their interactions. Read more
The Standard Model is what physicists call the current theory of fundamental particles and their interactions. Read more
Feeling tired today? Most of us grow more weary as the day goes on and as the years pass. We say we are out of energy or getting low on energy, which is a fact. Read more
What is it that gives numbers their power? Read more
Clouds come in all shapes and sizes, but they are usually flat on the bottom. Read more
The aurora borealis, or northern lights, is a common sight at north polar latitudes. The name aurora borealis comes from Latin and Greek. Read more
Outside the window, 7 miles up, the wings of the jet airliner slice through the invisible air that seems magically to keep it aloft. It reminds me that we are immersed in Earth’s invisible atmosphere all of the time. Read more
The names of the 12 months that make up our Western calendar are so familiar that we do not think much about where they came from. Read more
All paint inside a can is black until the can is opened. Strange as it might seem, it is true. What we see as color is a matter of perception, intrinsic properties of an object and the light that illuminates it. Read more
The calendar is such a basic thing that we take it for granted. It consists of 52 weeks of seven days, plus one extra day, for a total of 365 days. Read more
Earth’s gravity creates tidal forces on the moon that keep it locked with one side always facing Earth. This is why we always see the same face of the moon and never see the backside. Read more
Earth is a unique planet in the solar system, and may be the only one of its kind anywhere. Read more
Zero, nothing, zilch, nada? The number zero is a misunderstood enigma. Its place in our number system is relatively recent, appearing much later than the Arabic numerals we use to display number digits. Read more
A word from Captain Obvious: The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Read more
Although we cannot measure “life” directly, astronomers have confidence that soon we will be able to reliably detect the chemicals of life such as oxygen, methane and nitrogen in the atmospheres of distant planets. Read more
For more than 100 years the safest, most effective, least expensive and widest-ranging drug known to man has been available to ease headaches, stop inflammation and lower fever. Read more
When speaking of mass extinctions we evoke a seriousness that transcends anything we have experienced in human history. Read more
Randomness might seem to dominate the world around us: falling leaves, the movement of trees in the wind, where the next raindrop will fall. Read more
As I sat in my kayak in Maunalua Bay in the muggy air and dwindling afternoon light last week, my thoughts focused on humidity. Read more
Some minerals have color because of what they do to light that passes through them or reflects from their surfaces. Read more
We use metals for so many different purposes that a list would go on page after page. The most common and most well known are iron and aluminum. It just happens that these are the two most abundant metals in Earth’s crust. Read more
Even with as much publicity as the current Puna eruption has garnered, there is still some misunderstanding about Kilauea Volcano’s eruptive behavior. Read more