How Your Ears Do Math Better Than Mathematicians
If sound waves were like water waves, you you might expect to feel them as a big shove like a big wave of water coming in from the ocean. Except that's not what happens. When sound arrives, it's not a "hit" at all. Let me explain why.
The Real End Times
How's this for a doomsday scenario: Can time just stop? A group of doom nerds project that there's a 50 percent chance that time will end within the next 3.7 billion years. The problem is that we don't know how it will happen and, likely, we are just...
Caffeine and Stress: Hallucinating Your Way Through the Holidays
"I'm dreaming of a white Christmas," forever trapped inside your skull.
More Than Assholes
A new study explains the indexing method that's on the hunt for the web's anti-trolls.
Why It's OK to Stare
There are a great many reasons why we love disasters, and none of them have to do with enjoying the suffering of others. So take some comfort. We’re not into disasters because we’re secretly evil villains; we’re into disasters (in large part) to...
This Is What Landing on Mars Looks Like
The sight of dust billowing as the Curiosity rover touches down delivers an eerie, awed chill.