Seeing Through the Smoke—The Secrets in a Cigarette
Many cigarettes are only two-thirds tobacco, and contain hundreds of additives, such as antifreeze, cocoa shells, and liquorice.
The Importance of Strange Science
Science doesn’t have to be serious—you can always learn from it.
Meet Your Ancient Relatives — The Denisovans
Scientists sequenced the genome of a Denisovan—a distant cousin to modern humans and Neanderthals.
Meet the Brains Behind ‘Bones’
Forensic anthropologist and writer Kathy Reichs talks about her new novel “Bones Are Forever” and her ongoing work on the TV crime-fighting series “Bones.”
Mapping the Birthplace of Modern Languages
Scientists have traced the roots of languages like English and Spanish back to present-day Turkey.
‘Carbon Nation’ Tackles Climate Change, By Ignoring It
‘Carbon Nation’ bills itself as a ‘climate change solutions movie, that doesn’t even care if you believe in climate change.’
David Eagleman Gets Inside Our Heads
Neuroscientist David Eagleman exposes our unconscious minds in his latest book Incognito.
Science of Good Dancing
Evolutionary psychologist Nick Neave filmed men dancing, converted the videos into dancing avatars and asked women to rate the avatars’ dancing ability.
Arbiter of ‘Interestingness’ Navigates the ‘Net
Internet “curator” Maria Popova describes her brand of “combinatorial creativity.”
Catching Up with Tom Swift a Century Later
A look back at the fictional boy inventor and his 100 year legacy.