Sound carries rich information about the environment through which it’s traveled. And while many sighted people never take the time to notice this, using sound to build a mental picture Keep reading
Month: March 2025
Blowing Smoke
It’s unusual – but not entirely unheard of – to see volcanoes blowing smoke rings during inactive periods. But given their unpredictability, scientists had not studied this phenomenon in much depth. In a Keep reading
How Ant Stingers Work
Anyone who’s felt the sting of a fire ant knows it only takes an instant for this species to deliver a painful blow. Scientists are uncovering why that is using some of Keep reading
Plasma Shock Waves
Solar flares and coronal mass ejections send out shock waves that reverberate through our solar system. But shock waves through plasma – the ionized, high-energy particles making up the solar wind – do Keep reading
Collecting Dew
In areas of the world where fresh water is scarce, one potential source is dew collection. Scientists have been working in recent years on making overnight dew collection more efficient. The Keep reading
“In Perpetual Motion”
“In Perpetual Motion” follows adventure photographer Krystle Wright underwater where the roiling of the ocean sometimes makes time seem to stop, transporting her to another place entirely. To me, the Keep reading
Lensing in a Straw
While doing the sort of experiment only a kid or a scientist would pursue – namely, staring down a straw – Dianna noticed that water in a straw creates a Keep reading
Volcanic Plume
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station captured this dramatic image of Raikoke Volcano’s eruption in late June. This uninhabited Pacific Island is part of the Kuril Islands off mainland Russia. The Keep reading
The Skipping Dambusters
During World War II, the Allies developed “dambuster” bombs that skipped repeatedly off the surface of the water before striking their target. The goal was to cleverly bypass their enemies’ defenses Keep reading
Testing Vesicles
In biology, vesicles contain a liquid surrounded by a lipid membrane. The characteristics of that membrane – like its stiffness – can change over time in ways that indicate other changes. For Keep reading