Snakes’ forked tongues have long inspired fear, but, in reality, they are part of a highly-effective sensory system. When snakes flick out their tongues, they waggle them up and down Keep reading
Month: December 2023
“Space Iris”
Ruslan Khasanov’s “Space Iris” explores the similarities between nebulae and eyes. Made entirely with common fluids like paint, soap, and alcohol, the film shows off the gorgeous possibilities of surface-tension- Keep reading
Overheating Slows Large Animals
As climate change and human development continue to encroach on animals’ territories, mass migrations will become more and more common. But animals aren’t all equally able to travel long distances Keep reading
Fast-Moving Martian Rivers
For the first time, scientists have found evidence of deep, fast-flowing ancient rivers on Mars. After examining images taken recently by the Perseverance rover in Jezero Crater, fluvial experts have Keep reading
Getting Water Out of Your Ear
Swimming often results in water getting stuck in our ear canals. The narrow space, combined with the waxy surface, is excellent at trapping small amounts of water. If left in Keep reading
Swirls Over the Canaries
Rocky, isolated islands disturb the atmosphere, sending air swirling off one side of the island and then the other. The effects are not always visible to the naked eye, but, Keep reading
“The Beauty in Creation”
Volcanoes are endlessly fascinating to watch, especially in this era of drone photography. Joey Helms’s short film “The Beauty in Creation” shows the Fagradalsfjall eruption in Iceland. Sail over rivers Keep reading
Shouting Into the Wind is Easier Than You Think
“Shouting into the wind” usually means a failure to communicate, but it turns out that shouting into the wind doesn’t work the way people usually think. In fact, it’s easy Keep reading
The Epic Migration of Plankton
Zooplankton are tiny creatures found throughout Earth’s oceans. During the daytime, they linger in the twilight depths, where they are harder for predators to spot. But once the sun sets, Keep reading
Fixing Reverse Osmosis
Desalination and water treatment plants both rely on reverse osmosis to generate clean water for human use. The standard theory behind reverse osmosis for the last half century suggested that Keep reading