Liquid nitrogen is a cryogenic liquid. They’re liquefied gases that can only stay liquid at extremely low temperatures. For example, liquid nitrogen boils at...
For most of human history, living to old age was a rare achievement. Just over a century ago, the average life expectancy in the United States was only around 50 years...
Mosquitoes are often treated as nothing more than irritating insects that leave behind itchy bites. Their importance, however, is much greater than their size suggests...
Before sunrise, deep in remote terrain, a single worker steps out of a tent into cold, uncertain weather. The job ahead is simple in theory but brutal in practice...
Have you ever been curious about Medieval life? Would you travel back in time if you could? Do you think you would enjoy it? How long would you last? After 200 years of...
Jupiter may be the biggest planet in the Solar System, but its days are numbered. Because today, we’re using Earth’s biggest, baddest bombs to blow the gas giant...
[dx_custom_adunit mobile_id=”RTK_v1lP”] If you had a device designed to freeze time for everything but you, life wouldn’t be anything like what...
Forty light years from Earth, there is a world that looks a lot like Venus. But unlike the most sweltering, hellish planet in the Solar System, this not so distant...
It’s January 2027. No warning sirens sound across America or Europe. No emergency alert flashes across your phone. By the time the world realizes how serious things have...
What a perfect day for kayaking out on the open sea. Wait a second, why is the water suddenly spinning? Is that a whirlpool? How do people actually get pulled into...
A massive earthquake knocks you off your feet. There’s a blinding flash of white, and then you see a tsunami of lava rising on the horizon. A nuclear reaction has...
How would it feel to control objects with your mind? Or hear colors? Or maybe even live forever? Well, if you want to find out, all you have to do is become a cyborg...
Every living thing on this planet owes its existence to a single star. Heat, light, and the raw energy that keeps ecosystems running all trace back to the Sun, and...
This is the Universe. And this little dot here is the Earth. And this is a Big Bounce coming up, and it’s about to squash our planet. Yikes. How long would we have...
The world has ended. The sky has fallen. Doomsday has come and gone. So now what? Let’s start rebuilding civilization, of course. How would you begin to come back from...
Florida is well known for its sunny beaches, theme parks, its nightlife, and the warm weather. Yet beneath the travel brochures lies a state in which hurricanes...
Mohamedou Ould Slahi had never thought that going to the police would result in him spending years in one of the world’s most notorious prisons. When he was in...
Russia is already the largest country on Earth, stretching across Europe and Asia and covering more territory than any other nation. But what if a conflict involving...
Could you face guards who shoot to kill? Swim for hours or even days in the open sea? Or cross a vast, hostile desert? What kind of place can push a person to make these...
Do the math with me. Earth holds 3.8 billion women. Until yesterday, it also held 3.9 billion men. This morning, the count of men stands at exactly one. You. Your phone...
