How do glasses help us see?
Adults ScienceToday, glasses help millions of people with poor vision be able to see clearly. But how? Andrew Bastawrous and Clare Gilbert help unravel the answer by explaining refraction - the ability of a transparent medium, like glass, water, or the eye, to change the direction of light passing through it.
Why is Mount Everest so tall?
Adults ScienceAt 8,850 meters above sea level, Qomolangma, also known as Mount Everest, has the highest altitude on the planet. But how did this towering formation get so tall? Michele Koppes peers deep into our planet's crust, where continental plates collide, to find the answer.
The power of the placebo effect
Adults ScienceThe placebo effect is an unexplained phenomenon wherein drugs, treatments, and therapies that aren't supposed to have an effect - and are often fake - miraculously make people feel better. What's going on? Emma Bryce dives into the mystery of placebos' bizarre benefits.
The invisible motion of still objects
Adults ScienceMany of the inanimate objects around you probably seem perfectly still. But look deep into the atomic structure of any of them, and you'll see a world in constant flux - with stretching, contracting, springing, jittering, drifting atoms everywhere.
How stress affects your brain
Adults ScienceStress isn't always a bad thing; it can be handy for a burst of extra energy and focus, like when you're playing a competitive sport or have to speak in public. But when it's continuous, it actually begins to change your brain. Madhumita Murgia shows how chronic stress can affect brain size, its structure, and how it functions, right down to the level of your genes.
How do solar panels work?
Adults ScienceThe Earth intercepts a lot of solar power: 173,000 terawatts. That's 10,000 times more power than the planet's population uses. So is it possible that one day the world could be completely reliant on solar energy? Richard Komp examines how solar panels convert solar energy to electrical energy.
Is radiation dangerous?
Adults ScienceWhen we hear the word radiation, it's tempting to picture huge explosions and frightening mutations. But that's not the full story - radiation also applies to rainbows and a doctor examining an X-ray. So what is it, really, and how much should we worry about its effects? Matt Anticole describes the different types of radiation.
What is deja vu? What is deja vu?
Adults ScienceYou might have felt it -- the feeling that you've experienced something before, but, in reality, the experience is brand new. There are over 40 theories that attempt to explain the phenomenon of deja vu. Michael Molina explains how neuroimaging and cognitive psychology have narrowed down the theories that could explain that feeling you're having...again.