Society
Culture, traditions and belief systems arising out of the social relationships among a group of people
Your Playlist Really Does Impact Your Workout
A slow jam won't get you through that third mile, and smooth jazz isn't going to kick that kickboxing workout up a notch. It's not just personal preference either - it's science
February 07, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
Photo of the Week: Eclipsed Sunset
Photo contest contestant Colleen Pinski captured an onlooker witnessing the annular solar eclipse as the sun sets on May 20, 2012
February 07, 2013 |
By Colleen Pinski
The Privacy Wars: Goggles That Block Facial Recognition Technology
For designers, the battle over what it means to be private in a very public world is a new frontier to be conquered
February 06, 2013 |
By Jimmy Stamp
Sorry, Malcolm Gladwell: NYC’s Drop in Crime Not Due to Broken Window Theory
We have no idea why crime dropped, but it had nothing to do with broken windows or police strategy
February 06, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
A Football Team With No One to Play Against
Listen closely around the public parks of Quito, Ecuador, and you just might hear that familiar sound: "Hut hut hike!"
February 06, 2013 |
By Alastair Bland
The Director of the Indian Museum Says It’s Time to Retire the Indian Motif in Sports
Are teams like the Indians, the Braves and the Redskins reflecting racial stereotypes?
February 06, 2013 |
By Leah Binkovitz
How Do You Discover a 17 Million Digit Prime Number?
The 48th Mersenne prime was recently discovered on the computer of a man named Dr. Curtis Cooper, and it's 17 million digits long
February 06, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
The Year’s Most Outstanding Science Visualizations
A juried competition honors photographs, illustrations, videos, posters, games and apps that marry art and science in an evocative way
February 05, 2013 |
By Megan Gambino
Earthworms Could Make Climate Change Worse
While earthworms benefit soils, they do play a significant role in greenhouse gas emissions worldwide - though not nearly as great as humans, of course
February 05, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
The Fastest Way to Send Big Chunks of Data Is Through the Mail, Not the Internet
The future of Big Data is in the post
February 05, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
This Drone Can Fit In Your Palm
The Black Hornet currently rank as the world's smallest military-grade spy drone, weighing just 16 grams and measuring at 4 inches long
February 05, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
There’s No Such Thing as a Concussion-Proof Helmet
Essentially, if you put 15 inches of foam on the outside of the helmet, you can make a concussion free helmet. But that's completely impractical
February 04, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
Why Did the Lights Go Out in the Superdome?
What actually caused the power outage in the 73,000 seat Superdome? Well, it's unclear
February 04, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
The Rise and Fall of Nikola Tesla and his Tower
The inventor's vision of a global wireless-transmission tower proved to be his undoing
February 04, 2013 |
By Gilbert King
This Computer Program Uses Old Headlines to Predict the Future
By analyzing old news, this artificial intelligence program can predict the future
February 04, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Don’t Get Duped: Six Foods That Might Not Be The Real Deal
Colored sawdust instead of saffron? Corn syrup instead of honey? It's all in the newly updated USP Food Fraud Database
February 04, 2013 |
By Leah Binkovitz
Searching for the Russian Loch Ness Monster in a Frozen Siberian Lake
In a record-breaking dive, the head of the Russian Geographical Society sunk to the bottom of Lake Labynkyr in Siberia, one of the coldest lakes in the world
February 04, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Strange Ball in a Strange Place: Watching the Super Bowl in Ecuador
America's Biggest Game brings excitement, curiosity and some boredom to Ecuador
February 04, 2013 |
By Alastair Bland
Grand Central Terminal Turns 100
The iconic New York building, which celebrates its 100th birthday this weekend, has a storied past
February 01, 2013 |
By Marina Koren
A Brief History of the Buffalo Chicken Wing
How the wing went from a throwaway to a delicacy in 50 years
February 01, 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
