Weekend DIY: Astronaut Ice Cream


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How to Make Freeze-Dried Astronaut Ice Cream

Along with looking into the mystifying world of science, picking up a freeze-dried astronaut ice cream sandwich is one of our favorite parts of a visit to a space or science museum. Engineer Ben Krasnow also loved those strange pieces of sweets as a kid, so much that he naturally decided to re-create the food himself in his home workshop. Now Ben's methodology, as seen in the video below, is not Read more

This Weekend: Get Schooled on Science, Thanks to YouTube


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Free Online Science Lessons

YouTube isn't just for watching funny videos about cats, it's also a great place to get educated. No, really! Take SciShow, for example. This channel is dedicated to teaching the masses interesting things about science, computers, and all things geeky, in a highly entertaining way, thanks mostly in part to the adorably nerdy host, Hank. Get schooled on things like solar energy, mind reading, Read more

Simon Pegg Plays Physics Guinea Pig


Updated 12/30/11 1:51 PM · Posted by · 1 comment

Simon Pegg & Brian Cox on BBC Night With the Stars

In a recent episode of the BBC's A Night With the Stars, physicist Brian Cox (similar in reputation to Neil deGrasse Tyson, except British) enlisted the help of actor and geek we love, Simon Pegg, to explain the physics of why atoms are so vast yet empty. Brian leads Simon and physicist Jim Al-Khalili in a giggly demonstration of standing wave principles in relation to the characteristics of Read more

Pigeons: Future Leaders of Tomorrow?


Updated 01/03/12 7:34 PM · Posted by · 2 comments

Pigeons Learn Math in Experiments

They know you call them winged rats and they're sick of it. So pigeons are stepping up their game, taking back their name and proving they have a level of smarts city dwellers never knew about. Re-creating an experiment from the 1990s that originally tested monkeys' ability to rank numbers from lowest to highest, researchers from the University of Otago, in New Zealand, discovered pigeons could Read more

Source of Einstein's Genius on Display in Philadelphia


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Albert Einstein Brains at Museum

When Albert Einstein died in 1955, the literal symbol of his brilliance — his brain — was preserved and pieces of it divided between research institutions for academic study. Now the Mütter Museum of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, a medical history museum specializing in medical oddities, has some of those samples on display to the viewing public. Forty-six slides containing Read more

Future Jurassic Park? Dinosaur Feathers Found in Amber


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Dinosaur Feathers Discovered in Amber

Could this be the start of a real-life Jurassic Park? Paleontologists from the University of Alberta recently published their findings on dinosaur and bird feathers preserved in amber in the journal Science. Dating back over 78 million years, the feathered findings indicate winged creatures of early Earth may have had similarities to modern birds. Here's what you need to know about this historic Read more

Burning Question: Why Does Spinach Make Your Teeth Gritty?


Updated 09/14/11 3:01 PM · Posted by · 5 comments

Why Spinach Makes Your Teeth Gritty

Not too long ago, I enjoyed my favorite steakhouse side, creamed spinach, with a reliable hunk of aged meat at the House of Prime Rib. I hadn't had the dish in a while, and when I took my first bite I instantly remembered what it felt like to have "spinach teeth" — a gritty, uncomfortable sensation that one experiences after eating spinach. Why, I wondered, does spinach leave your teeth feeling Read more

4 Free Science Courses From iTunes


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Free Online iTunes Science Classes

Even if you've been out of school for years, there's no need to feel left out while watching kids head back to the classroom, as you have a free resource to get your learning on. iTunes U, available through the iTunes store, offers content from over 1,000 universities, and nearly half of these schools including those known for stellar science programs like Harvard, MIT, and Cambridge among Read more

Science Is Sexy! 6 Female Scientists From the Silver Screen


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Female Scientists in Movies

With our love of NASA, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and science museums, it's safe to say that life as a scientist is a definite dream. Which is why it's always exciting to see the traditionally male-dominated world of Hollywood include strong roles for women in the sciences. Check out our picks for favorite female characters in film with enough knowledge in chemistry, astrophysics, or paleobotany to be Read more

Do Lobsters Really Scream When You Boil Them?


Updated 08/21/11 1:14 PM · Posted by · 9 comments

Do Lobsters Scream When Boiled?

We're at the height of shore food season, and with an overabundance of lobster this year, it's been near-impossible not to spot the red crustacean just everywhere, from atop guacamole to sandwiched between a million different lobster rolls. It all makes me want to go out and get my own lobster to steam with drawn butter. Yet, as someone who's new to the world of cooking live lobster, two things Read more