If the Sun were somehow to disappear, we all know we’d be in big trouble. Life on Earth would swiftly become impossible. But for you science types, I’ve found a graphic that describes exactly what would happen and when. Of course, we’re far enough away that, even at the speed of light, nothing would happen
With all the talk about immigration concerns in this country, I ran across an interesting article on The Christian Science Monitor website entitled “Could Embracing Migrants Help Solve Italian Villages’ Aging Problem?” (http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2016/1030/Could-embracing-migrants-help-solve-Italian-villages-aging-problem) In Italy, the birth rate is not high enough to prevent a shrinking population. This is especially true in Southern Italy’s villages,
As a Disneyana fan, having songs stuck in my head comes with the territory (it’s what kind of world after all?). I’ve always accepted it as part of my life. But now, thanks to some new research, there may be a scientific explanation. In a study published in the academic journal Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity
I’ve recently heard a radical idea: we should become a cashless society. The technology is pretty much here, with credit and debit cards, PayPal, and even Bitcoins. Other countries are moving in that direction. South Korea has established a goal of becoming a cashless society by 2020 (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/biz/2016/03/488_199146.html). India and the Scandinavian countries are also
Who hasn’t needed a little extra sleep? That’s why snooze buttons were invented. But what really happens if you push it? A recent post on the “Science of Us” website addresses this question. It cites a Wall Street Journal column by behavioral scientist Dan Ariely that reports using the snooze button (especially multiple times) doesn’t
What if you were a real meat-lover, and one day, after decades of eating whatever you wanted, you suddenly developed what appeared to be an allergic reaction a few hours after eating a steak? Your family physician will tell you no, you’re wrong, you can’t be allergic to meat, it must be something else (or
Insects are tiny creatures. So why are many people afraid of them? A recent article on the Science of Us website (http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2016/10/why-are-so-many-people-scared-of-bugs.html?) explores this phenomenon. There are several reasons for an elevated fear factor. First, insects can be really dangerous. The ones that bite or sting can cause real trouble, especially if an allergy is
Happy Halloween! I’m writing this after having spent two hours on the front lines, handing out candy at the bottom of a driveway. This has become such a major holiday — I suspect number two now, behind Christmas — that it makes one wonder how we got here. The best explanation I’ve seen so far
You know you exist. Everyone around you can see you exist. But legally, how do you prove it? Yesterday, while I was out running, I listened to a podcast about a young lady who was trying to establish a legal identity. She had been born at home, delivered by a midwife. No birth certificate was
If you were living in the Jurassic era, what kinds of sounds would you expect to hear from dinosaurs? That takes some detective work because soft tissue isn’t usually fossilized. But according to the EarthSky website, a team of scientists has found the vocal organ of a bird that’s a relative of ducks and geese