Surprising Science — March 25, 2014

Playing with a Sphere of Water on the ISS

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

There are a lot of ways to entertain oneself on the International Space Station. Playing with a large sphere of water is one of them. Watch what happens when an antacid tablet is added to this experiment:

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Image credit: NASA

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

A black and white image of a bunch of spheres, symbolizing the multiverse concept discussed by scientists.

Starts With A Bang

How logic and reasoning can fail as scientific tools

In logic, ‘reductio ad absurdum’ shows how flawed arguments fall apart. Our absurd Universe, however, often defies our intuitive reasoning.

Life

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As the world warms, trees in forests such as those in Minnesota will no longer be adapted to their local climates. That’s where assisted migration comes in.

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An abstract composite image depicting where life began with mountainous terrain, chemical structures, and a monochrome inset of a cloudy sky.

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A digitally enhanced view of a crescent planet Earth with a galaxy in the background.

Starts With A Bang

What was it like when planet Earth first formed?

The Earth that exists today wasn’t formed simultaneously with the Sun and the other planets. In some ways, we’re quite a latecomer.

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