Surprising Science

We are at greater risk to a full-blown epidemic than at any time in history. What’s being done to stop it? 

Learn why you shouldn’t take a selfie in zero gravity, and other aspects of living in space. 

Casual sex isn’t as mindless as it seems, with people actually looking for love, and influenced by brain chemistry and genes.

2050 is coming, and how it looks will be the result of what’s on our plates.

Neil deGrasse Tyson says the best way to get children interested in science is to get out of their way, or give them some binoculars.

Sitting for eight hours a day is bad for our health, this we know. But there’s not enough evidence to prove standing is any better for our wellbeing, according to one meta-analysis.

Cancer’s days may be numbered. Find out about the latest advancements, and where we need to go.  

The cognitive equivalent of snacking on Twinkies dipped in whey protein to prepare for a triathalon.

Refusing to allow terminally ill patients the right to end their life is a cruel and inhumane relic of religious thinking.

Rosalind Franklin is most known for her role in first capturing the blueprint for life. Her efforts provided the evidence to deduce the double helix structure of DNA.

Helen B. Taussig was the original pediatric cardiologist. She founded a field of study, advancing medical research beyond what was thought possible at the time.

Mary Anning lived in a time when women couldn’t attend university.

Police chiefs are banding together to end the war on drugs.

Hallucinations are a feature of our brain’s hardware. Could religious visions be accounted for by this neurological phenomenon? 

Drought-stricken Los Angeles County fired silver iodide into clouds during this winter’s El Niño as part of a process designed to elicit up to 15% more rainfall. This form of weather-manipulation is called cloud-seeding.

The Federal Highway Administration has rescinded its approval for the use of an alternative roadside typeface called Clearview, once again making the 70-year-old Highway Gothic typeface the single standard for directional signage.

Researchers predict a rise in “extreme precipitation” across most of the world. They say this forecast includes arid regions, which may not be prepared to handle extra rainfall.

Scientists are going to ground-zero of one of Earth’s most notable disasters—to the Chicxulub crater to dig to the heart of the asteroid that collided into the Earth 66 million years ago.

New evidence could help spark a renewed debate about restoring Pluto’s planethood. Images from NASA’s New Horizons mission reveals the “dwarf planet” may have clouds, which would indicate a weather system.

All teachers should strive to instill in their students the ability to think rationally and clearly communicate their conclusions. One educator has recommended using heavy metal as a focal topic in teaching sound thinking. 

The Planetary Society has unveiled the successor of its first solar sail project, the LightSail 2. It will take flight sometime this year when SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket is ready.

Elizabeth Kenny went against conventional methods for treating polio and believed a patient should have an active role in their recovery.

The search for Planet Nine is on. The problem is scientists don’t know where to start — it has an orbit of 10,000 to 20,000 years. However, a group of researchers from France may have narrowed the search area.

Big Think is proud to partner with the 92nd Street Y’s 7 Days of Genius Festival to bring you an in-depth look at the many qualities and characteristics of genius.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg defended the tenets of encryption and privacy yesterday in an event in Spain. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates was much more opaque when asked to describe his opinion.

NASA has teamed up with the International Potato Center (CIP) in an effort to find out if the potato will be part of the Mars mission.

Why universities can no longer afford to access the research they created themselves.

We are far more worried about the problem of parents not vaccinating their kids than low general vaccination rates for flu, which will sicken and kill way more of us, including WAY more kids.

ReWalk announced a commercial health program that will provide coverage for a personal exoskeleton system. The beneficiary of this ReWalk exoskeleton is a surgeon who has been bound to a manual wheelchair for 11 hours a day at work. 

Exercise has a number of health benefits for both brain and body. Researchers from the Academy of Finland wanted to find out what kind of exercises provide the best workout for the brain.