How does your brain wake up from sleep?
The mystery of how the brain creates consciousness still puzzles scientists, but the mechanics of waking up are starting to be understood.
Jan. 4, 2021 • ~6 min
neurons sleep curious-kids curious-kids-us eeg consciousness human-brain
Why do different countries have different electric outlet plugs?
There are 15 different kinds of electrical outlets around the world. One standard would be more convenient, but no one wants to change theirs.
Dec. 21, 2020 • ~6 min
electricity electric-grid safety curious-kids curious-kids-us electrical-grid electrical-engineering voltage thomas-edison nikola-tesla building-standards
Mermaids aren't real – but they've fascinated people around the world for ages
Mermaids are not real, but are meaningful to people around the world.
Dec. 14, 2020 • ~6 min
curious-kids curious-kids-us bigfoot seals loch-ness-monster cryptozoology folklore unicorns greek-mythology christopher-columbus stories dragons mermaids manatees
Why do tigers have stripes?
How do tigers – a top predator – successfully hunt their prey when they have bright orange fur? The secret's in their stripes!
Nov. 23, 2020 • ~6 min
vision wildlife curious-kids curious-kids-us predator-prey-interaction tigers camouflage captive-wildlife big-cats predator-and-prey wildlife-crime stripes
Why do tigers have different stripe patterns?
How do tigers – a top predator – successfully hunt their prey when they have bright orange fur? The secret's in their stripes!
Nov. 23, 2020 • ~6 min
vision wildlife curious-kids curious-kids-us predator-prey-interaction tigers camouflage captive-wildlife big-cats predator-and-prey wildlife-crime
How do geese know how to fly south for the winter?
Geese honk loudly and point their bills toward the sky when they're ready to start the migration. Here's how they know it's time, how they navigate and how they conserve energy on the grueling trip.
Nov. 16, 2020 • ~8 min
birds migration ornithology curious-kids curious-kids-us feathers migratory-birds bird-migration animal-navigation flying geese magnetic-compass drafting fall magnetic-north bird-flight
Why does some rain fall harder than other rain?
Some rainstorms drench you in a second, while others drop rain in a nice peaceful drizzle. A meteorologist explains how rainstorms can be so different.
Aug. 13, 2020 • ~5 min
hurricane flooding storms rain curious-kids curious-kids-us weather humidity air clouds thunderstorm flash-floods
Do dogs really see in just black and white?
Your faithful friend's view of the world is different than yours, but maybe not in the way you imagine.
July 2, 2020 • ~6 min
dogs pets animals vision fox wolf curious-kids curious-kids-us senses cats colors wolves foxes dog sensory-perception photoreceptors
What is the slowest thing on Earth?
Physicists can use bright, hot lasers to slow atoms down so much that they measure -459 degrees Fahrenheit.
June 22, 2020 • ~6 min
physics quantum-mechanics laser light photons molecules curious-kids curious-kids-us temperature cold atoms absolute-zero warmblood sloths
What makes something smell good or bad?
Mmmmmmm. That smells delicious. Wait, how do you know that?
June 1, 2020 • ~5 min
curious-kids curious-kids-us smell science-of-smells senses olfactory sense-of-smell odor olfaction scents
/
2