Why do we use gasoline for small vehicles and diesel fuel for big vehicles?

Both gasoline and diesel fuel are refined from crude oil, but they are good for different things and can’t be used interchangeably.

Michael Leamy, Woodruff Endowed Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology • conversation
Oct. 28, 2024 • ~6 min

Could fungi actually cause a zombie apocalypse?

Be very afraid – if you’re an insect.

Matt Kasson, Associate Professor of Mycology and Plant Pathology, West Virginia University • conversation
Oct. 21, 2024 • ~8 min

When and why do girls start forming cliques?

Belonging to a group can make you feel safe and supported. But there can be downsides, too.

Hannah L. Schacter, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Wayne State University • conversation
Oct. 7, 2024 • ~6 min

Is it bad to listen to music all the time? Here’s how tunes can help or harm

Listening to music and doing homework can be in harmony − as long as you turn down the volume.

Jillian Hubertz, Clinical Assistant Professor in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Purdue University • conversation
Sept. 30, 2024 • ~8 min

Why can’t it always be summer? It’s all about the Earth’s tilt

The tilt of the Earth and your distance from the equator are just 2 reasons why summer’s not year-round.

Stephanie Spera, Assistant Professor of Geography and the Environment, University of Richmond • conversation
Sept. 20, 2024 • ~7 min

Will your phone one day let you smell as well as see and hear what’s on the other end of a call?

Phones that transmit odors sound like science fiction, but researchers are working on making them real.

Jian Liu, Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Tennessee • conversation
Sept. 16, 2024 • ~5 min

What is space made of? An astrophysics expert explains all the components – from radiation to dark matter – found in the vacuum of space

While space is mostly empty, it does have some matter and particles spread throughout it.

Nilakshi Veerabathina, Professor of Physics Instruction, University of Texas at Arlington • conversation
Aug. 30, 2024 • ~8 min

What is mental imagery? Brain researchers explain the pictures in your mind and why they’re useful

Here’s how your brain visualizes scenarios that you’re not actually looking at with your eyes.

Jiabin Shen, Assistant Professor of Psychology, UMass Lowell • conversation
Aug. 26, 2024 • ~7 min

Could we use volcanoes to make electricity?

We don’t generate power directly from volcanoes, but their presence is a sign that there are good geothermal resources underground that can be tapped.

David Kitchen, Associate Professor of Geology, University of Richmond • conversation
Aug. 19, 2024 • ~5 min

Could dinosaurs still exist somewhere in the world? A paleontologist explains

It’s fun to imagine secret dinosaur survivors living today, hidden in a remote corner of Earth. But the truth of who made it through the extinction event 66 million years ago may surprise you.

Hans Sues, Senior Research Geologist and Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology, Smithsonian Institution • conversation
Aug. 12, 2024 • ~7 min

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