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.

Katie McCormick, Postdoctoral Scholar of Physics, University of Washington • conversation
June 22, 2020 • ~6 min

What makes something smell good or bad?

Mmmmmmm. That smells delicious. Wait, how do you know that?

Weihong Lin, Professor of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore County • conversation
June 1, 2020 • ~5 min

What would it feel like to touch a cloud?

You might have already felt what it would be like inside a cloud made of condensed water vapor.

Katja Friedrich, Associate Professor of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder • conversation
May 28, 2020 • ~6 min

What's an epidemiologist?

Epidemiologists focus on diseases among groups of people. They also study the spread of disease among animals.

Jared D. Taylor, Professor of Veterinary Pathobiology, Oklahoma State University • conversation
May 21, 2020 • ~4 min

What makes the wind?

Wind travels all over the world. Where does it come from, and why?

Adam Sokol, Doctoral Student in Atmospheric Sciences, University of Washington • conversation
May 14, 2020 • ~5 min

Why do kids call their parents 'Mom' and 'Dad'?

One anthropologist found 1,072 similar words for 'mom' and 'dad' in the world's languages. It turns out a mix of biology, culture and encouragement from parents explains this phenomenon.

Denise Bodman, Principal Lecturer in Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University • conversation
May 6, 2020 • ~6 min

Will we ever be able to shrink and grow stuff?

The movies make it seem like someday we'll be able to make people and objects grow really big or shrink really small. Whether this will be possible comes down to the smallest of things.

Salvatore Rappoccio, Associate Professor of Physics, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York • conversation
May 4, 2020 • ~4 min

How could an explosive Big Bang be the birth of our universe?

The term 'Big Bang' might make you think of a massive explosion. Put the thought out of your head. Rather than an explosion, it was the start of everything in the universe.

Michael Lam, Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Rochester Institute of Technology • conversation
April 30, 2020 • ~6 min

Are people with pets less likely to die if they catch the coronavirus?

Pets might not protect us from the coronavirus, but they can help us get better.

Clarissa M. Uttley, Associate Professor of Educational Leadership, Learning, and Curriculum, Plymouth University • conversation
April 27, 2020 • ~4 min

What is a brain freeze?

Have you ever felt a piercing pain in your head when you eat something cold?

Tyler Daniel Anderson-Sieg, Doctoral Student in Biomedical Sciences, University of South Carolina • conversation
April 23, 2020 • ~4 min

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