How do fireworks work? A pyrotechnics chemist explains the science behind the brilliant colors and sounds

For many people around the world, the very first moments of the new year will be filled with the sounds and colorful light shows of fireworks....

What’s the record for how long it’s ever rained without stopping?

Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to [email protected]. What...

Genomic sequencing: Here’s how researchers identify omicron and other COVID-19 variants

How do scientists detect new variants of the virus that causes COVID-19? The answer is a process called DNA sequencing. Researchers sequence DNA to determine the...

The nanoparticles in mRNA vaccines are nothing to fear: We interact with many useful, tiny particles every day

Brain wrinkles and folds matter – researchers are studying the mechanics of how they form

The human brain has been called the most complex object in the known universe. And with good reason: It has around 86 billion neurons and several...

Pandemic, war and environmental disaster push scientists to deliver quick answers – here’s what it takes to do good science under pressure

How can you know that science done quickly during a crisis is good science? This question has taken on new relevance with the COVID-19 vaccine rollout....

Figuring out omicron – here’s what scientists are doing right now to understand the new coronavirus variant

Scientists around the world have been racing to learn more about the new omicron strain of SARS-CoV-2, first declared a “variant of concern” on Nov. 26,...

How can scientists update coronavirus vaccines for omicron? A microbiologist answers 5 questions about how Moderna and Pfizer could rapidly adjust mRNA vaccines

If the omicron variant of the coronavirus is different enough from the original variant, it’s possible that existing vaccines won’t be as effective as they have...

Our understanding of black holes has changed over time

It took Albert Einstein 10 years to find the equations of general relativity, but German astrophysicist Karl Schwarzschild only needed a few months to solve them....

Misremembering might actually be a sign your memory is working optimally

When asked the other day about a bakery near my home, I responded that I’d recently eaten its mouth-watering chocolate chip cookies. My wife corrected me,...