The scents of flowers
The fragrance of a rose can be irresistibly attractive to many people. But why? A reader’s question about the chemistry of the scents of flowers! …
Evidence of Life in a Martian Meteorite
In 1993, ALH84001 was examined by researcher David Mittlefehldt of Lockheed-Martin. Mittlefehldt, an expert on meteorites, noticed that it appeared unusual and that it had …
Crooked Trees
As the twig is bent, so grows the tree. We’ll answer a reader’s question about why tree branches grow crookedly — instead of straight up …
Spring comes to the planet Uranus
Astronomers had assumed for decades that the planet Uranus was featureless. But closer study has revealed that it’s a dynamic world with changing seasons. When …
Why can’t the queen bee sting you?
Beekeepers can handle thousands of bees annually, and they get stung on a regular basis. But there’s one bee that never stings a beekeeper. A …
The frequency of lunar and solar eclipses
Lunar eclipses take place at full moon — when the Earth goes between the moon and sun, and Earth’s shadow falls on the moon. We …
The frequency of lunar and solar eclipses Continue reading »
Darleane Hoffman
Since 1981, six new elements have been added to the Periodic Table found in every chemistry textbook. We talk with Darleane Hoffman — a pioneer …
Blue Crabs
It’s thought that life evolved in the sea, and the saltiness of most animals’ blood reflects this ancient history. How one marine species preserves the …