Science — Page 6

Why Your Brain Orders Another Bite of the Pepper That Burns

Capsaicin triggers pain receptors, yet chili fans keep eating. A science writer unpacks TRPV1, learned pleasure, benign masochism, and spice tolerance.

Mariner 2 and the Burn That Taught NASA to Steer in Deep Space

Mariner 2 and the Burn That Taught NASA to Steer in Deep Space

On September 4, 1962, Mariner 2 fired its engine en route to Venus, the first deep-space course correction. How controllers steered what they could not see.

Stylized gold kangaroo next to the mathematical sequence 20, 22, 46, 107, 178 with Numberphile branding

The Comma Sequence, Landmines, and the Immortal Kangaroo

The Comma Sequence, Landmines, and the Immortal Kangaroo

Neil Sloane walks through Eric Angelini's comma sequence, the landmines that kill every base-10 path, and the axiom of choice that grants immortality.

The Neurons That Fire Only When Music Plays

The Neurons That Fire Only When Music Plays

UCSF researchers found neurons in the auditory cortex that respond only to music, predict melodies, and thrive on surprise. What the study shows, and what it doesn't.

Water at Near-Freezing Turns Glassy, Not Icy, Study Finds

AI. Nadia Marchetti1 month ago· 7 min read

Water at Near-Freezing Turns Glassy, Not Icy, Study Finds

A Nature Communications study from ANSTO reveals water confined at nanoscale doesn't freeze but turns glassy. The implications span cryopreservation, climate science, and more.

Pig Kidney Xenotransplant Sets a Nine-Month World Record

Pig Kidney Xenotransplant Sets a Nine-Month World Record

A gene-edited pig kidney kept a man with end-stage kidney disease off dialysis for nine months, setting a world record in xenotransplantation research.

Three Pacific Cyclones at Once: What the Ocean Is Telling Us

Three Pacific Cyclones at Once: What the Ocean Is Telling Us

Three simultaneous tropical cyclones in the Pacific, named Lowell, Karina, and Marie, raise sharp questions about El Nino, climate change, and storm forecasting.

Man pointing at geometric diagram with pi value displayed, suggesting discovery of mathematical constant visualization

The Flawed Pi Proof That Almost Looks Convincing

AI. Priya Sharma1 month ago· 5 min read

The Flawed Pi Proof That Almost Looks Convincing

A circulating proof claims pi equals (14 minus root 2) over 4. Michael Penn shows the verification is circular and rules out the entire construction.

Two men flank a bearded scientist figure with the periodic table of elements displayed between them against a dark…

The Periodic Table From Ancient Atoms to Lab-Made Elements

Amelia Nwofor·1 month ago

AI. Amelia Nwofor1 month ago· 7 min read

The Periodic Table From Ancient Atoms to Lab-Made Elements

Neil deGrasse Tyson traces the periodic table from Greek atomic theory to modern particle accelerators, with 1920s quantum physics explaining why it all works.

Indonesia's Peatland Fires Are Burning Underground

AI. Nadia Marchetti1 month ago· 7 min read

Indonesia's Peatland Fires Are Burning Underground

Indonesia's peatland fires are smoldering underground, spreading toxic haze across Southeast Asia. Here's what the satellite data and ground reports reveal.

Saturn's South Pole Decagon: A 10-Sided Storm Explained

Saturn's South Pole Decagon: A 10-Sided Storm Explained

Hubble has tracked a 10-sided cloud pattern at Saturn's south pole. Here's what scientists know, what they don't, and why the geometry matters.

Moderna's Personalized mRNA Cancer Vaccine Passes Phase 3

Amelia Nwofor·1 month ago

Moderna's Personalized mRNA Cancer Vaccine Passes Phase 3

Moderna and Merck's personalized mRNA cancer vaccine met both primary and secondary endpoints in a Phase 3 melanoma trial. Here's what the data shows.

A glowing Mercury sphere with blue and gold surface details orbits close to the Sun against a dark orange background, with…

What BepiColombo Is Finding at Mercury Before Orbit

AI. Amelia Nwofor1 month ago· 9 min read

What BepiColombo Is Finding at Mercury Before Orbit

BepiColombo's flybys have produced surprising data on Mercury's geology, magnetosphere, and polar ice. Here is what the evidence actually shows, and what remains a model.

Microbes Are Quietly Destroying World Heritage Sites

Amelia Nwofor·1 month ago

AI. Amelia Nwofor1 month ago· 7 min read

Microbes Are Quietly Destroying World Heritage Sites

From Chaco Canyon to Angkor Wat, microbes are dissolving ancient stone, rotting wood, and flaking pigments. Here's what conservation science is doing about it.

Two fuel canisters in an industrial lab with flames burning below them, comparing propane and butane at different…

Propane vs Butane: Boiling Points, Pressure, and Cold Weather

Propane vs Butane: Boiling Points, Pressure, and Cold Weather

Propane works at -44°F while butane fails near 31°F. The reason comes down to vapor pressure, not just carbon count. Here is what the chemistry means.

A researcher in winter gear examines a long drill on a glacier with mountains and snow in the background, with text stating…

Alpine Glaciers Are Melting at a Record Pace in 2026

Alpine Glaciers Are Melting at a Record Pace in 2026

ETH Zurich scientists are measuring record ice loss on the Rhône glacier this summer. What the melt stakes, pink dye, and one researcher's surprise tell us.

Three eggs in different states shown left to right with "WHY NOT?" text and yellow arrow, suggesting progression of time or…

Physicist Jim Al-Khalili on Whether Time Is Real

Physicist Jim Al-Khalili on Whether Time Is Real

Jim Al-Khalili explains why physics cannot yet resolve whether time is fundamental or illusory, and why thermodynamics holds the missing key.

New Simulations Say the Moon Formed in Five Hours