Another Reason to Love the Number Seven
The world's favorite number is seven, at least if the result of a poll conducted by Alex Bellos is to be believed. Some people like it because it is prime, some because they have a lot of sevens in their birthdates.
Man Sets World Record for Deepest Underwater Dive
Hold your breath: New Guinness World Record set with 1,090-foot plunge
Buoyant Balloon: Float Forward with Fluid Physics
Find out how a balloon behaves differently in motion than other objects
Deep Sea Explorations Amaze with Live Stream Video
On Tuesday I wrote about my experience diving in a deep-sea submarine, but going on right now are two live-streaming deep-sea expeditions that allow you incredible access to the deep sea from the comfort of your own home.
Computer Scientist Tells Mathematicians How To Write Proofs
Believe it or not, I do have friends who would describe themselves as not liking math, and every so often one of them will share this meme on Facebook: And then Satan said, "Put the alphabet in math." There are different background pictures each time the meme pops up, but the text is always the [...]
Tools for Evaluating Scholarly Journals
In an information-rich age, one of my main functions as a librarian isn't helping people find material, but helping them evaluate the material they find.
Girls With a Plan to Ease World Hunger Win Top Science Award
A chance observation about warts on a pea plant led a trio of teenagers on a three-year mission to solve the world food crisis. Their perseverance earned them top honors at the annual Google Science Fair in Mountain View, California.
Ig Nobel Prizes Make You Laugh, Then Think
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.—What happens in the brains of people who see Jesus in a piece of toast? What are the physics of slipping on a banana peel?
How We Made Contact Lenses Comfortable and Safe
He would dab on a bit of cocaine to anesthetize his eyes first. Then, to prevent air getting in, Müller would insert the lenses with his eyes under water.
Making Astronomy Accessible for the Visually Impaired
A couple of years ago, one of my thesis mentors sought visually impaired scientists working at a major space science agency in the United States.
7 Amazing Google Science Fair Projects
Tonight, Google will announce the winners of its fourth annual Google Science Fair, which Scientific American co-sponsors. Watch the awards ceremony here live.
Physicists on Ice: Exploring the Physics of Curling
Last Friday I joined a contingent of Caltech physicists (including the Time Lord) for an afternoon of curling — yeah, you heard me, curling — in honor of Caltech theoretical physicist Mark Wise‘s 60th birthday.