Who Owns Outer Space?
A 1967 United Nations treaty states that outer space isn't up for grabs.This hasn't stopped at least one entrepreneur from selling land on our closest celestial neighbors. SA editor Clara Moskowitz explains.
An Asteroid with Six Tails! - The Countdown #35
The Countdown is a biweekly video podcast highlighting the top space news stories from the past two weeks. In this episode: A Six-Tailed Asteroid, India's Mars Mission, Earth-like Exoplanets, Mapping the Russian Meteor's Path, and Lunar Topography.
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Why Do We Sleep?
We spend nearly a third of our lives asleep, but scientists don't agree on sleep's purpose. Scientific American contributor Joss Fong explains what we know, and don't know, about our nightly slumber.
The Coldest Place in the Universe - The Countdown #34
The Countdown is a biweekly video podcast highlighting the top space news stories from the past two weeks. In this episode: A frigid nebula; Asteroid defense; Dating the arrival of water, A burst of solar flares, and the Tilted Kepler-56 system
How Does Meditation Change the Brain?
How Does Meditation Change the Brain? Meditation can sharpen attention, strengthen memory and improve other mental abilities. Scientific American editor Ferris Jabr examines the changes in brain structure behind some of these benefits.
BOR-4, the Soviet Space Shuttle Test Bed
In the 1980s, the Soviets used an unflown scale space plane to test the heat shield of its Buran space plane.
5 Amazing Exoplanets - The Countdown #33
The Countdown is a biweekly video show highlighting the top space news stories. In this special episode, we countdown the five most bizarre, extreme and just plain weird exoplanets discovered so far.
What Is the Uncanny Valley?
Scientific American editor Larry Greenemeier explains how lifelike robots and animations can elicit a response that's somewhere between uncomfortable and creeped out.
Why Is Yawning Contagious?
Contagious yawning can be annoying, but it might also be a sign of good social skills. It is a type of emotional contagion, a phenomenon in which we tend to share the feelings of people around us. SA MIND editor Sandra Upson explains.
Water on Mars - The Countdown #32
The Countdown is a biweekly video podcast highlighting the top space news stories. In this week's episode: Curved Universe, Pluto's Atmosphere, 'Gravity' Fact-Checked, Martian Water and Supervolcanoes on Mars.
Brain Parasite Makes Mice Fearless
Protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii rendered mice unafraid of cat odor, even after the infection cleared, according to a study published this week in PLoS ONE. SA contributor Joss Fong reports.
Voyager Enters Interstellar Space - The Countdown #31
The Countdown is a biweekly video podcast highlighting the top space news stories from the past two weeks. In this week's episode: Voyager hits a milestone, farming on the ISS, the peanut in our galaxy, LADEE launches and shock synthesis.