Science Dictionary
Do you know what a meteor is, or what scientists mean when they are talking about cryogenics? Our collection of science terms explains the meaning of some of the most common scientific ideas.
10 Scientific Words You're Probably Using Wrong
Can a planet float on water?
Can You Nominate Yourself for a Nobel Prize?
How Do You Win a Nobel Prize?
Quiz: How Much Do You Know About Stephen Hawking?
10 Cool Things About Carl Sagan
10 Cool Things About Neil deGrasse Tyson
How do polymer crystals work and why do they absorb so much water?
Is a Karat the Same as a Carat?
4 Quantum Physics Misconceptions, Busted
Chaos Is Not Randomness: A Complex Systems Scientist Explains
Learn More
The kilometer (km) is a standard unit of measurement used in the metric system. Derived from the French "kilomètre," the unit is used to measure length and distance along a straight path.
By Mitch Ryan
In any scientific research, there are typically two variables of interest: independent variables and dependent variables. In forming the backbone of scientific experiments, they help scientists understand relationships, predict outcomes and, in general, make sense of the factors that they're investigating.
By Marie Look
Physicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking was a fierce spirit who symbolized the foibles and complexities inherent in human nature. Learn more about him by taking our quiz.
Advertisement
The world often seems chaotic and events appear to occur randomly, but what's the difference between chaos and randomness?
Scientists are still trying to figure out the essence of dark matter. If they do, will it lead only to greater understanding, or can we develop new technologies?
Everyone knows that nothing travels faster than the speed of light, but how does the speed of dark compare? Read on to find out!
By Bambi Turner
Scientists announced the discovery of the largest known planet in the universe. TrES-4 has a density similar to balsa wood, and some say this gas giant could float on water. Learn why this planet is so puzzling and how planet hunters make amazing discoveries like these.
Advertisement
He starred with Superman, drove the getaway car at Pluto's demise and was voted sexiest astrophysicist by People magazine. Is there anything Neil deGrasse Tyson can't do?
He is famous for a phrase he never said, for wearing turtlenecks and for hosting the original 'Cosmos' TV series. As enthusiastic about the stars as he was about marijuana, Carl Sagan led a very surprising life.
If you have a theory that potato chips are making you fat (with the proof being your expanding waistline), you've just used two scientific terms in a very unscientific way.
By Beth Brindle
He built President Eisenhower an indoor golf-training machine, analyzed the Zapruder film and searched for an Egyptian pyramid's treasure chamber using cosmic rays. Aren't you dying to meet this wide-ranging scientist?
Advertisement
The man who had some theories about relativity was also an eccentric who gleefully eschewed socks, dodged German military service and spurned social conventions.
You've heard of the big bang, of course, but do you have any idea as to what was happening during that massive flurry of activity billions of years ago?
By Robert Lamb
So much of our cosmological history starts with the much-discussed Big Bang, but what led up to that cataclysmic moment? And did time even exist back then?
Nobel prizes offer lots of prestige and big payouts. But how do you become eligible for one? And can you lobby for yourself?
By Dave Roos
Advertisement
Planck's constant, which made an appearance in the Netflix series "Stranger Things," is one of the most important differences between reality at the atomic and subatomic level and what we can see around us.
Having one Nobel Prize winner in the family is a huge accomplishment. But the extended Curie family had five winners – and one was even awarded twice. How did they get so smart?
Frequency has to do with wave speed and wavelength is a measurement of a wave's span. Learn how frequency and wavelength of light are related in this article.
He ventured to the abyss of black holes, wagered on the information paradox and floated around in zero gravity. Meet the man, the legend, the super scientist: Stephen Hawking.
Advertisement
How cool would that be to stand amongst the company of fellow laureates like Mother Teresa or Albert Einstein? We have some ideas for scoring you one.
Comets are remarkable pieces of our universe's past, and they tell us a great deal about how the universe was formed. Learn about the long but rewarding process of discovering and analyzing comets.
A black hole occurs when a massive star dies -- its enormous mass implodes and becomes so heavy that it bends space. So how do astronomers detect something that they can't see?
We take much for granted about our universe, like it's getting bigger. What if the universe stopped expanding and started collapsing inward with a giant crunch?
Advertisement
Payne-Gaposchkin, Cecilia Helena (1900-1979) was a British-born astronomer who became an authority on variable stars (stars that change in brightness) and the structure of the Milky Way Galaxy.
Al-Tusi, Nasir al-Din (1201-1274) was one of the greatest scholars of his time and one of the most influential figures in Islamic intellectual history.