Scientific Experiments

Rats! They're just like family. Evolutionarily, anyway. So when it comes to research and biomedical study, what can they do for us?

By Kate Kershner

Since we're trying to figure out what makes Ted tick (or makes Ted's ticker stop ticking), why not cut out the middle mouse? It's complicated.

By Kate Kershner

About 86,000 rats and mice are used a year in research, while the twitchy-nosed guinea pig has only 1,300 mentions. But you can thank guinea pigs for ridding the world of scurvy pirates.

By Kate Kershner

Mice are small and reproduce quickly, but they're more than just an animal of convenient size and libido. Mice have some truly special genetic gifts that it doesn't take a scientist to appreciate.

By Kate Kershner

The plot of "The Scent of a Woman" has nothing to do with mice. But in a research lab, some say that very scent is like rodent Valium. Mouse myth or reality?

By Kate Kershner

Scientists like rats a lot more than the general population. But when they need a good bunch of them to test some hypotheses, they don't lurk in alleyways or around trashcans with a burlap sack.

By Kate Kershner

Few would argue that lab rats lead an easy life. Add to it the assertion that they are prone to cancer just by being lab rats, and we've found a whole new level of depressing. But is it true?

By Kate Kershner

The human body has around 100 trillion cells. What can you learn from studying these tiny organisms that you can't learn from studying the entire person?

By Kate Kershner

Compared to dogs, cats, guinea pigs and rabbits, rats and mice are by far voted Most Popular in research labs. (Dogs and cats are tied for Best Looking.) What's the attraction for scientists?

By Kate Kershner

These days, we're busy hacking everything from our lives to our brains. Why should our bodies or our biological information be any different?

By Nicholas Gerbis

Before the scientific method came along, science dabbled in some pretty far-out ideas in its youth. Remember miasmas? And spontaneous generation? And the four elements?

By Nicholas Gerbis

You might have heard of George Washington Carver and Neil deGrasse Tyson. But what about Patricia Bath? Or Percy Julian? Meet 10 African American scientists who have made the world a better place for everyone.

By Laurie L. Dove

A snow day is the best. Everyone misses school, and you get to sleep in and spend the day in glorious, chilly nature. But then everyone gets sick of being cold, and suddenly the house seems extremely small. We can help.

By Kate Kershner

We have science to thank for mind-blowing discoveries like DNA and the Higgs boson. And, sometimes, for ones that are mind-numbingly obvious. Here's one of our 10 shockers: It's nice to have friends around.

By Jessika Toothman

Ah, the pride of leaving your name on a discovery as a lasting legacy of your time here on Earth. As the 10 discoveries on this list demonstrate, you probably won't get to revel in that pride while you're still alive.

By Maria Trimarchi

People donate their bodies to science all the time, usually after death. Here, we highlight 10 scientists who experimented on themselves while they were still alive. Not always such a good idea, eh Dr. Jekyll?

By Josh Clark

From a centenarian brain expert to a mistress of Voltaire, each of these female scientists has an incredible story. Do you want to meet them?

By Cristen Conger

Science projects, like making a 3-D model for oxygen, are not only interesting; they offer a hands-on approach to learning. Learn about how to make a 3-D model for oxygen in this article.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

Making a model of an atom is a good way to learn about the physical world. Read this article to learn how to make a model of an atom.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

Believe it or not, potatoes make more than a great side dish -- they can even power a digital clock! Read this article to learn how to make a potato clock.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

Even if you don't operate a scanning electron microscope all that frequently, you might want to brush up on these 10 scientific laws and theories. After all, they're some of our best tools for describing how the universe works.

By Jacob Silverman

You might argue we have scientists to thank for our own survival. What breakthroughs have kept the human race from dying out?

By Patrick J. Kiger, Colleen Cancio & Kate Kershner

Since the dawn of cartoons and comic books, kids have imagined themselves endowed with superpowers. What extraordinary abilities are scientists working to bring to you right now?

By Chris Jones

The occasional oddball research premise slips past the people who review government grant applications. What are some of the craziest instances of your tax dollars at work?

By Robert Lamb

Like any quality-control system, peer review was designed to scrutinize all new scientific discoveries, ideas and implications. So how does flawed research still slip through the system of checks and balances?

By William Harris