Life Science
From the smallest microbe to the largest mammal, Life Science explores the origins, evolution and expansion of life in all its forms. Explore a wide range of topics from biology to genetics and evolution.
Biotic Factors vs. Abiotic Factors: Examples and Dependencies
Meet the Largest Living Organism, aka the Humongous Fungus
Ascaris Lumbricoides: The Stomach Worm Nobody Wants
Indica vs. Sativa: How to Distinguish Between Cannabis Plants
Can You Crack This Nuts Quiz?
The Science Behind Your Cat's Catnip Craze
Hypertonic vs. Hypotonic Solutions: Differences and Uses
Your Phone Is a Germ Factory, So Stop Taking It to the Toilet
Why Even Identical Twins Have Different Fingerprints
Howstuffworks Interviews: Extinction Level Events with Annalee Newitz
What will the Earth look like in 50,000 years?
How did language evolve?
What Is the Most Common Eye Color? Over 70% of People Have It
Reading a Codon Chart and Identifying Amino Acids
The Tallest People in the World Share These Curious Qualities
Why the Little Albert Experiment Could Never Happen Today
Milgram Shock Experiment: A Vital Lesson in Social Psychology
Manifesting Generator Traits: Are You Living Your True Purpose?
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Imagine a time in Earth's far-flung past when organisms didn't swim through the oceans or populate the lands. Even the mighty dinosaurs hadn't arisen. Will the planet ever return to that lifeless state?
By Robert Lamb
When a basketball superstar makes a 3-pointer, the multimillion-dollar paychecks go into his or her bank account. But why don't his or her parents get the glory? After all, didn't they provide the DNA that allowed for such incredible success?
We don't admit to breaking up with someone because of his looks, or that we've read our boss's private e-mails. We answer "fine" when someone asks how we are, even if we're not fine at all. Why is polite society all about the big fib?
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Computers can make calculations faster than the human brain. But thinking and calculating are two different things. Can computers be programmed to think for themselves better and faster than we can?
When you get sick, your illness can be caused by several different factors. Learn why you get sick at HowStuffWorks.
Studies show that women are more sensitive to pain than men, despite their bodies' ability to withstand the agony of childbirth. Does social conditioning help men keep a stiff upper lip when they're hurt? Or do emotions and estrogen factor into this painful equation?
Touch can be a very powerful thing that can dredge up all kinds of intense feelings. The lightest touch in the right place can induce laughter in the most taciturn people. Why?
By Josh Clark
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Think musicals are cheesy? You're not alone. But even the most cynical among us can't deny that hearing a favorite song can completely change our mood.
Money can buy important stuff like food and shelter, which brings a smile to anyone's face. But after you cross a certain financial threshold, how much happier can a new Jaguar and a Versace bag really make you?
People love chocolate. They eat it to drown their sorrows and to celebrate love -- some might say it's even better than sex. Chocolate clearly helps people feel good, but can it actually get you high?
By Josh Clark
Whether you belt out a tune in the shower, at a karaoke bar or in a choir, singing has some real, tangible health benefits. But can it also make you happy?
By Julia Layton
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Would you be happier if you had the perfect body? A better job? A bigger paycheck? Being happy with yourself is less about the pursuit of happiness and more about finding it within you.
Predicting the future is a tricky business. We've long been promised flying cars and robot maids, only to be disappointed year after year. What might the crystal ball have in store for us in 2050?
Of course they can. They do it every day when they wag and meow their undying love for you. Why are pets such a solid prescription for smiles?
Whether it's "Happy," "Baby Shark," or "Call Me Maybe," some tunes just live rent-free in your brain. But why do songs get stuck in your head?
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We talk about morals in relation to raising children, voting for political candidates and criticizing people who don't see eye-to-eye with us. But is morality even a choice? Or is it all in your head?
There are people who are smart, and there are people who are people-smart. The guy you want in your think tank isn't necessarily the same person you want at your birthday party. But can emotional intelligence say more about your brain than IQ can?
Do gender differences go beyond our reproductive organs? Popular culture would have you believe that men are from Mars, while women call Venus their planet of birth. Is it possible to finish the argument of nature versus nurture?
Compare neuroscientists with crackerjack detectives like Nancy Drew and Hercule Poirot, and the brain docs might come up short. After all, they have yet to crack the case on five big brain mysteries.
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Laugh and the world laughs with you, the saying goes. In our image gallery, experience the range of human emotions from around the world.
You only use 10 percent of that big, wrinkled mass of smarts -- unless you listen to Mozart. At least, that's what we've heard about the brain. But how many common brain beliefs are just plain wrong?
Parents just don't understand. Scientists didn't understand either, until they got a good look inside the teenage brain -- and what they saw turned what we thought we knew on its head.
We've all seen the effects that hatred has on our society, but just what is this destructive emotion? And can it be overcome?
By Alia Hoyt
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A mass extinction on Earth is long overdue, according to population ecologists. Find out what Earth's fossil record may be telling us about our future.
By Josh Clark
When you see someone else yawn, you often find yourself doing it. Yawning is contagious. But what does that have to do with the ability to feel empathy?
By Josh Clark