Physical Science
Physical science is the study of the physical world around you. Learn about everything from electricity to magnetism in this section.
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Ray of Enlightenment: Is Light a Wave or a Particle?
Is it its own special type of particle? A wave that's flowing through another medium? Or is there some creepy, unknown substance surrounding us that we simply don't perceive or understand?
The Kilogram Is Dead. Meet the Kilogram 2.0
For more than a century, the mass of a kilogram was defined by a weight stored in a French vault. But now, instead of a hunk of metal, the kilogram's mass will be tied to a mathematical equation.
Skipping Stones on Ice Makes Crazy Sci-fi Sounds
You know that sound synonymous with a certain laser blaster from a galaxy far, far away? Yeah. It sounds like that.
What Makes a Scent Soothing?
Why do most of us start relaxing as soon as we smell lavender or vanilla? Is it the memories they conjure up or is there a chemical reason?
HowStuffWorks: Illustrated: Scutoids! Just Like Spheres and Cubes, But Not
The scutoid is kind of like the Higgs boson. Researchers theorized the new shape existed. And then they went looking for it.
Mathematician Claims Proof of 159-year-old Riemann Hypothesis
Sir Michael Atiyah says he has proven the Riemann Hypothesis, one of the long-unsolved problems in mathematics.
Antarctica's Spooky Cosmic Rays Might Shatter Physics As We Know It
Something very strange is afoot above the frozen landscape of Antarctica.
How 'Word Cops' Unmask Anonymous Authors
Forensic linguists may never get their own TV show, but these scientists do help solve crimes in their own way.
Closing In on Higgs, Six Years Later
We caught up with everyone's favorite boson to see what it's been up to and exactly how it decays.
Particle Acceleration Takes a Leap Forward
CERN researchers have successfully tested a new way of accelerating electrons to high energies through proton-driven plasma wakefield acceleration.
Why Does Hydrogen Peroxide Come in a Brown Bottle?
You probably have a bottle of the stuff at your house. Have you ever seen it come in any color bottle besides brown?
The EPA Just Made It Easier to Use Asbestos
The Trump administration quietly changed the rules on asbestos use in the U.S. What does that mean?
The Scutoid: How We Discover New Shapes
Spanish researchers recently uncovered a new geometric shape that allows human tissue to curve. But how?
Trillions and Quadrillions: A Short Guide to Absurdly Big Numbers
You've heard of Google, but what about a Googol? If not, then this tutorial is for you.
Bloodstains at Crime Scene Can Tell Age of Victim or Suspect
Scientists have developed a blood test that can give an approximate age of a person within an hour.
The Eyes Have It: Scientists 3-D Print Human Corneas
Scientists are using 3-D printers to make human corneas, an advancement that could end the perennial shortage of corneas from donors.
Do a Person’s Fingerprints Change After Death?
Our fingerprints serve to definitively identify us forever, right? But do they? How long do fingerprints remain usable as identification after we are dead?
Can Adults Overcome Math Anxiety?
Does your brain start to cramp at the thought of having to do math? Experts explain why some people have math anxiety and how they can overcome it.
Amateur Solves Part of Decades-Old Math Problem
Anti-aging scientist Aubrey de Grey, who does math problems for relaxation, just made major progress on the daunting Hadwiger-Nelson problem.
Protein Allows Animals to Detect Earth's Magnetic Field
Scientists have a new lead on what gives some animals the ability to sense Earth's magnetic field.
Mystery Behind Cuba's Alleged Sonic Attack Deepens
Listen in as the guys from Stuff They Don't Want You to Know investigate the sonic weapons "attack" in Cuba.
How Did Benjamin Gompertz Predict Our Deaths?
English mathematician Benjamin Gompertz formulated the first natural law of the way we die.
The Facebook Flick and Other Strange Units of Measurement
The flick, the shake and the micromort are just three of the unusual measurements that scientists use.
ITER Nuclear Fusion Plant Is Halfway Finished
The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor plant aims to demonstrate that nuclear fusion could be a viable source of power in the future.
Why Compressed Air Canisters Shouldn’t Be Shaken
It's a force of habit to shake spray canisters, but when it comes to canned air, that inclination could cause frostbite.
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