Science Versus Myth

Relativity is like a triple-scoop ice cream cone; most of us just can't gobble it down in one bite, not without experiencing some serious brain freeze. So let's take it one delicious relative scoop at a time.

By Robert Lamb

The world's intelligentsia has managed to convince us that the Earth is round and makes a full rotation once every 24 hours. Why can't they agree on the effects of that rotation on toilets and ball games?

By Jennifer Horton

Do you believe in aliens? If you do, you certainly aren't alone. Stories of flying saucers abducting people and planes have existed since the dawn of flight. See whether you think these pictures scream Photoshop or for real.

By Rick Mayda

Can you do creepy, bendy things with your fingers that freak out your friends? You might have been called double-jointed. What's really going on with those joints of yours?

By Tom Scheve

Do you relish the thought of finding yourself face-to-face with a ghost? Do your favorite historical sites all have human suffering in common? If ghosts are your pleasure, then you may want to visit the cities on our list.

By Sarah Winkler & Mark Boyer

It's not cool when a ghost drags you out of your hotel bed. Unless, of course, you're into that kind of thing. What hotels provide such fright?

By Charles W. Bryant & Jessika Toothman

You know how when you're bored, time seems to move at a snail's pace, but when you're having fun it goes by all too quickly? Einstein called it time dilation.

By John Fuller

Why was the eccentric heiress Sarah Winchester consumed with transforming her six-room farmhouse into a creepy labyrinth?

By Molly Edmonds

Surfer and physicist A. Garrett Lisi may have solved one of physics' greatest mysteries -- the theory of everything. It's a mathematical link to how the universe works.

By Josh Clark

I've wondered about this since I was a child and used to spin around and around. I know it has something to do with our ears, but what exactly makes people dizzy when they spin?

The standard definition of floating was first recorded by Archimedes and goes something like this: An object in a fluid experiences an upward force equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the object. So how does the water get displaced to keep a boat afloat?

By Yara Simón

You may have noticed that we're all constantly traveling into the future. But what if you were interested in dancing through the fourth dimension more deftly than the next guy? How might you do that?

By Kevin Bonsor & Robert Lamb

Looking forward to instantaneous travel? The Star Trek teleporter is one step closer to reality. Scientists have now teleported a laser beam. Could humans be next?

By Kevin Bonsor & Robert Lamb

Ever wonder why we start our year on the first of January? Or why we have January and the other 11 months in the first place? Find out all about time.

By Marshall Brain

There's actually an equation to figure it out!

By Katherine Neer

A helium balloon rises because the helium is lighter than air. So how would a balloon -- made from a very sturdy but very lightweight material -- that had been removed of all air respond?

February is an unusual month, especially when it comes to leap years. In this article, you can read about why we use leap years and how the year 2000 was a leap year and 1900 was not.

By Sascha Bos

Special relativity deals in phenomena that don't agree with our historical or commonsense views of how the universe works. In fact, many of the theory's assertions almost appear ludicrous.

By John Zavisa

Ever seen a movie where the hero gets in an elevator, but the evil villain cuts the cables? Elevators in the real world have so many safety features, it's not as horrible a situation as the films make out.

By Kathryn Whitbourne

It isn't actually about telling your fortune, and it's not even about telling you what you should do. So, why would people seek out a Tarot reading?

By Lee Ann Obringer

If you've seen the movie "The Exorcist," you have some idea of what exorcism is. But is it real, or are there other explanations for what some people call "possession"? Learn why a priest might perform an exorcism and more.

By Julia Layton

Even if you've never seen a zombie movie, you probably know something about the walking dead. But did you know that zombies have their roots in folklore and -- according to some researchers -- in real events in Haiti?

By Tracy V. Wilson

Are crop circles the work of alien visitors? Are they a natural phenomenon? Are they elaborate hoaxes perpetrated by some very dedicated humans? Learn how researchers try to separate the supernatural from the scientific.

By Stephanie Watson

The eerie occurrence of "otherworldly" voices showing up on tape -- voices that weren't audible during recording -- is poised for the kind of exposure typically saved for UFOs and ESP.

By Stephanie Watson

The movie "Ghostbusters" introduced a generation to proton beams, ectoplasm and a terrorizing Stay Puft Marshmallow. Real-life ghost busting is a bit less glamorous and whole lot cleaner.

By Ed Grabianowski