Science Versus Myth

Picture this: You're floating through space, minding your own business, when some super-scary alien attacks you. Clearly you need to defend yourself, but all you have is a handgun. Will it do you any good, or are you mincemeat?

By Karen Kirkpatrick

Coral reefs are pretty cool. More than just snorkeling destinations, they shelter tons of marine life - creatures many of us depend on for food and medicine. So what would happen if the coral reefs disappeared? Here's a hint: It isn't good.

By Karen Kirkpatrick

Cockroaches are among the most reviled creatures on the planet. They bring bacteria and allergens wherever they go - along with severe cases of the creepy crawlies. But would we really want to live in a world devoid of these little pests?

By Karen Kirkpatrick

Snakes get a bad rep. They've become so associated with dishonesty, deception and temptation that many might prefer the world just rid itself of them altogether. But creepy as they may be, it turns out that snakes are pretty handy to have around.

By Karen Kirkpatrick

Imagine going outside in the summer and not being eaten alive by mosquitoes. Yeah, no mosquitoes! Well, don't celebrate just yet, because a world with no mosquitoes might have a radically different food chain.

By Laurie L. Dove

"Stop, what's that sound?" Doesn't it creep you out when you don't know? There are lots of sounds out there that baffle even scientists.

By Patrick J. Kiger

Crop circles. Alien autopsies. Time travelers. These are just some of the paranormal phenomena that people have believed in but were later found to be hoaxes. Often, even when someone admitted to making it up, that didn't stop the true believers.

By Dave Roos

Hot sauce is the most popular condiment in the U.S. Learn more about hot sauce in this video from HowStuffWorks.

Has this ever happened to you? You're blissfully showering away when suddenly something slimy grabs your leg. It's the curtain, and it's not letting go.

By Kate Kershner

We're running out of oil. And diamonds. And while we're at it, chicken wings, too! Relax, these are actually examples of shortages that really aren't. What else is a fake scarcity?

By Chris Opfer

The blood in your veins is blue. Glass is a slow-moving liquid. If you touch a baby bird, its mother will abandon it. Not so fast -- if you learned any of those "facts" in school, what you learned was wrong.

By Jessika Toothman

Some dragons seem like they'd be fascinating dinner guests, but others might see you as the main course. Here are our top 10 of both types.

By Laurie L. Dove

Call up your travel agent because we're booking a one-way flight to an exotic, five-star black hole. What are you in store for on this unique journey?

By William Harris

Quantum physics is a term that's interchangeable with "quantum mechanics." It deals with matter and energy at the smallest scale available: the atomic and subatomic realms. Take a look at these quantum physics pictures.

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