Science Versus Myth

The practice of hypnotism dates back centuries, and there are those who swear by its validity. Whether you're a skeptic or a believer, hypnosis is an interesting phenomenon. Check it out -- and let us know if you start to bark like a dog.

By Tom Harris

Nostradamus is said to have predicted the rises of Napoleon and Hitler, the destruction of the World Trade Center and even the COVID-19 pandemic. But was this 15th-century astrologer really that smart?

By Tom Harris & Melanie Radzicki McManus

The vampire legend has been evolving for centuries. The most common image of the vampire was born in Bram Stoker's novel "Dracula" in 1897, but the stories go back further than that. Learn all about the undead.

By Tom Harris

The word "nirvana" gets thrown around in conversation all the time, often to describe a state of joy or supreme happiness. Actually, it's more than that -- a whole lot more. Find out what nirvana is.

By Tom Harris

Have you ever had a dream that came true? Or called a friend at the exact moment he was calling you? Most of us have had some sort of paranormal experience. Is this evidence of the existence of ESP?

By Tom Harris

You've heard the saying for ages, but exactly why is it so dangerous to go swimming right after you eat?

A CART race at Texas Motor Speedway was cancelled because the G-forces on the drivers were too high. How can you calculate the G-forces, and how do the cars generate forces that high?

Saturation diving hinges on the idea that the dissolved gases in our blood and body tissues match those in our lungs. This deep-sea exploration method allows divers to work at extreme depths without constantly surfacing. Learn how it works.

By Austin Henderson

Déjà vu is used to describe the feeling that you experienced a situation before. What causes this phenomenon? It's not a glitch in the matrix, but most of our knowledge on the subject is still theoretical.

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

If you were to fly west around the world, fast enough so that you crossed one time zone every hour, would you stand still in time?

At an intersection, you hear the pitch of the train's horn go up and then back down after the train has passed. Why?

By William Harris

You may have heard the tale of a person who throws a penny from the Empire State Building and kills a pedestrian below. Does this story have any truth to it?

By Marshall Brain

Cryptozoology is the study of creatures that are rumored to exist. But for true believers, these "cryptids" are alive and well and lurking among us. Who are some of the most famous creatures people are looking for?

By Nathan Chandler & Desiree Bowie

Near-death experiences (NDEs) are seemingly supernatural events that some people have when they're at the brink of death. Find out who typically has them and how people have tried to explain them.

By Ed Grabianowski

When you're alone in a strange room at night, it's easy to believe that noises, shadows and chills are proof that spirits of the dead are there with you. Learn some possible explanations for the phenomena most often attributed to ghosts.

By Tracy V. Wilson

We'd by lying if we said that the sight of the Grim Reaper standing by our bedside, scythe in hand, wouldn't scare the daylights out of us. How did this well-known personification of death become so frightening?

By William Harris

You're talking with a group of people when, with no apparent warning, everyone stops talking. Is it just an awkward silence or a pregnant pause? Or is this silence something more?

By William Harris

When you're a kid, this frightening rumor burns through the playground like wildfire. After all, what could be worse than your own eyes exploding out of your head? But does it have any truth to it?

By Amy Hunter

Though they're indispensable to any construction project, nails have a nasty habit of getting hammered into thumbs and puncturing tires. Is a rusty nail even more dangerous?

By Molly Edmonds

Cult films like Phantasm haven't exactly made graveyards inviting places. But what do we fear? Is it the thought of all those decaying bodies and bones stirring under the soil?

By Robert Lamb

Real-life haunted houses make us hide under the covers and sleep with one eye open. Learn about the spooky history of these real-life haunted houses.

By Cristen Conger & Jonathan Atteberry

To understand the universe better, scientists from all over the world are going to harness the power of an enormous machine -- the Large Hadron Collider.

By Jonathan Strickland