Science Versus Myth

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

Decades before you ever heard of the Higgs, this multinational particle physics lab was smashing its way to answers about how the universe worked. Pop inside CERN just as half of the world's particle physicists do every year.

By John Perritano

According to most pet psychics, you communicate with your pets telepathically all the time, without even knowing it. Learn about the controversies associated with animal communication.

By Tracy V. Wilson

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

Remember that traffic accident you avoided the other day? In another universe, you died. Or at least you did according to the Many-Worlds theory.

By Josh Clark

Can you watch your body after you die? Near-death out-of-body experiences have left researchers wondering if life after death exists. How do scientists explain it?

By Josh Clark

Werewolves got their start long before Hollywood ever sank its teeth into the hairy legend. Learn about the folklore and cinematic history at HowStuffWorks.

By Tracy V. Wilson

Out-of-body experiences (OBEs) are most often associated with sick or injured people, but scientists recently produced these experiences in healthy people. Learn how virtual reality can scramble your point of view.

By Jacob Silverman

According to recent studies, it appears gingers need extra anesthesia to put them under during surgery. The same gene that gives redheads their hair color is apparently responsible for the way the body handles pain.

By Josh Clark

To some people, a crystal skull is simply a crystal in the shape of a human skull. But to those who believe in the supernatural, it can represent doom or hope.

By Shanna Freeman

Whether you chew to freshen your breath or blow a big bubble, you probably shouldn't swallow gum. But does it really stay in your body for seven years if you do?

By Josh Clark

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

Could a person catch fire - with no apparent spark or flame - and then burn so completely nothing else ignites around them?

By Stephanie Watson & Mark Mancini

There are more than 40 theories as to what déjà vu is and what causes it, and they range from reincarnation to memory glitches. Do these theories shed any light on this perplexing phenomenon?

By Lee Ann Obringer

A report declassified in late February 2007 under the UK's Freedom of Information Act reveals that Britain's Ministry of Defence has been testing psychics. Find out why.

By Julia Layton