The Chemistry of American Cheese
What exactly is American Cheese, and what can chemistry tells us about why it melts so much better than other types of cheeses?
Summer Break 2024
We’re taking the rest of the week off, and today I leave you with an obscure musical delight from the late 1900s.
What Color is the Sun?
Quick, without looking, what color is the sun? Would you believe it’s green? Also, please don’t look directly at the sun.
Missing the Obvious
The 2021 Illusion of the Year from the Neural Correlate Society. Can you spot what’s out of place?
A Copyediting Carol
A holiday ode to the comma, and knowing where it goes.
Labor Day 2021 — We All Need A Day Off
After a mess of a week, in the US we’re ready for a long weekend.
Elephant Toothpaste and Beyond
What happens if you mix hydrogen peroxide, some soap and a catalyst? Okay, but what happens if you mix a huge amount of each ingredient together? Witness the ongoing world’s record setting attempts.
Lefty versus Righty — A Look at Human Handedness
A look at the long history of handedness.
The Size of Things: As Told Through a Sheet of A4 Paper
How big is the universe? How small is the quantum realm? The answer lies in a sheet of A4 paper…
Off for President’s Day
We’re off today for the US holiday, regular posting to resume tomorrow.
Amanda Gorman at the Moth Grand Slam
Amanda Gorman, Youth Poet Laureate, continues to impress in surprising ways.
Channeling Your Newfound Cognitive Surplus — What’s the Correct Plural Form of “Octopus”?
Which is correct — octopi or octopuses? Or something else?
The View from Above
NASA’s top twenty images of the Earth, taken in 2020 from the International Space Station.
X-Ray Bat Flight
Ever wanted to see an x-ray film of a bat in flight? Now’s your chance, courtesy of the BBC.
Thanks A Lot — A Quarantined Thanksgiving
A Thanksgiving song for a year that has left us broken-hearted.