The Best Optical Illusions of 2024
A good crop of optical illusions win the 2024 contest from the Neural Correlate Society.
A Tradition Like No Other: The Minnesota State High School All Hockey Hair Team
A spectacular crop of lettuce at this year’s edition of the traditional mullet spotting competition.
The Rules No Longer Apply: Octopus Edition
As if our world wasn’t already going crazy, now octopi apparently have shells.
Good Good Boy Alert: The Dogs of 2024
Before the chaos of 2025 really kicks in, luxuriate in the dogs of 2024.
The Important Questions of Our Time — What if….
As we enter the bleak months of winter, now is the time to ponder the really important questions, like, what would happen if every person on earth shined a laser pointer on the moon?
Scary Times for Research Journals
A new launch suggests that the death of the research journal might not mean their end….
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…