Science

The Pseudoscience of SkyMall

The suspiciously advanced technology available in your airplane seatback pocket.

Jan. 22 2015 8:15 AMThe Science of MmmHow food and drink tickle the brain’s pleasure centers.John McQuaid

Jan. 20 2015 1:14 PMHow Do Bowhead Whales Live Longer Than 200 Years?Researchers just mapped their genome for the first time to find out.Paca Thomas

Jan. 13 2015 12:11 PMThe Truth About “Mysterious” Mass Bird DeathsWhy they will continue to happen.Rachel Stewart

Jan. 4 2015 7:36 PMJust Hit the Damn DeerExpert advice about how to drive safely among North America’s most dangerous animals.Al Cambronne

Dec. 24 2014 11:56 AMWhat Makes Children Stop Believing in Santa Claus?Parents say one thing. Physics says another.Jason G. Goldman

Dec. 16 2014 6:18 PMMerry and BrightChristmas decorations are visible from space.Laura Helmuth

Dec. 15 2014 1:38 PMOut ColdWhat really happens to your body temperature when you drink.Paca Thomas

Dec. 11 2014 2:44 PMTaser of the WildElectric eels shock prey just like Tasers stun human victims.Rachel Stewart

Dec. 4 2014 12:56 PMIt Is Not Possible to Get the Flu From a Flu ShotThis video explains why.Rosa Jurjevics

Dec. 2 2014 8:16 AMBirdmenCockfighters spread the chicken across the globe.Andrew Lawler

Nov. 27 2014 12:36 PMA Time to SnoozeThe real reason you’re so sleepy after your Thanksgiving meal.Nick Stockton

Nov. 26 2014 11:56 AMYour Dog Is a MessOne way canines are genetically wired to be sloppier than cats.Rachel Stewart

Nov. 25 2014 5:07 PMMoses and the American ConstitutionIf Texas wants biblical characters and states’ rights in textbooks, publishers are happy to deliver.Zack Kopplin

Nov. 24 2014 8:13 AMMetaphorically SpeakingOur most sophisticated thinking relies on bodily experience.Katy Waldman

Nov. 19 2014 11:28 AMDispatch From the Oscars of ScienceHow many Hollywood stars does it take to make mathematicians glamorous?Michael Harris

Jan. 21 2015 9:29 AMSecret SauceUmami is what makes savory foods so delicious.John McQuaid

Jan. 20 2015 12:46 PMWhy Do We Like Bitter Foods?There are receptors for bitter compounds all over your body.John McQuaid

Jan. 6 2015 7:58 AMEnglish Is the Language of ScienceThat’s lousy luck for scientists in most of the world.Boer Deng

Jan. 2 2015 11:05 AMSurprise!The most important skill in science or self-improvement is noticing the unexpected.Julia Galef

Dec. 22 2014 1:31 PMIt’s a BirdCinereous mourner chicks seem to mimic toxic caterpillars both in appearance and behavior.Rachel Stewart

Dec. 16 2014 8:00 AMA Toast to the Safe Drinking Water ActIts radical idea—tap water should be safe to drink—has been a huge, underappreciated success.James Salzman

Dec. 11 2014 11:44 PMRed States Are Getting a New Shade of RedderThe people who deny climate change are most likely to suffer from it.Joshua Zaffos

Dec. 8 2014 11:21 AMThe Strange Rise of Carnivorous PlantsTracing the first fossil of an insect-killing plant.Paca Thomas

Dec. 4 2014 9:37 AMBusy Boys and Little LadiesHow fake brain science has supported gender segregation in schools.Lise Eliot

Dec. 1 2014 10:26 AMJames Watson Throws a FitThe disgraced co-discoverer of DNA is selling his Nobel Prize.Laura Helmuth

Nov. 26 2014 3:07 PMSpecies Worth SavingWhy we should be thankful for the red-cockaded woodpecker.Laura Helmuth

Nov. 26 2014 7:21 AMPolarizing FoodsWhy do people love or loathe certain tastes?Rachel Pomerance Berl

Nov. 24 2014 2:29 PMThe Secrets of the “Secret Science” BillWhat House Republicans really mean when they call for reform of the EPA.Boer Deng

Nov. 21 2014 12:16 PMWhat Happens in Your Mouth When You Kiss?The microbe ecosystem of making out.Paca Thomas and Jeffrey Bloomer

Nov. 17 2014 5:05 PMA Real DealTo appreciate the U.S.-China climate agreement, there’s only one number you need to pay attention to.Raymond T. Pierrehumbert