You likely don’t get much more remote than the South Sandwich Islands. This chain of volcanic islands sits on the boundary of the Southern and Atlantic Oceans, closer to Antarctica or the southern tip of South America than pretty much any other landmass. They are one of the few island chains in the world that weren’t populated (to our knowledge) before European explorers and merchants found them starting in the mid 17th century. Yet, in our increasingly connected world, even remote volcanoes ...read more

Our pets' inability to communicate through words gives us the upper hand in the relationship. This includes assuming a caretaker position where we're responsible for everything from food, water, and shelter to caring for them when sick. While our pets deserve the best care, it can be hard to determine the severity of their injuries or ailments, especially if your pet is known to be a little dramatic. For example, some dogs have pretended to cough because they know they'll get attention for ...read more

One of the great “scientific” endeavors of the Middle Ages was the study of Chrysopoeia, the process of turning base metals such as lead into gold. Most practitioners were doomed to failure but one German alchemist named Sebalt Schwarzer made a single contribution that has stood the test of time. In his 1585 tome, Chrysopoeia Schwaertzeriana, he describes the synthesis of the world’s first high explosive, a substance known as fulminating gold. This crystalline substance turns almost instan ...read more

Snot is slimy, and for most, it's gross and not pleasant. But, for all the reactions that slime can provoke — disgust, pleasure, or fascination — we depend on our slimy secretions. We have snot for a reason, and that slime can protect us from cells and surfaces. For some, watching slime can even provoke feelings of relaxation.Here are five things about snot that you probably didn’t know.1. What Is Snot?Snot, commonly referred to as mucus, is a substance found in the nose and sinuses. It pl ...read more

If you drove on the winding road up the Chilean Andes, you’d spot the white specks of distant telescopes peppering the hills. Sometime by the end of this decade, one of those specks will tower above the rest, visible even miles away.Up close, it resembles a rotating luxury apartment complex. Vents taller than a garage door let in air or shut out desert dust. Though the enclosure stands 22 stories tall, it houses no humans. Instead, when the building splits open each night, you’ll see seven o ...read more

According to the tales of Norse mythology, a sea serpent surrounds the world, circling its waters in a continuous cycle, by biting onto its own tail. When the creature eventually releases its bite, the stories say, a world-ending battle will ensue, destroying the old and ushering in the new.In a similar narrative of rebirth and revival, the name of this sea serpent, Jörmungandr, has recently taken on a new meaning. This year, a team of researchers gave the name to a specimen of mosasaur — a m ...read more

Humanity’s early ancestors started dabbling with bipedalism — walking on two legs — as much as 6 to 7 million years ago. It took a while to find our evolutionary footing, but by 3 million years later, the fossil record shows that hominins were pretty well committed to being upstanding.Walking on two legs was literally a great step forward for us. Bipedal locomotion is far more energy-efficient than using both arms and legs to propel us forward, as many primates still do. Conserving energy ...read more

You don’t need to go on a safari to see wild creatures in their natural habitats. There are a number of scientific studies of wild creatures that depend on the eyes of observers just like you.Take part to be transported (virtually) to ecosystems around the world through images and videos (sometimes even livestreams!) where you can make observations that scientists need. Find sharks, iguanas, birds and more with the projects below!Cheers,The SciStarter TeamCredit: Project SIARCProject SIARC (Sh ...read more

Thousands of surgical mistakes are made each year, leading to horrific outcomes, including death.When it comes to our health and well-being, many of us turn to medical professionals for the best treatments and advice. While health professionals have the medical know-how, they are still human. And being human means that mistakes can happen. Some mistakes aren’t just misdiagnoses; some can be life-altering errors. Though they are rare, medical mistakes such as surgical errors have occurred.  W ...read more

By observing a complex dance of stars, astronomers have come up with a new explanation for why exotic Be stars - B-type stars that show emission lines - have their own Saturn-like rings. Conventional wisdom states Be stars are locked in orbit of another star, in a so-called binary system. Forces from the second star cause the Be star to rotate quickly and sling material out into a ring. But the new study questions this explanation.Observing Be Star MovementsThe team drew on data from the Europea ...read more