The Han Chinese court welcomed Western trade for one of the first times in its history around 2,000 years ago. What its courtiers couldn't have imagined was that they were laying the foundations for one of the oldest, largest and longest-lasting systems of trade in the world.That said, the ancient Silk Road system endured the formation and the fall of countless cultures and civilizations throughout its 1,600-year existence, emerging from almost every experience bigger and better than before.So, ...read more
This article was originally published on March 14, 2021.March 14 is Pi Day — so what’s with that? A holiday to celebrate a number (and eat lots of pie)? Well, yes, but pi is not just any number. There is much more to the pi day meaning than that.Why Is Pi Day Celebrated on March 14?Pi is simply (well, it’s not really simple, but bear with me) the ratio of the circumference to the diameter of a circle. If you take a circle — any circle — and divide its circumference by its diameter, y ...read more
This article was originally published on May 19, 2021.Decades after his death, Albert Einstein's legacy carries on. He is often regarded as the father of modern physics in light of his revolutionary ideas that have shaped our understanding of the universe. The prolific scientist's rise to celebrity status, however, didn't happen overnight. Unlike many other famous scientists of his time, Einstein lacked a flawless education record and wasn’t well connected in the scientific community. He perfe ...read more
Our growing knowledge of physical laws has allowed us to rewind the tape on the universe, tracing its evolution back to within a fraction of a second after the Big Bang. Here, however, when the sum total of matter and energy coalesces in a ball of infinite density and temperature, the equations of general relativity break down.As a theory, “the Big Bang leaves out the bang,” physicist Brian Green writes in The Fabric of the Cosmos. Whatever happened in that instant, let alone before that mom ...read more
Nikola Tesla: Genius, visionary, inventor extraordinaire! What did he invent? Why, only the Era of Electricity, developing the very power system that still lights the world today. Oh, and also radio, X-ray imaging, radar, remote control, death rays and wireless communications with other worlds.Well … that’s if you believe the hype once generated by the man himself, amplified by the media of the early 20th century, and perpetuated today by legions of admirers.What Did Nikola Tesla Do?Even ...read more
Did early hominins create their first tools by accident? And if so, how does one define tool creation, the sophisticated use of which has long set our species apart?These are questions at the heart of a new study led by the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, which could also disrupt much of Stone Age archaeology, if not intentionally. The team studied long-tailed macaque monkeys in a Thai national park. The monkeys are prolific bashers of palm nuts using a rudimentary but effect ...read more
A photo of pie (the food) with a portion of pi (the number) overlayed.NewsletterSign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news3.1415926535897932384626433832795028841971693993751058209749445923078164062862089986280348253421170679821480865132823066470938446095505822317253594081284811174502841027019385211055596446229489549303819644288109756659334461284756482337867831652712019091456485669234603486104543266482133936072602491412737245870066063155881748815209209628292540917153643678925903 ...read more
The Science Near Me blog is a partnership between Discover magazine and ScienceNearMe.org. It’s almost March 14, better known as Pi Day – the only date on the calendar that looks like the first three digits of the mathematical constant, pi (π = 3.14). Not only does Pi Day give you an excellent excuse to eat pie, it’s also a fine time to learn and talk about math! Math is everywhere, whether you notice it or not. Engineers use math to build bridges and buildings, and programmers use it to ...read more
On May 4, 1891, the Atlanta — a schooner— was in tow behind the Wilhelm — a steamer — when strong winds snapped the towing cable connecting the two ships. With no sails, the Atlanta sank 650 feet below the surface. The shipwreck is in excellent condition due to the frigid waters the ship settled in, according to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society. In early 2022, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society announced that the remains of the 172-foot-long schooner had been ...read more
Ants can be found in nearly every location on Earth, with rough estimates suggesting there are over 10 quadrillion individuals – that is a 1 followed by 16 zeroes, or about 1 million ants per person. Ants are among the most biologically successful animals on the planet. A surprising part of their evolutionary success is the amazing sense of smell that lets them recognize, communicate and cooperate with one another. Ants live in complex colonies, sometimes referred to as nests, that are home ...read more
