It’s been just over a century since British archeologist Howard Carter discovered the most prized collection of Egyptian antiquities ever found from within the tomb of King Tutankhamun. It was the only intact tomb ever discovered.Grave robbers were fooled for nearly 3,000 years by the debris that covered King Tut's tomb, which was positioned beneath the tomb of Rameses VI. Howard would find a host of priceless treasures within its chambers, including Tutankhamun’s gilded thrown, the Anubis ...read more
Radioactive decay is ubiquitous. It occurs everywhere on Earth and throughout the universe. The most common forms occur when an unstable nucleus spits out an alpha particle, consisting of two neutrons and two protons, a beta particle consisting of an energetic positron or electron, or a gamma ray, consisting of a high energy photon. When these powerful forms of radiation pass through matter, they strip electrons from atoms and molecules, leaving a trail of charged particles in their wake. Detect ...read more
Anyone who has ever tried to start a campfire knows it’s not that easy — even with matches. A person has to get the right kindling and tinder, place the match in a suitable spot, and nurture the flame so it spreads. It’s no wonder different scouting groups award merit badges to campers who successfully foster the flames.It took a long time for ancient humans to master fire-making and adapt it to daily life. But once fire became a consistent tool, it changed many aspects of early human civi ...read more
Thescelosaurus wouldn’t have known that its world was about to change drastically. More specifically, that a seven-mile-wide asteroid barreling toward Earth would soon end life as we knew it at the time. The Age of Dinosaurs was about to come to an abrupt end.Just before the K-T Event, 66 million years ago, Thescelosaurus would have lived alongside Triceratops, Tyrannosaurus rex, and Ankylosaurus in western North America. The species didn’t have many of the dazzling features like horns, a cl ...read more
At the end of the day, most of us find ourselves on the couch, eyes glued to the television or to our smartphones. Maybe we’re reading a book or the newspaper, but we’re still most likely seated, trying to relax after a long day of running around. It seems that we humans are gifted in the way of laziness, doing everything that we can to conserve energy.After a day of thinking at our desks or at whatever our job is, we similarly love to space out, our brain tired of focusing. But are we hardw ...read more