In his influential book Why Marriages Succeed or Fail, psychologist John Gottman describes the intensifying marital tempest of Eric and Pamela, a couple he interviewed extensively. Year by year, their relationship grew worse, eventually deteriorating to the point that Eric would shut down at the first sign of conflict, muttering a few monosyllabic responses before escaping to the local tavern.The pattern may sound familiar. Often, in the midst of a heated dispute between romantic partners, one o ...read more
In 2020, researchers caught something strange — and stunningly cute — on camera. In the dead of night in the southern Santa Cruz Mountains, a coyote and a badger sauntered out of a wildlife tunnel. The two ambled around then turned around, bumbling back toward the tunnel, but not before showing off the strength of their bond. As the coyote waited for the badger, it bowed its body and wagged its tail, almost as if it was inviting the badger to play. Seeing a coyote and a badger together in th ...read more
Imagine getting a Facebook friend request from the deceased. This happened to me not once, but twice. The account belonged to a distant relative named Carolyn who passed away in 2020 at the age of 96 due to COVID-19-related complications.Carolyn’s daughter-in-law, Janet, says, “Even into her 90s, Carolyn was somewhat active on Facebook. [Afterwards, it] was a useful tool to share information about her passing and gave the family a place to peruse old photos, either for memories or to use in ...read more
If you hear “extraterrestrial,” what do you picture? Google it, and chances are you’ll find at least one visualization of a humanoid alien, maybe even waving at the camera.The idea that extraterrestrials, specifically intelligent ones, might exist has long captured our fascination. Its longevity across the ages indicates a burning question: Is something or someone else out there?What Does Extraterrestrial Really Mean?The word itself is quite simple. “Extra” means outside of, and “ter ...read more
It was considered the biggest spider ever to scuttle across the Earth. Or so scientists in Argentina thought when they uncovered the fossil of what they inevitably dubbed Megarachne — a name worthy of a classic B-movie monster. While Megarachne would never have been big enough to go up against Godzilla, it was nothing you’d want to find under your bed either. The 300-million-year-old fossil revealed a creature with a leg span of nearly 20 inches and a body that was even longer — 21 inches. ...read more