It’s a common adage — to have a “memory like a goldfish” is to be absolutely absent-minded. Though they’re beloved by many as household pets, goldfish (Carassius auratus) are known for having a memory that lasts just three seconds. Yet despite that forgetful reputation, scientists have known for decades that such claims don't hold up to scrutiny. The freshwater fish are much smarter than you might think, and studies have repeatedly shown that their memories can actually span several ...read more
When William Littig showed up for work at his REI store on Feb. 21, it didn’t take long for him to realize it would be his last day.Two managers who were visiting from other stores called him into a closed-door meeting, Littig recalled. One of them read from a paper that turned out to be his termination notice.Advertisement
The manager said Littig had been “made aware” that REI employees “were unhappy with store leadership and were discussing ways to effectuate change.” Littig, the ma ...read more
We owe a lot to the sun. Without it, we’d have no heat or light, of course. We’d also have no photosynthesis, and thus no oxygen, without which, neither we nor Earth’s ozone layer would exist. And yet, as a giant nuclear reactor, the sun insists on bombarding us with energy that, left unchecked, could burn all of us to a crisp. And the ozone layer has never been a foolproof filter when it comes to screening out harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays. Even in ancient times, before humans could gener ...read more
A parallel universe is a fun topic in physics, but it’s difficult to understand the concept. That’s why Paul Sutter, a theoretical cosmologist, award-winning science communicator, NASA advisor, U.S. Cultural Ambassador, and a globally recognized leader in the intersection of art and science, dives into this topic and helps us understand if parallel universes could help us search for extraterrestrial life. Hear from Sutter himself as we ask him this question: Are parallel universes possible a ...read more
April is Citizen Science Month which this year features the One Million Acts of Science Challenge, where participants from all over the world will try to make one million contributions to research projects that need their help. With thousands of citizen science projects that are active and available, things can get overwhelming. So SciStarter has taken the liberty of creating a Citizen Science Month interactive calendar with some great selections to get you started. Jump in, find a project and r ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine