Neil deGrasse Tyson's latest book, Starry Messenger, analyzes real-world issues like race, gender and politics using scientific methods. In a recent interview with Tyson, we asked why he thought it was important to view these issues through a scientific lens. He answered in true Tyson fashion, "Well, nobody else was."A Starry MessengerStarry Messenger wants us to take a step back and look at contradictions from a different perspective — a cosmic perspective if you will. Tyson takes a ra ...read more
Imagine living in a world with a bus-sized “three-horned face” dinosaur that has epic battles with an intimidating carnivore like the Tyrannosaurus rex (or so the legend says). From all we’ve gathered so far, it is not hard to see that Triceratops horridus, also known as Triceratops (genus), is a distinct beast. Triceratops is a quadrupedal dinosaur of the ceratopsian family – herbivores from the Cretaceous period with a bony frill and distinct beaklike bone. They used to live in western ...read more
This story was originally published in our May/June 2023 issue as "The Archaeology of Flavor." Click here to subscribe to read more stories like this one.When it comes to ancient foods, archaeologists can easily glean main ingredients based on butchered bones and plant remains found in cooking areas. But every chef — and diner — knows dietary staples don’t make meals delectable or distinctive. It’s flavor, rendered through spices, herbs and culinary craft, that defines a dish. Certain ...read more
Pity the poor slime mold. As if that name itself wasn’t bad enough, some species have even worse monikers, like dog vomit or scrambled egg slime. And despite the fact that they come in many striking shapes and colors, even the researchers who study them have to admit that many slime molds aren’t going to win you any lawn-and-garden contests if you find them growing in your flowerbed or mulch pile.But in their own quiet way, they are much cooler — and smarter — than most people realize. H ...read more
The rings of Saturn are one of the most spectacular sights in the Solar System and one of the most photographed. Despite the interest they garner, astronomers still puzzle over how the rings formed and why they have survived. One clue is that Saturn’s rings sit within the Roche limit, the theoretical distance at which gravitational tidal forces from the parent planet would tear apart any ordinary moon. Indeed, that has turned out to be a common feature of other rings. In 1977, astronomers disc ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine
