Welcome back! This is the last part of the series on relativity. Today we’ll talk about how gravity effects time and space. You might want to look at last week’s post before you read this one. It explains the basics of gravity in General Relativity. Go back to the Theory of Relativity for Kids if you want to start at the very [...]

Welcome to part 3 of my series on the theory of relativity for kids. Start here if you missed the intro. Up until now, we’ve been talking about something called special relativity. Today, we’ll start talking about general relativity, a theory that explains the bizarre ways that gravity works. Why is everything up until now called [...]

A monkey’s skin cells were transformed into stem cells, then implanted in its brain, where they turned into brain cells, wired themselves up, and took on normal function. We now have brain scans capable of measuring activity on the cellular level throughout the whole brain. Well…fish brains anyway. The universe is just slightly [...]

Last week I wrote an intro to the theory of relativity for kids (and curious adults). I’ll be continuing this over the next several weeks. Click the link above to see the intro, or read ahead to learn more. So, last week we talked about three things: Time slows down for things moving close to the speed of light. If somebody is [...]

I wrote an introduction to relativity for kids, and I’ll be continuing this over the next several weeks. If you’re an adult, there’s still no shame in reading it. After gathering additional evidence, scientists have even more reason to believe that the particle we discovered was indeed a Higgs Boson. However, we still can’t be [...]

So you want to understand the theory of relativity, and you’re a kid? No problem. Let’s get started. (If you’re a parent looking for some activities to help teach your kid, consider ordering Albert Einstein and Relativity for Kids: His Life and Ideas with 21 Activities and Thought Experiments. And if you’re an adult who just wants [...]

This insect’s wings contain tiny nanostructures that actually tear bacteria apart, the first structure of its kind discovered in nature. Giant camel fossils in the arctic. Using nanoparticles, scientists deliver bee venom to HIV viruses, destroying them without damaging the surrounding cells. In related news, an infant was [...]

I relayed the scientific consensus on global warming as presented by the IPCC in an effort to introduce some much needed dryness to the conversation. No opinions. DNA precursors are floating in interstellar clouds that predate our solar system. The White House is thankfully taking steps toward making federally funded science freely [...]

Despite dispute in the media, the scientific consensus is almost unanimous: the world is getting warmer as a result of human activity. But the scientific consensus is so clouded by politics that it’s very difficult for the average person to figure out what’s going on. I’m sick and tired of this, so what follows is a (hopefully) [...]

I talked about where the light goes when you shut it off, and the role the bizarre world of quantum mechanics plays in the answer. The mass of the Higgs Boson we discovered (if it is the Higgs Boson) suggests the possibility that, at some point, our universe will go through a phase change, the laws of physics will change, and the [...]