On the most recent episode of “Last Week Tonight,” John Oliver pointed out how foolish it is to blame gun violence on mental illness — and then deftly pivoted into a discussion on how desperately we need better mental healthcare in this country. His most striking stat, which comes from a study that cited the…

Sometimes looking at the big picture is the best way to understand what’s going on. That’s definitely the case for figuring out where the world’s energy comes from and goes. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory makes these energy flow maps showing where energy comes from and how this energy is used for each country and the…

Most people have some kind of drawer full of junk, and in almost all of those drawers you’ll find a dead battery or two. But luckily, in many places you can now actually throw those used AAAs into the trash. You can also recycle them at tons of locations across the country. Here’s how to…

When a plane goes fast enough, it compresses the air it is flying through so much that it can change its density. NASA and the US Air Force have been trying to visualize this effect for years so they can build better supersonic aircraft and enable them to go faster than the speed of sound.…

A new study in mice found an effective way to make sperm incapable of fertilizing an egg, quickly and reversibly.  The research was published Oct. 1 in the journal Science, and it looks like a promising development in the quest to develop a male contraceptive — an area in which condoms have long been the only option. Of…

The idea that you could light a fire using water sounds crazy, right? But this is a totally real, and totally cool, science experiment that you can do at home, to create fire from water in a bottle. We found this backyard experiment on brusspup’s YouTube channel. All you need are two pieces of computer…

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends everyone over the age of six months get the flu shot. Here’s something all those “get vaccinated” messages don’t usually emphasize: Getting vaccinated isn’t really about you — it’s about protecting society as a whole. Though many people think the flu is no big deal, this is…

On Sept. 29, the MacArthur Foundation announced the 24 recipients of its $625,000, no-strings-attached, five-year “genius” grants. Of its seven fellows working in STEM fields, only one is a woman: neuroscientist Beth Stevens, PhD, who studies how brain cells communicate and how miscommunication can lead to disease. She holds several positions: assistant neurology professor at…

You’ve probably learned to recognize some of the incredibly long chemical names on your face washes, scrubs, and cleansers. But do you know how they actually work? Here’s a breakdown of the science behind some of the most common active ingredients on over-the-counter acne treatments, and how they get rid of your blemishes. READ MORE

Richard Branson and Neil deGrasse Tyson think we should launch politicians into space. Not permanently, but for just enough time that they can “see Earth in a way where there are no national boundaries,” Tyson said. Branson, founder of Virgin Group, which has over 400 companies including his space venture, Virgin Galactic, was interviewed by Tyson, Director of…