Why Socrates Hated Democracy
AdultsHistoryPoliticsPhilosophyWe're used to thinking hugely well of democracy. But interestingly, one of the wisest people who ever lived, Socrates, had deep suspicions of it.
A soft silicone 3D-printed heart
AdultsHealthTechnologyBiotechnologySwiss researchers have come a step closer to building a better artificial heart. It's a squishy prototype that's 3D-printed from silicone.
Baymax from Big Hero 6 is real. Here's who created him.
AdultsCreativityFilmTechnology...Chris Atkeson, the creator of Big Hero 6's Baymax, wants to bring soft robots to the world.
The snakey, viney robot that can go almost anywhere
AdultsCreativityScienceTechnology...Researchers at Stanford University developed a soft, squishy robot that "grows" like a vine and can squeeze through tight spaces. It can also lift heavy objects, which makes it potentially ideal for search-and-rescue operations.
MEGACITIES: Crisis in CDMX
AdultsCitiesWorldEnvironmentMexico's vast capital - Ciudad de Mexico, the largest city in the Americas - is threatened by a severe water crisis.
Binging with Babish: Lemon Pepper Wet from Atlanta
AdultsCreativityFoodEntertainmentLemon Pepper Wet is an Atlantan institution, virtually unknown outside the Peach State until Donald Glover's groundbreaking series made us salivate without even showing us the pay dirt. Look behind the Pulp-Fiction-style glowing MacGuffin and see the saucy, zesty wings underneath with this week's episode. Shout out to J. Kenji Lopez-Alt for his groundbreaking oven wing technique.
Why We Hate Cheap Things
AdultsFoodPersonal FinanceEconomy...In assessing what material things are important and worth paying attention to, we're oddly prejudiced against cheapness - and frustratingly drawn to the expensive, for reasons that don't necessarily stand up to examination.
More ice is about to break off of Antarctica - and it's what scientists feared most
AdultsGlobal WarmingNatureWorld...The giant crack that's been racing across Antarctica Larsen C ice shelf finally met its breaking point between July 10 and 12. The result was an iceberg the size of Delaware and weighing a trillion metric tons.
The sound illusion that makes Dunkirk so intense
AdultsCreativityFilmScienceWhy Christopher Nolan is obsessed with Shepard tones.
Why Only the Happily Single Find True Love
AdultsFamilyRelationshipsSelfOne of the key requirements for having a good chance of finding the right partner is not to mind too much being single.
Here's what it could mean when your dog chases its tail
AdultsMental HealthPetsPsychologyA dog chasing its tail may be a sign of a direr issue. Like humans, dogs can suffer from a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder, called canine compulsive disorder.
What happens when you have a concussion? - Clifford Robbins
AdultsHealthNeuroscienceSports...Each year in the United States, players of sports and recreational activities receive between 2.5 and 4 million concussions. How dangerous are all those concussions? The answer is complicated and lies in how the brain responds when something strikes it. Clifford Robbins explains the science behind concussions.
Can Exes Be Friends?
AdultsRelationshipsSocietyMental HealthPartners who break up frequently think that the nicest thing to do is to try to remain good friends. But this nice-sounding gesture frequently brings with it unexpected consequences. It may be better to plot a different course.
6 things in tech today that Bill Gates accurately predicted back in 1999
AdultsHistoryTechnologyBusinessThe Microsoft co-founder imagined much of the tech we use today before it even existed. He shared his thoughts in a 1999 book called "Business @ the Speed of Thought." Here's a quick look at 6 of his predictions that eventually came true, including a device you are probably holding in your hands right now.
The bizarre physics of fire ants
AdultsAnimalsNatureTechnology...They're not just an animal, they're a material. And that's got engineers interested.
The world's most mysterious book - Stephen Bax
AdultsBooksHistoryLanguageDeep inside Yale's Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library lies a 240 page tome. Recently carbon dated to around 1420, its pages feature looping handwriting and hand drawn images seemingly stolen from a dream. It is called the Voynich manuscript, and it's one of history's biggest unsolved mysteries. The reason why? No one can figure out what it says. Stephen Bax investigates this cryptic work.