Tag: science

In a Delaware laboratory one fateful afternoon in 1965, a young chemist noticed something peculiar. A batch of polymers emerged from solution runny instead of syrupy, unlike the typical experimental output. Though colleagues advised discarding the apparent failure, Stephanie Kwolek instead saw promise in this cloudy concoction’s curious qualities.

Imagine an American railway dispatcher in 1880 fielding telegraphs about a passenger train running hours behind schedule. But the message isn't warning of mechanical issues, track flooding or otherobstacles. It's simply that the train unexpectedly arrived early, jeopardizing connections, thanks to timekeeping chaos across cities then.

Looming ruddy amid churning ammonia clouds lies one of our solar system’s greatest enduring mysteries - Jupiter’s iconic Great Red Spot. At 10,000 miles wide, this Jovian hurricane swirls massive enough to engulf Earth whole. Its crimson chaotic eye glares from over 300 years vigil ruling the gaseous giant’s cloud tops, outlasting human epochs.

Gazing up at the night sky, stargazers recognize Venus as Earth's dazzling twin. It beams brighter than any star, earning nicknames like the Morning or Evening Star. Yet behind celestial similarities hide profound mysteries about our nearest neighbor's topsy-turvy spin.

In autumn 1752, everyday routine lurched abruptly for English households thanks to an oddball calendar reform enacted by Parliament. Overnight, the month of September lost 11 days plunging from the 2nd straight to the 14th. Understandably this numerical earthquake left heads spinning and even stoked outrage. For how dare the Crown rip nearly two prime weeks from the calendar without warning or reason?

Unlike gorillas, wild turkeys, and many other male-dominant species, elephants are matriarchal. The leader of each herd (the group is also sometimes known as a memory) tends to be the oldest and largest female around. She has a lot ...