A new study hints at how skateboarders can up their half-pipe game — using math. Tricks like kickflips and ollies require speed. As skateboarders roll along a U-shaped ramp called…

Quantum dot (noun, “KWAHN-tum DAHT”) Quantum dots are teeny tiny crystals. They’re often made of semiconductors — materials that partially conduct electricity. Each quantum dot is mere billionths of a…

Sometimes, fireflies shouldn’t follow the light. Especially when the web of an orb weaver spider is nearby. Orb weaver spiders (Araneus ventricosus) can use trapped fireflies to lure in more…

The moon is Earth’s longtime companion. A bright full moon can light a path through the dark of night. It’s long been important for navigation and marking the passage of…

In 2013, Ning Zeng came across a very old, very important log. At the time, he and his colleagues were digging a trench in the Canadian province of Quebec. They…

Yash Mehta, 14, got the idea for his first science fair project on a trip to Old Delhi, India. There, he visited a school for blind students. Yash noticed that…

The quantum realm is full of seemingly impossible things. But one of the strangest has to be entanglement. Entanglement is a special way of linking up particles. When two particles…

Elections tend to bring out strong emotions in people. As voters evaluate the candidates, emotions can rise. Political disagreements may emerge. Even between loved ones, friends or neighbors, discussions can…

Theia (noun, “THAY-ah”) Theia is a planet-sized object that scientists think collided with Earth about 4.5 billion years ago. When Theia smashed into a young Earth, it would have blasted…

Our brains are very flexible. Some people use their brains to create art. Others use them to solve math problems. Some do both — plus a host of other actions.…