Nearly 1,000 years ago, astronomers in China and Japan saw something strange in the sky. It seemed to be a new star. Even stranger, for several weeks that star was…

Sundog (noun, Suhn Dahg) Sundogs are bright flares of light that can appear on either side of the sun in the sky. They form when incoming sunlight bends, or refracts…

Sonic isn’t your typical hedgehog. He boasts incredible superspeed that lets him launch off springs, sprint over water and even clear loop-de-loops. In the Sonic the Hedgehog games, our favorite…

Polar bears are facing more and more challenges as the climate warms. Most of these problems relate to the bears’ waning wintery habitats. But increasingly, they also may be infected…

Microscopic black holes could be careening through our solar system unnoticed. But their days of stealth may be numbered. Two research teams have just proposed ways to spot such baby…

A new kind of border-patrol agent could soon sniff out smuggled goods in African ports. They’re rats that wear tiny red vests. Like dogs, African giant pouched rats have a…

Objective: Determine which added material will make ice melt fastest Areas of science: Chemistry Difficulty: Medium intermediate Time required: 2–5 days Prerequisites: None Material availability: Readily available Cost: $20–$50 Safety:…

Rocket propellants (noun, “Rah-kit Pro-PELL-ents”) Rockets need two things to propel them forward. One is fuel. The other is a source of oxygen, or an oxidizer, to help burn that…

Some flowers may be using their pollinators as battlegrounds. Their secret weapon: built-in pollen catapults that help them outcompete rival flowers. In Brazil, red flowers called Hypenia macrantha have both…