Lift (noun, “LIFT”) In physics, lift is a force that enables birds and planes to fly. It acts perpendicular to the flow of air around an object. Consider an airplane…

At about 5 years old, A. Catalina Vélez-Ortega went to her dad with a question: How do human hearts work? He was the right person to ask. Her dad worked…

Sex isn’t as simple as male or female. It’s not just about chromosomes. Or genitals. Or reproductive cells. Or any other binary metric. (Binary refers to something that can only…

Our brains are increasingly plastic, a new study finds. Researchers have just pored over samples of brain tissue collected over 25 years. Surprisingly high levels of tiny plastic shards litter…

Many teens struggle with their mental health. In fact, more U.S. adolescents are reporting mental illness than ever. But transgender youth face an especially high risk of anxiety and depression.…

Narwhals wield their iconic tusks in surprising ways — possibly even to play with living “toys.” Few scientists have seen these so-called unicorns of the sea brandishing their tusks in…

Agrivoltaics (noun, “agg-reh-voll-TAY-iks”) Agrivoltaics is the practice of using the same land for farming and producing solar energy. This practice often consists of placing solar panels over farmland. The word…

Taking medicine can help us get better when we’re ill. But our bodies won’t absorb all of a drug. The leftovers leave in our urine. Water treatment plants were never…