The dinosaurs never saw it coming. When a giant space rock smashed into the Yucatán Peninsula some 65 million years ago, their global reign ended in catastrophic violence. But that space rock—perhaps a comet several miles wide—might have had a stealthy accomplice: dark matter. Dark matter, of course, is the invisible stuff that makes up […]
The following is an excerpt from The Geek Atlas, by John Graham-Cumming. Listen to SciFri on July 10, 2015, to hear him talk about other destinations in the book. Horn Antenna, Holmdel, NJ 40° 23′ 26.61″ N, 74° 11′ 5.57″ W Down a private road on top of Crawford Hill in Holmdel, New Jersey, is […]
Hello Science Friday fans and candy enthusiasts! It's time to officially and scientifically answer one of the universe's greatest mysteries: How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop? That profound conundrum is the subject of our newest video, “The Lollipop Postulate,” in which several researchers at […]
Magnets are pretty cool. The way they attract and repel—it’s like magic. But a liquid magnet? That’s even cooler. Called a ferrofluid, such a liquid is comprised of tiny magnetic particles between 10 and 15 nanometers wide suspended in a fluid. In the presence of a magnetic field, the material ebbs and flows according to […]
In this activity from Lawrence Hall of Science, you'll use hot and cold water to see how fluids at different temperatures move around in convection currents. Be sure to share what you've learned about the sun and convection during Science Friday's Science Club, using the hashtag #ExplainTheSun. Age Level: 10 and up Time Preparation: 5 minutes Activity: 10 […]
In this activity from Lawrence Hall of Science, you'll use photosensitive paper to record how the sun moves across the sky. Be sure to share what you've learned about the sun during Science Friday's Science Club with the hashtag #ExplainTheSun. Age Level: 6 and up Time Preparation: 5 minutes Activity: 5 minutes Cleanup: 5 minutes Materials Sunprint paper […]