Life's Little Mysteries: Science questions, answered

Latest about Life's Little Mysteries

An image of a planet superimposed by a network of lasers

Will we ever reach Alpha Centauri, our closest neighboring star system?

By Sarah Wells published

Visiting our nearest stellar neighbor will take near-light-speed travel.

Space Exploration
A series of three skulls, with a neanderthal skull on the left, human in the middle, and australopithecus afarensis on the right

Why did Homo sapiens outlast all other human species?

By Mindy Weisberger published

What's the secret to Homo sapiens' success as a species?

Archaeology
A black and white photo of a dog-sized animal with a pointy snout, long, pointy tail, and stripes on its back

How many animal species have humans driven to extinction?

By Patrick Pester published

Animals are disappearing too fast for researchers to record all of the extinctions we've caused.

Animals
A woman with long blonde hair kisses her blonde golden retriever

Why do dogs look like their owners?

By Ashley Hamer published

When a dog looks strikingly like its owner, is that a coincidence or is there more to the story?

Dogs
An artist's rendering of a black hole

What would happen if a black hole wandered into our solar system?

By Ashley Hamer published

Black holes aren't "cosmic vacuum cleaners," but what would happen if one wandered into our solar system?

Black Holes
Two elephants stand close together and curl their trunks around each other

Do animals have friends?

By Mindy Weisberger published

Friendship is a key component of human social relationships. Is this also true for animals?

Animals
A close-up of dry ramen noodles with powdered seasoning on top

Is MSG bad for you?

By Donavyn Coffey published

The case against MSG began with a letter to the editor back in the 1960s. But was there any truth to it?

Health
A photo showing a road torn up by an earthquake

Will we have more earthquakes because of climate change?

By Katherine Irving published

Changes in sea level and glacial melt could make earthquakes more likely in the coming years.

Earthquakes
An ancient Egyptian mummy

Could bacteria or viruses lurking in ancient Egyptian mummies unleash a plague today?

By Jennifer Nalewicki published

Do mummies contain pathogens that could be transferred to humans today, and should we be worried?

Ancient Egyptians
A person testing an array of food items for botulism using laboratory equpiment

What is the world's most dangerous chemical?

By Victoria Atkinson published

There are plenty of harmful chemicals, but the devil is in the details when determining which is the most dangerous.

Chemistry
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