While Poe is most remembered for his works of the gothic and macabre, these compose a mere fraction of his work. Poe was a humorist, satirist, code-breaker, and scientist. One of his longest works is also his least-recognized: an essay on the history and origin of the universe.
Starting as a passion project by some theater nerds, what has long been considered a doomed, psuedocientific publicity stunt may be yielding promising results years later.
Neutron Stars have been misunderstood for many years since first detected. And they remain one of the most overlooked cosmic objects of all time. Despite that, they are a cosmic enigma that deserves attention and exploration.
The book "This Idea Must Die" explores a range of scientifically accepted ideas which may ultimately be limiting the advancement of the scientific enterprise. Perhaps it is time to clean house and eliminate a few beliefs scientists hold without question.
A Study of the fossil record indicates that every 27 million years, like clockwork, life on earth is nearly destroyed. What could possibly be causing such a regular destruction of life, and could it be lurking at the far edge of our solar system?
Genius: some people work hard at it, some people are born with it, and some people's genius is a biproduct of their disabily.
An Ancient Greek philosopher envisioned a universe made from math. More recently, theorists have suggested that information has mass, and might compose the universe, and a man with an unusual brain condition has shown us what this might look like.
Some animals use sounds to communicate, and some of that communication can be pretty impressive. Some insects use colors and motions to communicate, and plants use chemical markers. But the depth of meaning in human language is a mystery.
There is a spot in space towards which all of the galaxies and stars seem to be flowing. What could this mysterious force possibly be?
As Artificial Intelligence becomes ever more human-like many are beginning to ask the question will AI be morally responsible for actions it takes without being prompted? Or will humans have moral obligations toward intellegent computers?
What is the mysterious "Demon Star," and how does it relate to the spectacular nova of 1901?
Some say that there are no selfless behaviors. This raises the question of why people sometimes behave in altruistic or self-sacrificial ways. An old theory may shed new light on this question.
As we currently suspect, the vast majority of the universe cannot be seen, measured, or known outside of its gravitational effects.
In the ongoing search for "exoplanets" (planets around other stars) we have seen some strange things. But perhaps nothing as strange as the ghost planet named "Dagon."
The Golden Ratio, or "Phi" was discovered through simple mathematical games, but now it has become essential to geometry, art, and physics. What is it, and why is it so essential to reality?
Pluto, the only planet to be discovered by an American, has had a turbulent history. But the little planetoid continues to surprise as we conduct a deep analysis of the 2015 photos taken by the New Horizons space probe.
Randall Munroe may be a web cartoonist, but he was once a NASA engineer and has a degree in physics. His book examines absurd questions using serious science.
Since the beginning of written history, humans have used math in surprisingly sophisticated ways. Frequently when new laws of science are discovered, they are predicted by the math. This raises the question: do we create math as we go, or do we discover something that already existed?
Possibly the most bizarre things in astronomy are those things we only know because of what they are not. Dark Energy is a mystery which can only be defined by what we don't know about it.
What is going on in children's heads when they make up friends and begin talking to and playing with them? Psychology delves into the subject with some surprising findings.
Stereotypes are not necessarily a result of hate or malice in the human heart - they might just be a product of how the brain works.
Black holes were suggested by the math hundreds of years before they were discovered by instruments. But as advanced as our tools have become, we still know very little about the anatomy of a black hole.
Alchemy was a practice in Ancient Greece, Egypt, Europe, and China. But it was not simply pre-scientific chemistry. There was a spiritual and philosophical element to it which may seem strange to the 21st century mind.
What does the science say about the effects smart devices have on children and parenting.
A review of the potential benefits and risks in A.I.