How Do Keys Open Locks? An Engineer Explains
Have you ever wondered how keys work to open locks? I teach a course in computer security where we learn how locks function – and…
The Conversation News
What Is Dead Pool? It Sounds Ominous. And It Is.
Journalists reporting on the status and future of the Colorado River are increasingly using the phrase “dead pool.” It sounds ominous. And it is. Dead…
What Is the Multiverse? Is It Just Science Fiction, or Does It Really Exist?
Whether you need a new villain or an old Spider-Man, your sci-fi movie will sound more scientifically credible if you use the word multiverse. The…
The Standard Model of Particle Physics May Be Broken – A Physicist at the Large Hadron Collider Explains
As a physicist working at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, one of the questions I am most frequently asked is “When are you…
“Dark Stars” – A Brief History of Black Holes
Late in 2018, the gravitational wave observatory, LIGO, announced that they had detected the most distant and massive source of ripples of spacetime ever monitored:…
Scientists Are Blasting Out Earth’s Location With the Hope of Reaching Aliens – Stephen Hawking Warned They Might Destroy Humanity
If a person is lost in the wilderness, they have two options. They can search for civilization, or they could make themselves easy to spot…
A Decade of Science and Trillions of Collisions Show the W Boson Is More Massive Than Expected – A Physicist Explains What It Means
“You can do it quickly, you can do it cheaply, or you can do it right. We did it right.” These were some of David…
Beer and Spirits Are Worse for the Waistline and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Than Red or White Wine
Drinking beer and spirits is associated with elevated levels of visceral fat – the harmful type of fat that is associated with an increased risk…
Do You Need a Second COVID Booster Shot? An Epidemiologist Scoured the Latest Research for Answers
In late March 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized a second booster shot of COVID-19 vaccines for vulnerable people in the U.S.,…
The FDA Approved a New Drug To Treat Alzheimer’s, but Medicare Won’t Always Pay for It – A Doctor Explains Biogen’s Aduhelm
On April 8, 2022, Medicare finalized its decision to restrict its coverage of Aduhelm, Biogen’s new Alzheimer’s disease treatment. The decision means that only patients…
Why Cats’ Eyes Glow in the Dark
Cats and many other animals, including most dogs, can reflect light from their eyes. As a result, cats’ eyes usually shine brilliantly in photos taken…
Time Might Not Exist, According to Physicists
Does time exist? The answer to this question may seem obvious: of course it does! Just look at a calendar or a clock. But developments…
Over 5,500 New Viruses Identified in the Ocean – Including a Missing Link in Viral Evolution
An analysis of the genetic material in the ocean has identified thousands of previously unknown RNA viruses and doubled the number of phyla, or biological…
How Hypersonic Missiles Work and the Significant Threats They Pose
On March 18, 2022, Russia launched a hypersonic missile against a Ukrainian arms depot in the western part of the country. That may sound frightening,…
Scientists Shatter Record for the Amount of Energy Produced During a Controlled, Sustained Fusion Reaction
Nuclear fusion hit a milestone thanks to better reactor walls – this engineering advance is building toward reactors of the future. Scientists in England have…
How Does the COVID-19 Prevention Drug Evusheld Work and Who Should Receive It?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use authorization to AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 antibody drug Evusheld on December 8, 2021. Infectious disease physician Patrick Jackson…
Massive Geomagnetic Storm: Coronal Mass Ejection From the Sun Could Knock Out the Power Grid and Internet
Telegraph networks all throughout the globe failed catastrophically on September 1 and 2, 1859. The telegraph operators reported feeling electrical shocks, telegraph paper catching fire,…
US Bird Flu Outbreak Is Killing Millions of Chickens and Turkeys
An outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in chicken and turkey flocks has spread across 24 U.S. states since it was first detected in Indiana…
