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Lunar Lava Caves, Letting Kids Lose, and Air-Seat Shrinkage Jan 09, 2017

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Future moon settlers could live in caves carved by ancient lunar lava flows. Letting kids lose games can actually help them in the long run. Plus, your fellow airplane passengers are closer to you than ever.

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Asparagus Pee Science, Tardigrades' Weird Mating Habits, and Criminal Software Jan 02, 2017

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You have some specific genes to thank if you can smell asparagus in urine. Tardigrades were finally observed mating and it's suitably strange. Plus, a software glitch is sending innocent people to prison.

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The Bees of the Sea, Tasting Garlic Via Skin, and Probing Alpha Centauri Dec 26, 2016

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Tiny invertebrates pollinate underwater flowers like bees. Fun party trick: How to taste garlic through your feet. Plus, Stephen Hawking is helping send a probe the size of a cherry tomato to explore another solar system.

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When Christmas Was Illegal, and Why 2016 Will Be One Second Longer Dec 19, 2016

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christmas, puritans, history, culture, holidays, celebration, 2016, leap second, timekeeping, new years eve, time

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Space Poop, Contact Congress and Elf on the Shelf Dec 12, 2016

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How can we better deal with waste in space? Should we rise up against the panopticonic Elf on the Shelf? Plus: Is the internet actually an effective way to contact our elected officials?

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Conversational Eye Contact, Presidential Housing, and Samoan Solar Energy Dec 05, 2016

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Researchers may have pinpointed why it's hard to maintain eye contact while we speak. If Trump declined to live in the White House, it would be unprecedented. Plus, a Samoan island is prepared to switch entirely to solar energy.

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A Hot Tub of Despair, Fast Bats, and Teen Tech Creators Nov 28, 2016

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A warm, salty area deep in the Gulf of Mexico kills everything it touches. Bats can fly faster than anyone thought, beating out even the fastest birds. Plus, young women in South Africa plan to launch a satellite as part of a STEM academic program.

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Whether California Could Secede, Spotify's Destructive Bug, and Ambient Music Therapy Nov 21, 2016

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Increasingly, Californians are considering a campaign to secede from the union. An error in Spotify's desktop app could damage your computer -- update it! Plus, thankfully, ambient music is a proven therapy, and we've got a bit for you to listen to.

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A Sweating Robot, the Best Way to Merge, and What Your Phone Battery Wants Nov 14, 2016

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A new humanoid robot keeps its components cool by sweating, just like you and me. Drivers who wait until the last second to merge are scientifically correct - and safer. Plus, we bust a few myths about what will (and won't) damage your smartphone battery.

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History’s Worst Coffee, Learning Without Concentrating, and Why America Votes on Tuesdays Nov 07, 2016

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Demand for coffee during the American Civil War lead to a noxious innovation. Haptic feedback may let you learn certain skills without concentrating. Plus, the history behind Super Tuesday – and questions into whether weekdays work for modern voters.

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