It Came From the Web!

The Smell of Freshly Cut Grass May be a Cry for Help

We all know that smell. The thick, green, freshly cut grass sent that fills the air each spring. We don’t even have to see the lawn and we still instantly recognize it. It turns out that familiar sent is actually part of a complex chemical reaction that occurs in plants when they are injured or [...]

Train Tanker Car Implosion

We’ve all seen what can happen to objects when they are subject to various internal and external pressures. Exploding soda cans and crushed submarines are the first things that come to mind. However, rarely do we get to see the reaction on such a scale and at such close range. Causing the implosion is simple. [...]

Mathematically Slicing a Pizza

Tragedy strikes.  Due to a freak accident with a pizza cutter a pizza lays cut off center.  Math to the rescue!  The age old question of who gets the most pizza is finally answered. The Pizza conjecture asks who will get the bigger portion of pizza if cuts are made off center.  Assuming eaters alternate [...]

David Blaine: How I held my breath for 17 min

In this highly personal talk from TEDMED, magician and stuntman David Blaine describes what it took to hold his breath underwater for 17 minutes — a world record. Despite what you may think of David Blaine the science behind what he forces his body to do is fascinating. Full video after the break describing his [...]

Parasitic Fungus Zombifies Ants

The idea of a brain controlling parasitic fungus might sounds like an old X-Files plot, but its just another amazing example of nature at work.  The fungus in question has a fascinating and slightly horrifying relation ship with Carpenter Ants.  While scientists still are puzzled over just how the fungus controls the ants they have [...]

The Internet Loves Monsters

It is safe to say that the Internet has always loved things it can’t explain.  There is nothing like a good rumor or random picture to whip various portions of the web into a frenzy.  This site has reported on several of them.  Cracked as taken a shot, as only they can to debunk some [...]

Paraplegic Walks After Spider Bite

After being confied to a wheel chair for 20 years, a California man is walking again.  According to the report the man was bitten by a Brown Recluse and as a result needed to be hospitalized.  After being admitted a nurse noticed a spasm in his leg, upon further testing it was reviled that he had regained some feeling [...]

Google Shoots Down Atlantis Find

Frequent users of Google Earth know that there are many unusual things waiting to be found, everything from crop circles to sunken ships.  Last week, many were speculating that the lost city of Atlantis had been found using Google Earth.  However, Google has come forward to explain what exactly your seeing on the map. As [...]

Fish with a Transparent Head

No, its not something they fished out of some radioactive sludge somewhere, it is actually interesting solution to the problem of keeping things from sneaking up on you.  The Macropinna microstoma or “barreleyes” as it is more commonly known has a transparent head and elongated eyes.  Its transparent head allows the eyes, which the fish can rotate, to see above [...]

Regenerating Jellyfish

The tiny Jellyfish Turritopsis Nutricula is actually able to revert to a younger state once it reaches sexual maturity.  Unlike most jellyfish that die after reproducing Turritopsis Nutricula can repeatedly revert back to a younger state.   This process is called transdifferentiation.  Scientist believe that the process can be repeated nearly infinitely, as a result the population of the tiny creatures [...]