Otoacoustic emissions are noises that your ears generate and emit. When you hear a tone or noise, the noise waves are transmitted to a part of your inner ear called the cochlea. Electrical Signals These noises stimulate hair cells in the inner part of the cochlea that send electrical signals to your brain to be […]

Have you ever seen a hairy plant? Plants may appear to have hair, but the technical term for plant hair is trichomes. These trichomes may resemble hair, but they're not the same as what we mammals have. Learn more on this Moment of Science.

Something in our blood appears to play a key role in aging. Studying blood may give us valuable ways to combat it. Evidence comes from the experimental procedure called parabiosis. In laboratories, it’s when an old mouse is joined surgically to a young mouse, so that they share a common circulatory system and blood supply. […]

Despite what past diet fads may have led us to believe, carbohydrates are our bodies' preferred source of energy. All carbohydrates share the same fate of being broken down into sugars that are used to fuel your brain and body. What's the difference then between simple and complex carbohydrates? Learn more on this Moment of Science.

For a long time, most people thought one of the things that make human beings unique are the animals on Earth that can control fire. Even scientists thought so, too. But Australian aboriginal groups have long known that it isn’t true. The Australian savannah has a potential for devastating wildfires, which the aboriginal people have […]

You've probably seen a doctor on tv shock someone the minute they flatline, right? That may be how it's done on TV, but not in real life. Learn more on this Moment of Science.

The story of any glacier begins with snowfall. When more snow accumulates on the ground rather than melts, it begins to build up. This built-up snow changes from fluffy powder into ice pellets, and from ice pellets into layers of densely packed ice called “firn.” The process is called “firnification.” As the years go on, […]

Is there water on the sun? Learn more on this Moment of Science.

A listener writes: Dear A Moment of Science, I know that prehistoric humans had the ability to draw, and made some amazing cave art. But what about Neanderthals? Did they make cave art, too? Art Critic Our Response Fascinating question! And the answer is no, at least not that we know of at this time […]

Put a quarter on the table, with George Washington’s head right side up. Hold the quarter down with your finger. Now, put another quarter flat on the table, again with Washington right side up. Place the second coin so that its edge touches the twelve o’clock position on the edge of the first coin. Consider […]