Now that Halloween has passed, it just might be time to admit that the creaky noise in the attic is really a mouse not a ghost and that your flickering lights might be a wiring problem, not a sign of a distressed spirit. If you’re ready to face up to the science behind your haunted house, the buzzkills over at Consumer Reports have some interesting stories about the real causes for these spooky problems.
Image via Darkpatator
We’ve all heard that we only use 10% of our brains and that our fingernails and hair continue to grow after death, but these stories and others just aren’t true. Get the whole story with this great Environmental Graffiti article.
Image via Gaetan Lee
Ketamine, an animal tranquilizer known by drug addicts around the country as “Special K,” might be a magic drug for curing depression. The drug actually restores neuron connections previously damaged by stress.
When you’re learning how to help a drug addict, don’t be surprised when some treatments you stumble upon involve the use of other substances.
If your youngster is looking to maximize his or her candy score this year, give them a pillowcase instead of one of those cute trick or treat buckets. My Science Project, who did the pumpkin experiment we linked to yesterday, has also done a scientific look at candy carrying apparatuses and has found that pillowcases are the way to go for maximum candy loading. Of course, if your kiddo isn’t strong enough to carry up to forty pounds of candy, size might not matter in the long run.
Ever wonder how to prolong your beautiful jack-o-lantern from becoming a pile of mush? My Science Project has taken a fascinating look at common remedies for pumpkin preservation and found that applying bleach and Pumpkin Fresh are the two best means for preservation, but that applying nothing to the pumpkin can also be a safe option. I only wish they tried WD-40, which was suggested by Extreme Pumpkin master Tom Nardone.
Just because Amelia Earhart’s body is said to have never been found doesn’t mean her body was never found. Cracked takes a look at 6 Famous Unsolved Mysteries and shows conclusive proof that they have actually been solved long ago.
Ever wonder why leaves change color in the fall? The short answer is that Earth’s tilt reduces the amount of sun these trees get, decreasing their chlorophyll and allowing the other colors in the leaves to come through. For a more detailed explanation, check out this awesome Environmental Graffiti article filled with beautiful photos like the one above by sigusr0.
If you’ve ever wondered what an animal looks like while it is being digested inside of a snake, now you know.
Did you know your liver has over 500 functions? That fact and more fascinating tidbits can be seen on this excellent post.
Image via El Tekolote
You probably have noticed how awesome some of the eye types in the animal kingdom are, but do you know why they look the way they look?
My new article at Environmental Graffiti explains the science between some of the coolest animal eyes in nature. It’s a pretty big article for me, so if you can, please digg it, share it or give it a thumbs up and I will owe you. Hope you like it, thanks!