When Taylor Swift said yes to Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce in August 2025, it seemed as if all the megastar’s romantic anthems were coming true. And by proposing with what fans quickly identified as a dazzling Old Mine-cut diamond set on a gold mount, Kelce joined a long tradition of

On August 31, 1955, the body of Emmett Till was found at the bottom of the Tallahatchie River in northern Mississippi. Beaten to a pulp and with his eye gouged out, his face was disfigured almost beyond recognition. His great-uncle Moses Wright may have only recognized him because the 14-year-old

World War II began when Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, prompting Great Britain and France to declare war on Germany two days later. World War II had its roots in the consequences of World War I, with the harsh terms of the Treaty of Versailles leaving Germany economically crippled and

Banks are financial intermediaries that collect money from people who have excess funds and use it to provide loans and financing to individuals, businesses, and governments. They also help customers conduct financial transactions, often through an affiliated broker-dealer and/or wealth management

When a serious illness or injury keeps you from working, disability insurance can help replace part of your income. But whether you qualify for benefits and how much you receive often depends on details buried in the fine print. Terms like “elimination period,” “own occupation,” and “residual

When you think of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), there are likely many terms and phrases that come to mind to describe the important and, indeed, historic work being done in the United States by these institutions of higher education. But diverse may not be one of them. It

3D printing is a process that consists of layering two-dimensional cross-sections sequentially to build a three-dimensional object. The process is similar to how a traditional printer applies ink to paper; however, a 3D printer solidifies or binds a liquid or powder material at specific points to

Antacids containing substances such as sodium bicarbonate, magnesium hydroxide, or calcium carbonate fundamentally are bases. They work by counteracting or neutralizing gastric acids to relieve the discomfort caused by gastric acidity. These medications typically are taken when gastric acidity is

Birds rely on their keen sense of hearing to detect prey and identify other birds on the basis of their songs. In fact, birds have better hearing resolution than humans, so they hear with much more detail. However, birds lack the external ear anatomy that humans rely on. So how do birds hear? Birds

In the Northern Hemisphere, migratory birds tend to fly south to spend the winter in warmer locales. (Though in the Southern Hemisphere, migratory birds generally fly north for the winter.) Migratory birds know when to fly south for the winter due to a combination of internal physiological changes

Birth control pills are among the most popular methods of preventing pregnancy. In the United States alone, between 2015 and 2017 about 13.9 percent of women used birth control pills, which are also called oral contraceptives. When used correctly, birth control pills are 99.7 percent effective in

Science fiction has often relied on the concept of black holes as a plot device, painting them as portals to other universes or as vehicles for time travel. But what happens when we take the fiction out of it? What’s really going on inside those terrifying faraway entities? In short, black holes

Most butterflies are light enough to drift on a breeze, yet millions of these fragile insects migrate across continents each year. With the possible exception of the famous monarch (Danaus plexippus plexippus), migratory butterflies are less well-known than migratory birds but no less remarkable.

Chameleons change colour by dispersing or concentrating pigment granules (melanophore cells) in the cells that contain them. In general, the animal appears lighter-coloured when pigment is concentrated and dark when pigment is dispersed throughout the cells. The chameleon’s colour state at any

Cloud formation, a key part of the water cycle, begins as moist air ascends into the atmosphere. This occurs because, in most climates, moist air is less dense than dry air. As the air rises, it encounters lower pressures, causing it to expand and cool. The resulting cooling process is crucial

Like other insects, the cockroach does not have lungs. Instead, its respiratory system consists primarily of a network of tubes, called tracheae, that open at the surface of the thorax and abdomen through paired valvelike structures called spiracles. Muscles on or near the spiracles keep them

London, England. Tokyo, Japan. Buenos Aires, Argentina. They all make our lists of places to visit, and they’re also national capitals—each city being the seat of its country’s government. But how are capital cities chosen, anyway? Location is often key. Many countries choose a geographically

When crude oil jumps, gasoline prices typically follow. After all, crude is gasoline’s main ingredient. And when that input gets pricier, the whole supply chain—from refineries to your local gas station—starts to feel it. Eventually, you do too. But the relationship between crude and gasoline

The standard many college textbooks use to define a desert is: an area receiving less than 10 inches (250 mm) of precipitation per year. But why do these areas get so little precipitation in the first place? Geographically speaking, most deserts are found on the western sides of continents or—in

Earthquakes occur due to the sudden release of stored energy in Earth’s crust, primarily caused by tectonic movements. Earth’s crust is divided into several large and small tectonic plates that float on the semi-fluid asthenosphere beneath them. These plates are constantly moving, albeit very

At the core of an electric car is its battery, which stores the electrical energy needed to power the vehicle. These batteries are typically made of lithium-ion cells, similar to those found in a laptop or smartphone, but on a much larger scale. The energy stored in an electric car’s batteries

Face masks have long been used in health care, often for the simple reason that they protect doctors and nurses from splashes of body fluids during procedures but also for the purpose of blocking the transmission of respiratory droplets. Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, face masks have

Fertility drugs for those trying to become pregnant work mainly by stimulating or regulating the hormones involved in ovulation, helping the ovaries produce and release eggs more effectively. Certain other fertility drugs address factors that influence hormones involved in ovulation, such as

Fireflies light up summer nights using a chemical process known as bioluminescence, the key chemical players of which are the light-emitting compound luciferin and the enzyme luciferase. Luciferin, in the presence of luciferase, undergoes oxidation, resulting in the production of oxyluciferin, an

Fish primarily breathe through gills, which are specialized organs that extract dissolved oxygen from water. The gills are located behind and to the side of the mouth cavity and consist of fleshy filaments supported by bony gill arches. The filaments are rich in blood vessels and provide a large

Fish reproduction is a fascinating process that varies significantly across different species. Most bony fishes (belonging to the superclass Osteichthyes) are oviparous (egg-laying) and show external fertilization. They produce a large number of small eggs that are often scattered in the water,

Fish enter a restful state marked by minimal movement and decreased responsiveness. During this time, they maintain their balance and continue slow, gentle movements, allowing them to conserve energy while remaining able to respond quickly to threats. Although this state resembles sleep, it differs

Frogs have an adaptable respiratory system that allows them to breathe in multiple ways throughout their life cycle and in different environments. Frogs start their life as aquatic larvae, commonly known as tadpoles. During this stage they primarily rely on gills for respiration. These gills, along

Gills help aquatic animals breathe by allowing gases to move between water and blood. Their feathery, branched structure is filled with superficial blood vessels, which gives them a large surface area for this exchange. This design brings the circulatory system very close to the water, making it

There are actually a number of different insects known as "glowworms," and they have a variety of mechanisms for their bioluminescence. The different species have bioluminescent organs that vary in size, structure, number, and location, a fact that suggests these insects independently evolved their

Hand warmers work by utilizing an exothermic chemical reaction to generate heat, providing warmth to cold hands. Disposable hand warmers accomplish this through the use of iron powder, salt, and water. When exposed to oxygen in the air, iron undergoes oxidation. The reaction, which is facilitated

Horses sleep both standing up and lying down. Most of their sleeping time is spent standing, which is crucial for their survival because it enables them to quickly escape predators. Sleeping while standing is possible because horses have a stay apparatus, a system of tendons, ligaments, and muscles

In meteorology, hurricanes and typhoons are regional names for tropical cyclones, and individual storms of each type are named by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), which maintains rotating lists of names. These premade lists are made up of easy-to-remember male and female first names,

The fundamental principle behind magnetism is the magnetic field, which arises from the motion of electric charges. This field exerts forces on other magnetic objects and moving charges, causing attraction or repulsion. For instance, Earth’s magnetic field causes compass needles to line up in

Microwave ovens were life altering from the moment they began humming and heating in homes of the 1970s. The sprinter to the conventional oven’s cross-country runner, microwaves quickened the process of cooking and reheating meals, saving time and increasing the potential for leisure over work. The

The law of reflection is fundamental to how mirrors work. When light hits a mirror, it reflects off the surface at an angle equal to the angle at which it arrived. This principle allows mirrors to form images by reflecting light in a predictable manner. Mirrors can have either plane or curved

Have you ever seen a monkey getting a manicure? Though that line sounds like the beginning of a bad joke, it actually has some scientific merit. Monkeys and apes are primates, an order of mammals that have forward-facing eyes, large brains compared with their body weight, and—where other mammals

Ocean currents are streams of water in the ocean whose circulation is produced by gravity, wind friction, and water density variations. The biosphere (the relatively thin life-supporting layer at or near Earth’s surface) is influenced by ocean currents in several ways. Currents transport seeds,

The pearl-making process begins when a foreign particle, like a grain of sand or a tiny parasite, finds its way into the oyster’s shell. This uninvited guest irritates the oyster, much like a splinter under the skin in a human finger. To protect itself, the oyster’s mantle tissue, which is

Penguins have a unique feather arrangement and body structure that provides excellent insulation. Their short, stiff feathers are packed closely together, which not only minimizes friction and turbulence in water to help penguins swim but also traps a layer of air close to the skin. This air layer

Imagine for a second that you’re an emperor penguin coming back to your colony after a swim. You need to find your mate and your chick, but how? Emperor penguins don’t make nests, so there’s no fixed spot where you can go and expect to meet up with your family. There’s just a huge crowd of penguins

Competing in the Olympic Games is the dream of elite athletes around the world. But how exactly do they earn one of the highly coveted spots on the roster? Those looking to participate in the Olympic Games must satisfy both eligibility and qualification requirements. The International Olympic

Unlike most animals, plants continue to grow throughout their entire life span. Plant growth and plant development are consequences of three processes: cell division (the process called mitosis), cell enlargement, and cell differentiation. Plant growth also depends on internal plant genetics and

Quantum computers work by exploiting the dual nature of matter: since matter, according to quantum mechanics, can behave as a wave or as regular particles, it can exhibit wave properties. Qubits are the quantum equivalent of classical bits (the smallest unit of data used in computer operations) and

Earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions, and even meteoroid and comet strikes can produce tsunamis—trains of waves that extend over the ocean’s surface in ever-widening circles, much like the waves produced by a pebble falling into a shallow pool. When these waves reach shallow water, friction

Sea otters (Enhydra lutris) are the only fully aquatic otter species, inhabiting some of the coldest coastal waters on Earth. They are also the smallest marine mammals, typically spending their entire lives in seas that would quickly chill most other mammals to the core. Yet, unlike such marine

Smelling salts work by releasing ammonia, which has a pungent and acrid odor that irritates the lining of the nose and lungs. This irritation causes a reflex that speeds up breathing and increases oxygen in the blood, which can quickly restore alertness. Early smelling salts were made from ammonium

Snakes have a unique and fascinating way of swallowing prey that is much larger than their own heads and even bodies. The secret to a snake’s ability to consume prey larger (sometimes much larger) than itself lies in its highly flexible skull. Unlike most animals, snakes have a skull with multiple

Spiders are a diverse group of arachnids, with over 51,500 identified species. While not all spiders spin webs, those that do construct them in a variety of forms, including tube- and funnel-shaped webs, sheet webs, and elaborate orb-shaped webs. Orb weavers create the iconic circular webs most

Tariffs are one of the most controversial and frequently debated tools in international trade. They function like a tax on foreign goods—one that affects every link in the supply chain. Manufacturers, distributors, and retailers all absorb some of the cost, but the higher prices consumers pay are

Scientists are still debating how tectonic plates move, but most of experts believe that the movement of plates is caused by the convection currents within the planet’s mantle. As heat in the Earth’s interior rises, it causes the mantle’s material to move in a circular pattern. This movement is

October marks the start of cold and flu season in the Northern Hemisphere, where, in 2020, many countries also have been heavily affected by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). But cold, flu, and COVID-19 are all contagious respiratory diseases, so how can those who become ill tell if what they

The average tornado—a mostly harmless cyclone of air that connects a storm cloud above and Earth’s surface below—has a lifespan of only a few minutes. However, when they move away from the average, tornadoes are considered some of the most destructive weather events in the world. The wildest of

Vaccines work by imitating infection to encourage the body to produce antibodies against infectious agents. In doing so, the body’s immune system adds to its memory, so if the body ever encounters the same infectious agent again, it is ready to fight it off. There are several different types of

Commonly seen dotting the countryside and often visible from miles away, water towers—also called storage distribution tanks—serve key purposes in municipal water supply systems. Water towers provide essential equalizing pressure to a water supply system and store emergency water supply for times

The closest star, Proxima Centauri, is 4.24 light-years away. A light-year is 9.44 trillion km, or 5.88 trillion miles. That is an incredibly large distance. Walking to Proxima Centauri would take 950 million years. If you turned it up and went as fast as Apollo 11 went to the Moon, it would still

Modern birds are living dinosaurs, having evolved from a line of theropod dinosaurs more than 150 million years ago. According to fossil evidence, some dinosaurs from long ago even had feathers—or structures that had various aspects of modern bird feathers before birds evolved. In the mid-1990s

All animals make sounds. Many sounds are made as an animal moves through its environment, such as the thud or patter of its feet on the ground, the scraping of its body against rocks, a brushing as it passes through vegetation, and a splashing at the surface of water, as well as sounds associated

Wireless earbuds have become increasingly popular as consumers move past their wired predecessors. Such earbuds are portable speakers that fit inside people’s ears and connect to any audio-producing device (e.g., a phone or computer) using Bluetooth audio technology. Wired earbuds, by contrast, use

Balancing chemical equations is a useful skill in chemistry. The basis of chemical reactions is the idea that atoms and molecules frequently recombine into other molecules. Reactants are the substances that enter a chemical reaction, while products are formed as the result of the reaction. Some

When an American flag “is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display” (Title 4 Section 8 of the U.S. Code), it should be retired with respect. The traditional method is to burn the flag in a dignified ceremony. This practice is not just about disposal; it’s a way to honor

Ed Bullins: …production of three one-act plays: How Do You Do?; Dialect Determinism; or, The Rally; and Clara’s Ole Man. After helping to found a Black cultural organization and briefly associating with the Black Panther Party, Bullins moved to New York City.

The Nobel Prizes, announced annually in the fall since 1901, cover five different disciplines: chemistry, physics, literature, peace, and physiology/medicine. Additionally, there is an economics prize awarded at the Nobel ceremony (not technically a Nobel prize). That means you’ve got at least

The Met Gala, held on the first Monday in May, is notoriously exclusive. The guest list is limited to about 450 to 600 attendees each year, and all guests need to be approved by Vogue’s former editor in chief Anna Wintour. That’s right, the devil in Prada herself has the final say on each invitee.

James L. Brooks: …two Los Angeles families, and How Do You Know (2010), a story of a love triangle, which marked his fourth collaboration with Nicholson. He subsequently returned his focus to the developement and production of The Simpsons.

A phylogenetic tree is a diagram that displays the evolutionary history of a group of organisms. The trees can represent relationships between any related groups, from all life on Earth to specific subspecies of algae. Phylogeny assumes that every organism shares a common ancestor and that all

In the field of ecology, rewilding is formally known as ecological restoration, and it is complicated! The first challenge is deciding on the goal for the restoration. Will you try to make the area look like it did immediately before it was degraded? Or should you aim for how it was before the

Traditionally, eclipses are divided into two major types: solar and lunar. Solar eclipses occur when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, leaving a moving region of shadow on Earth’s surface. Lunar eclipses occur when Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon, casting a shadow on the Moon.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, commonly referred to as NATO, was created in 1949 by 12 countries as a military alliance between North America and Europe to protect its members against attack. Since its inception in the wake of World War II, the alliance has grown to 32 countries, with

The Château de Chambord is an immense castle in France’s Loire River valley that boasts a treasure trove of stunning artworks and architectural wonders. One of the most impressive of these is a 16th-century double-helix staircase, located at the heart of the château, that allows visitors to ascend

In the United States a grand jury is a group of 16 to 23 people chosen by a court for the purpose of determining whether a person suspected of having committed a crime may be indicted. Prosecutors present the grand jury with evidence of the suspect’s alleged criminal activity, and the jury usually

Hybrid cars combine two power sources, an internal-combustion engine and an electric motor, to boost fuel efficiency and cut emissions. Unlike conventional vehicles that rely solely on gasoline, hybrids seamlessly switch between, or blend, both systems depending on driving conditions. At low speeds

Atoms or molecules in a laser are energized by an external energy source to give off light of certain wavelengths. That light is amplified as it passes through the laser apparatus until it forms a sharp, concentrated beam. This process of stimulated emission works by imparting energy to atoms or

A microwave oven uses microwave radiation to heat and cook food. Microwave ovens have a device called a magnetron that produces the microwave radiation. The magnetron is a “crossed-field” device, meaning that it uses both magnetic and electric fields, which are oriented perpendicularly to each

Buying a home is often the biggest financial commitment you’ll ever make—especially once you factor in the complexities of getting a mortgage. A home is such a big purchase that you’ll likely need to borrow money to close the deal. But how does a mortgage work? And what does it mean to “build

A polygraph test works by measuring someone’s physiological responses, which are believed to change when a person is lying. The polygraph, often referred to as a lie detector, is an instrument that records phenomena such as blood pressure, pulse rate, and respiratory rate. These physiological

Mechanical ventilators have played an important, if controversial, role in the treatment of patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)—helping critically ill persons breathe in the near term, but with potentially harmful trade-offs for lung function over the long term. For COVID-19

You get that important call you’ve been waiting for, and you scramble for earphones in your bag. You groan as you find them, wires all a-tangle like yesterday’s spaghetti. And then, when you try to transfer photos from the phone to your computer, you can’t find that elusive USB cable in your desk.

Carbon dating, also known as radiocarbon dating or carbon-14 dating, is a technique used to learn the age of organic (here meaning “organism-derived”) remains. It works in part by comparing the amounts of the naturally occurring carbon isotopes—namely, carbon-12, carbon-13, and carbon-14—in a

Dry cleaning works by using chemical solvents to clean textiles instead of water. In essence, dry cleaning still uses liquid; however, the process is known as dry cleaning simply because the solvents used are not water-based. Such solvents, which are often halides or organohalogens, have a knack

Electricity works through the movement of negative charges carried by electrons (negatively charged subatomic particles). These charges can be either stationary or moving, and their interactions give rise to electricity. When charges are at rest, they create static electricity through an electric

Fog is a cloud of small water droplets near ground level. It is formed by the condensation of water vapor on tiny particles that are always present in natural air; this occurs when the air becomes saturated with moisture. This increase of moisture can by caused by three processes: There are

The Global Positioning System—better known as GPS—has 31 satellites orbiting Earth. These satellites carry atomic clocks that keep very accurate time. The GPS satellites transmit this time to receivers on Earth. By comparing the time at the receiver to the time transmitted by the satellite and then

Rust is the result of a chemical reaction between metal, typically iron, and oxygen in the presence of moisture. This process, known as oxidation, transforms the metal into a new compound, iron oxide, which we commonly recognize as rust. The presence of water and oxygen is crucial for rust to form,

Soap is able to clean hands and dishes because of some pretty nifty chemistry. Soap molecules have on one end what’s known as a polar salt, which is hydrophilic, or attracted to water. The other end of the molecule is a nonpolar chain of fatty acids or hydrocarbons, which is hydrophobic—meaning

In Roman Catholicism the process of declaring someone a saint is called canonization. According to the church’s law, the process cannot begin until five years after a person’s death, although this requirement can be waived by the pope. Mother Teresa, for example, died in 1997, but her cause for

Sound travels in waves that are essentially disturbances that move through a medium by causing particles to vibrate back and forth in the direction of the wave’s travel. Imagine a Slinky toy or a coiled spring: when you pull back one end and release it, a wave of compression and expansion of the

American voters go to the polls on the Tuesday following the first Monday in November, but the ballots that they cast do not directly elect the president. Instead, the will of the voters is reflected in the actions of state electors. These electors are selected by political parties at the state

People are mammals, and mammals are warm-blooded creatures, capable of maintaining a relatively constant internal temperature regardless of the environmental temperature. Body temperature control is one example of homeostasis—an organism’s self-regulating process that tends to maintain internal

With its flexible architecture and far reach, the Internet allows various computer networks to seamlessly connect using what is known as the Internet protocol suite. The open architecture plan was a key factor in the Internet’s development, as it allows many diverse networks to be integrated

Lights, camera, auction! The Indian Premier League (IPL) auction has been a defining feature of the cricket competition since its first edition in 2008. Held ahead of each IPL season, player auctions serve as the primary means for franchises to build their preferred teams, showcase tactical acumen,

In 2000 the Olympic torch spent three minutes submerged in the Coral Sea. In 2008 climbers carried it to the summit of Mount Everest. In 2016 in Brazil the torch took a ride on a surfboard. In none of those occasions did its flame go out. But how? To find out, we have to go back to the tradition’s

Generally speaking, a protest in the sense relevant here is “a usually organized public demonstration of disapproval” (of some law, policy, idea, or state of affairs), while a riot is “a disturbance of the peace created by an assemblage of usually three or more people acting with a common purpose

Wi-Fi has become an integral part of our fast-paced everyday lives. Thanks to Wi-Fi, we no longer have to be tethered to the Internet with cables. But have you ever stopped to wonder how it works? Wi-Fi uses radio waves to transmit information between your device and a router via frequencies. Two

American gridiron great Tom Brady announced the successful cloning of his beloved pet dog, a pit bull mix named Lua, in early November 2025. Although Lua died in 2023, a blood sample taken before she passed away provided all the material needed for Colossal Biosciences, Brady’s pet-cloning company

The effectiveness of the flu vaccine changes from year to year but typically falls between 40 and 60 percent, meaning that in a vaccinated population 40 to 60 percent fewer people will become seriously ill from influenza infection. The most significant factor driving flu vaccine effectiveness is

David Lodge: How Far Can You Go? (1980; also published as Souls & Bodies) was well received in both the United States and Britain and takes a satiric look at a group of contemporary English Catholics.

The Moon is approximately 384,000 km (238,600 miles) away from Earth, on average. The Moon orbits Earth in an elliptical pattern, which means that it is closer to Earth at some points and farther away at other points. When the Moon is at its farthest point from Earth, known as its apogee, it can be

The Sun is approximately 149.6 million km (about 92.96 million miles) away from Earth. This distance is often expressed as an astronomical unit (AU; 1 AU = 149.6 million km), which is a standard unit of measurement in astronomy that allows for quick comparison of distances of planets, stars, and

In the water, alligators can reach swimming speeds of up to 32.2 kilometers per hour (20 miles per hour), using their powerful tails to propel them efficiently. This ability enables them to be stealthy hunters, lurking beneath the water’s surface or near the shoreline to catch unsuspecting prey. On