Life's Little Mysteries Home Archives
What's the Winter Solstice?
January 11, 2013, Robert Roy Britt
Winter solstice is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and marks the official beginning of winter. Find out why.
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Robotic Baby Boy Makes Realistic Looking Expressions
January 11, 2013, Nina Sen, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
The researchers say the robot has a high definition camera in its eyes, which it uses to see people, gestures, expressions.
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What Makes Us Fart?
January 10, 2013, Dave Mosher, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
Swallowed air and happy intestinal bacteria turn us all into gas factories.
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What Makes My Ears Ring?
January 10, 2013, Ben Mauk, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
That ringing or buzzing in the ear is a symptom of hearing loss resulting from excessively loud noises.
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What Makes Us Burp?
January 10, 2013, Corey Binns, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
The only thing grosser than a burp is what causes it: bacteria deep in your belly. And, of course, extra gas and fizzy drinks.
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What Makes Wheels Appear to Spin Backward?
January 10, 2013, Ben Mauk, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
Two competing theories are currently rolling around the academic journals for acceptance.
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Shark Embryo Responds to Electrical Stimulus by Stopping Gill Movements
January 10, 2013, Nina Sen, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
The sharks use highly sensitive electroreceptors to detect the electric fields emitted by potential prey.
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What Makes Ice Cubes Cloudy?
January 09, 2013, Benjamin Radford, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
Water free of minerals and impurities freezes first, pushing the cloudy parts containing the sediment (and tiny trapped air bubbles) toward the center.
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What Makes Food Taste Sweet?
January 09, 2013, Corey Binns, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down with some fancy tricks on your tongue, and your eyes.
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What is Whiplash?
January 09, 2013, Ben Mauk, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
The head's jerking action (not to be confused with the jerk who rear-ended you) pulls muscles and ligaments beyond their typical range of motion, causing fibers to tear.
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Researchers Developing Power Loader Power Amplification Exoskeleton Robot
January 08, 2013, Nina Sen, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
The researchers say the exoskeleton will enable to people to easily carry over 100 kilograms (220 pounds).
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Why Do We Sleep?
January 08, 2013, Ben Mauk, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
Theories abound, but much of our need for sleep remains a mystery.
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What's the Smallest Dinosaur?
January 08, 2013, Corey Binns, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
The world's most diminutive dinosaur is... a hummingbird!
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What's the Largest Known Star?
January 08, 2013, Life's Little Mysteries Staff
The Pistol Nebula holds the most massive star.
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What's the Fate of Earth?
January 08, 2013, Robert Roy Britt
Even if we survive the looming 90-year drought and the unknown ultimate consequences of climate change, and even if anti-aging research pans out and you can hang in there a couple more billion years, e...
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The Science Of Lucid Dreaming
January 07, 2013, Nina Sen, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
Lucid dreams are strongly associated with REM sleep.
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What's the Doppler Effect?
January 07, 2013, Ben Mauk, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
The Doppler effect describes the difference between a sound and its source.
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What's the Average American Woman's Bust Size?
January 07, 2013, Jeanna Bryner, LiveScience Managing Editor
The average bra size has increased from 34B to 36C.
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What's Smog?
January 07, 2013, Andrea Thompson, OurAmazingPlanet Managing Editor
Just what is in that brown, hazy layer of air around you?
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A Very Clever Crow
January 06, 2013, Nina Sen, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
Crows are known to be quick problem solvers and often use tools to get to food.
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What's Perfect Pitch?
January 05, 2013, Scott Fields, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
Those rare musicians who have perfect pitch can name any note just by hearing it.
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What is it Like to Be an Ant?
January 05, 2013, Ben Mauk, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
The social and mental faculties of ants.
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Near-Earth Asteroid to Travel Between Earth and Satellites
January 05, 2013, Nina Sen, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
NASA says the asteroid 2012 DA14 will pass within about 3.5 Earth radii of the Earth's surface on Feb. 15, 2013.
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What's It Like to Be a Monkey?
January 05, 2013, Ben Mauk, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
The social and mental faculties of the vervet monkey.
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British Researchers Create Vomiting Larry Robot to Learn More About Norovirus
January 04, 2013, Nina Sen, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
Vomiting Larry will help scientists determine how far droplets can travel when a person vomits.
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