Tag: explained
What Is a Glacial Outburst Flood? Alaska’s Suicide Basin Explained
Why Glacial Lake Outbursts like the One in Alaska May Happen More Often Meltwater from a glacial lake outburst is flooding Juneau, Alaska. Such events are likely to happen more often as climate change destabilizes ice and glacial lakes fill with more meltwater By Stephanie Pappas edited by Andrea Thompson Mendenhall Glacier in the Tongass…
MRI Accidents Explained: What Causes Deaths and Injuries in Scanners
MRI Accidents Explained: What Causes Deaths and Injuries in Scanners When serious accidents happen in magnetic resonance imaging scanners, it’s usually because people ignore one very important rule By Michaela Maya-Mrschtik Last month a man on Long Island died after he was pulled into a magnetic resonance imaging scanner by a large metal chain he…
New Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS’s Biggest Mysteries Explained
7 Big Mysteries about Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS Scientists are racing to learn as much as possible about the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS before it fades from view forever By Jonathan O’Callaghan edited by Lee Billings The interstellar object 3I/ATLAS appears as a blurry, dust-shrouded dot in this image from the Gemini North telescope. Future observations should…
The Link between Weather and Migraines Explained by a Neurologist
Can Weather Really Trigger a Migraine? By Danielle Wilhour & The Conversation US The following essay is reprinted with permission from The Conversation, an online publication covering the latest research. “Is it just me, or is there a storm coming?” If you are one of the 39 million Americans in the U.S. living with migraines,…
Could Iran Have Been Close to Making a Nuclear Weapon? Uranium Enrichment Explained
Could Iran Have Been Close to Making a Nuclear Weapon? Uranium Enrichment Explained When Israeli aircraft recently struck a uranium-enrichment complex in the nation, Iran could have been days away from achieving “breakout,” the ability to quickly turn “yellowcake” uranium into bomb-grade fuel, with its new high-speed centrifuges By Deni Ellis Béchard edited by Dean…
Met Gala 2025: Theme and Dress Code Explained
Stars will arrive at the Met Gala 2025 in looks with the evening’s dress code, “Tailored For You” in mind. Read on for a closer look at the dress code and theme “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.” The red carpet is being rolled out for the biggest night in fashion. Meanwhile, celebrities like Rihanna, Kim Kardashian…
The White Lotus Season 3 Finale: Ending Explained
The White Lotus season three finale hit HBO Max April 6, revealing the fate of characters played by Carrie Coon, Leslie Bibb, Lalisa Manobal, Walton Goggins and more. Warning: This story contains spoilers for the season three finale of The White Lotus. It’s time to check out of The White Lotus. The season three finale…
Trump’s Plan to Lower Egg Prices and a Threat to Bird Flu Vaccines Explained
The Latest on Egg Prices and a Bird Flu Vaccine in Jeopardy The CDC has sequenced bird flu viruses from people in Nevada and Wyoming, and the Trump Administration has released a strategy for reducing egg prices By Tanya Lewis edited by Dean Visser Join Our Community of Science Lovers! We’re regularly rounding up the…
Mathematical Symbols’ Wild History Explained
The Wild and Contentious History of Mathematical Symbols A mathematician has uncovered the stories behind the symbols used in math By Max Springer edited by Clara Moskowitz War in Europe is a staple topic in the study of history, but there’s one major conflict most history books won’t teach you—the battle of the equals sign,…
Trump Tariffs’ Potential Clean Energy Effects Explained
Trump Tariffs Spark Fears of Clean Energy Supply Chain Chaos President Trump’s new tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China could hit the electric vehicle, solar, battery and wind industries particularly hard By Benjamin Storrow & E&E News The president’s new tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China could hit the solar, battery, wind and electric vehicle…
Rare, Record Florida Snow Explained
Here’s What Caused the Rare, Record Florida Snow A perfect confluence of an Arctic air outbreak and a low-pressure system that pulled in moisture from the Gulf of Mexico brought rare, record snow to the Gulf Coast By Andrea Thompson edited by Dean Visser Car drives on snow after snowfall on January 22, 2025, in Tallahassee, Fla.…
Venn Diagrams’ History and Popularity Outside of Math Explained
Opinion The Curious History of Venn Diagrams By Jack Murtagh edited by Jeanna Bryner In his book The Mathematical Universe, mathematician William Dunham wrote of John Venn’s namesake legacy, the Venn diagram, “No one in the long history of mathematics ever became better known for less.” While Venn diagrams may not have solved any long-standing…
Destructive Los Angeles Fires Explained in Photos
Photos Show Why Los Angeles Fires Were the Worst in City’s History The ferocity and scale of the fires that tore through the Los Angeles area become clearer in photographs By Andrea Thompson & Amanda Stosz A home on Mariposa Street in Altadena, Calif., goes up in flames during the Eaton Fire on January 8.…
Bird Flu, Salmonella and Other Health Risks from Raw Eggs, Explained
Can You Get Bird Flu from Eggs? Your Egg Safety Questions Answered Eggs can carry nasty viruses and bacteria. Here’s how to store and eat them safely By Tanya Lewis edited by Jeanna Bryner Eggs can be eaten in many different forms: scrambled, poached, fried, boiled or in omelets, soufflés, custards or meringues. But one…
Guantánamo Bay Explained: The Costs, the Captives and Why It’s Still Open
Trump Investigations Just 15 men remain at the prison, down from hundreds when it opened 23 years ago. But the costly operation could go on for years. By Carol Rosenberg Carol Rosenberg has been covering the prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, since the first detainees were brought there on Jan. 11, 2002. She first reported…
The failed attempt to arrest S Korea president explained
Six hours after South Korean police descended on the home of suspended president Yoon Suk Yeol – and after a sustained standoff with his security team – they called off an attempt to arrest him. “We’ve determined that the arrest is practically impossible,” said the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO), which has been investigating Yoon’s short-lived…
Why do we drop a ball on New Year’s Eve? The Times Square tradition, explained
By Rachel Treisman On the evening of Dec. 31, as in many years past, millions of people around the world will stop what they’re doing to watch a 12-foot, 11,875-pound crystal ball slowly descend a New York City flagpole to announce the start of a new year. The Times Square ball drop has been a…