Features on ZME Science

The Chernobyl Disaster -- 35 Years Since our Worst Nuclear Tragedy

A look at what really happened at Chernobyl, what it looks like now, and what the effects of this tragedy were.

12 penguin facts you need to know

World Penguin Day is upon us. Pioneered at McMurdo Station — an American Research center on Ross Island in Antarctica — to raise awareness and inform the public more about the plights of flightless birds, it has been embraced by environmentalists all over the globe. Scientists noticed that April 25 was the specific day on […]

The ground coffee you buy at the shops could soon get much better

The hottest thing in coffee is actually very cool.

What to expect from Biden’s global climate change summit on Earth Day

More than 40 presidents and ministers are expected to attend. It's crunch time for climate action.

The color purple is unlike all others, in a physical sense

The 'royal color' does indeed stand apart from the rest.

The sheepshead fish: fish will give you dental nightmares

The amazing sheepshead fish has human-like teeth.

Pollen allergies are getting worse each year. Climate change and sexism are to blame

Are allergies getting worse? Yes -- and you can thank botanical sexism for that.

Is this the year European cities start banning cars?

The pandemic has brought substantial changes in how we see transportation. Big changes may be a'coming.

An Essay on the Mental Causation of Human Behavior: Does the Mind Matter?

Does conscious will determine human behavior? Many will undoubtedly find this question to be nonsensical, feeling that the answer is right in front of them. Willful actions, planned behaviors, achieved goals, all seem to provide unambiguous evidence for mental causation – for the idea that our conscious will determines our behaviors. The widespread belief in […]

What are algorithms, and why we'd best get used to them

Algorithms aren't nearly as arcane as some make them to be.

What stochastic terrorism is and why the US may see more of it

It's not the type of terrorism we're used to, but we're starting to see more and more of it.

What Zombie deer disease really is, and how much of a threat it poses

A prion disease is now spreading through the US. Here's what you need to know.

What are Black Holes: The Journey From Theory to Reality

Black holes have firmly moved from the status of theoretical curiosity to physical reality. We follow that transformation and the incredible phenomena discovered along the way.

What is pain, and why do we even need it?

No carrot, all stick.

A prolific French academic, author of hundreds of papers, doesn't exist. She's a form of protest

I'm always down for sticking it to the man a little.

How much of our emissions come from agriculture?

The food on our plates is one of the main contributors to the ongoing climate crisis.

How did the pandemic start? The fine line between truth and conspiracy

Theory or conspiracy theory? It's important to separate facts from fiction.

The oldest animal (that we know of) -- and it's not what you think

We're still not sure what the oldest animal on Earth is, but here are some potential contenders.

What is Mass-Energy Equivalence (E=mc^2): the most famous formula in science

The mass-energy equivalence is the crown jewel of special relativity, explaining the phenomena that power the stars, our homes, and humanity's most destructive acts.

This is the first rib-eye steak that didn't require killing an animal

Delicious and cruelty-free meat.

Why over 1 million people watched a cheater play chess

A bizarre story of cheating, chess, and popular uproar, became the most watched chess event in modern history.

Do the coronavirus vaccines work on variants? Here's what we know so far

Things are encouraging, but there are also serious concerns.

What is the Loch Ness monster: myth or kernel of truth?

The fabled Loch Ness Monster has always enchanted people's imagination.

Small but sneaky. These are the world's 10 smallest mammals

They may be small, but they've got some amazing skills.

Why ketamine is so good against depression

Is ketamine the miracle drug that we've all being waiting for?

What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is vital for the body's well-being. But too much of it can also kill.

Computation pioneers awarded 'Nobel of Mathematics'

The two mathematicians are true pioneers in their fields.

What is a narcissist really?

Everyone knows narcissists are full of themselves -- but there's much more to it.

From candles to ladders: how astronomers measure very large distances in the universe

How do we know the universe is expanding? Your high school trigonometry is involved in the process.

Who was the Basilosaurus, the 'king lizard' that was neither king nor lizard?

The king of the lizards turned out to be the first fully ocean-dwelling whale.

How hot is the sun?

I have it on very good authority that it's more than 20 degrees, for sure.

Ten years after the earthquake that caused the Fukushima disaster, both Japan and the world are still reeling

What have we learned since the 2011 tragedy?

What is hemoglobin, and should you worry that it's in your blood?

Any red-blooded American has this in their veins.

The history of spacesuits

If you want to explore outer space, you need quite a fair bit of fancy equipment: a good ship, life support, and of course, a reliable space suit. Spacesuits aren’t just a piece of clothing astronauts wear in space — instead, a spacesuit is more like a miniature spacecraft in itself. Spacesuits are festooned with […]

Otters maintain patches of healthy kelp forests even when surrounded by "urchin barrens"

Sea otters hadn't been seen on the North California Coast since the 1880s -- but they're back to help protect the kelp forests.

What are designer babies -- a healthcare wonder or an ethical horror?

Designer babies aren't coming -- they're already here.

Ten bloodcurdling microplastic facts we've recently learned

They are becoming a larger and larger problem worldwide

Electroceuticals, the bioelectronic medicine of the future

Future medicine could come in the form of electric impulses and go straight to the brain.

What is the albedo effect, and why it matters in the climate crisis

Warm, sleep, melt, repeat.

How many people need to get vaccinated for COVID-19 herd immunity?

While still far away, herd immunity is now at least in sight.

A deep look at carbon capture and storage (CCS) and its role in the climate crisis

CCS (or carbon capture and storage) is one of the terms that often pops up in the climate debate -- and for good reason.

How does the Sky Crane work? Everything you need to know

The sky crane touchdown system was a huge wager for NASA that paid off.

The invisible border that keeps vultures in Spain, not Portugal

"The Spanish-Portuguese border acts as a quasi-impermeable barrier", researchers note.

What is epilepsy: the brain's thunderstorm

Epilepsy is often misunderstood with different facts and myths surrounding the condition.

What is Special Relativity: A Guide to Spacetime, Time Dilation and Length Contraction

Einstein's theory of special relativity would revolutionise the field of physics upon its introduction. This is the first part of the ZME Science guide to that revolutionary theory.