Features on ZME Science

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.

When will the pandemic end?

Life could go back to normal this fall.

What are nuclear reactors and how do they work?

The ultimate embodiment of ‘high risk, high rewards'.

Dolphins have personality traits very similar to humans, study finds

We knew they were smart, but they're surprisingly similar to us.

What exactly is cryptocurrency anyway?

A basic rundown of Bitcoin and other cryptos, beyond the hype.

What is tempura?

You batter pay attention if you don't know what this is.

What is sucralose, and is it safe for you?

Well it's very sweet, and as far as we can tell, yes.

Latin American's science contribution against COVID-19

Research against Covid-19 in Latin America brings hope in the middle of the crisis.

How many people live in Antarctica -- and other things you wish you knew about the frozen continent

Antarctica's a weird place. It has a Burger King, a few coffee shops, but no real inhabitants.

This minimalistic chart shows how hot 2020 and the past few years have really been

It’s easy to forget, in the current situation, that the world is still heating up severely. If the COVID-19 pandemic is a wave sweeping through the world, then climate change is a tsunami looming darkly on the horizon and already starting to strike. Yes, climate change is hitting us already, probably in more ways than […]

How soon and how long after the vaccine are you immune?

You don't get a vaccine and become immune the next second. It usually takes a while -- and we're not sure how long it lasts.

Can you spread COVID-19 after getting vaccinated?

Vaccination probably doesn't work the way you imagine it does.

How many have been vaccinated in the US

How's the richest country in the world doing?

How does an air conditioner work?

Simple questions often lead to very rich topics.

Why Jeff Bezos' retirement from Amazon means big things for space

The Amazon founder has huge plans for space exploration. Now he actually has the time and money to make them happen.

How long it takes to break a habit, according to science

Did you honestly expect a straightforward answer?

Pandemic skirmishes: the US is lacking decisive action on viral transmission, physicist warns

A five-week lockdown could squash viral transmission, one researcher argues.

Why is the ocean blue?

It's all due to the physics of the scattering of light.

What function does the appendix serve?

Far from useless, the appendix is important for maintaining gut flora and supporting the immune system.

What's the cheapest COVID-19 vaccine ?

Several vaccines have laid claim to the 'cheapest' title. Things aren't entirely clear, but some vaccines are definitely cheaper than others.

A thorough comparison of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines

Both are mRNA vaccines -- the first of this type -- and are similar in many ways, but there are also some key differences.

16 Dog facts we've only learned in the past few years

Man's best friend has been with us for millennia, but we're still learning new things.

14 Mars facts we've only learned in recent years

There's more to the Red Planet than you think.

What the Roman Empire looked like at its peak in one glorious map

The scale of the Roman Empire during its heyday was unprecedented in the Ancient World.

What is a stroke?

Know the signs and act FAST.

What are Cistercian numbers -- the forgotten ciphers of Medieval monks

A system of numerals that is written down like tic-tac-toe.

Could lab-grown meat prevent the next pandemic?

Many fear that COVID-19 is just a dress rehearsal for what lurks around the corner. Could lab-grown meat be an ally?

The largest planetary ring system we've found would dominate the sky -- if it was in our solar system

When talking about planetary ring systems, Saturn and Jupiter likely spring to mind — they are our closest ringed neighbors, after all. But although impressive, their rings aren’t that large, in the grand scheme of things. Jupiter’s aren’t that large even when judging only by our Solar System. Neptune and Uranus also have rings, but […]

How we got a safe, effective vaccine in under one year -- without cutting corners

It's an unprecedented achievement owed to intense scientific efforts and massive funding.

What made the development of the COVID-19 vaccine unique in history

It’s the fastest-developed vaccine ever -- here’s how we pulled it off.

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