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 laura kiniry


Is it better to be a morning person or a night owl? What the science says.

Popular Science

Is it better to be a morning person or a night owl? Your ideal sleep schedule depends less on discipline and more on biology. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. Years ago I read an article asking, "Are you a night owl or a morning lark?" The piece explored the notion that some of us do our best thinking beyond midnight, while others prefer to rise and shine early and take in the day.


Why some people get motion sickness--and others don't

Popular Science

Why some people get motion sickness--and others don't When your eyes, ears, and brain don't agree, it can mean bad news for your stomach. "Everyone is capable of motion sickness," says Dr. Kristen K. Steenerson, a clinical associate professor at Stanford University School of Medicine. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. A couple of years ago, I found myself traveling along the Drake Passage to Antarctica when our ship encountered a patch of 15-foot-tall swells. Waves were slamming against the exterior of our vessel, causing nauseated passengers to run to their rooms and stay there.


From chirps to 'hellos': Why some birds talk like people

Popular Science

From chirps to'hellos': Why some birds talk like people Brains, bonds, and a strange voice box help some birds mimic our speech. Budgies (which is short for budgerigar) are actually a specific kind of parakeet. These birds are excellent communicators. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. In 1995, a California parakeet earned the Guinness World Record for having the largest human vocabulary among birds.


7 wild ways pregnancy changes your body forever

Popular Science

Hormones, shifting organs, and a growing baby can leave permanent marks. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. We've all seen the photos: a celebrity gives birth on Tuesday and looks flawless in a bikini by Thursday. Meanwhile, the rest of us are still trying to figure out what happened to our feet. The truth is pregnancy causes some surprising long-term changes to your body, regardless of whether you're a celebrity or a soccer mom.


Why do your joints hurt when it's cold? We asked a doctor.

Popular Science

Why do your joints hurt when it's cold? And what you can do to ease the aches. Winter can amplify aches and pains through pressure shifts, reduced movement, and muscle tightening. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. Each winter, over a million "snowbirds" descend on places like Florida and Arizona to avoid the season's freezing temperatures and instead, ride it out in warmth.


Chess or video games--which actually makes you smarter? The answer may surprise you.

Popular Science

Chess or video games--which actually makes you smarter? The answer may surprise you. People play chess all over the world, but can the game actually make you smarter? We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Every Christmas, my family follows the same script: a stack of board games hits the table, and a spirited debate breaks out over what we should play.


Can animals read? Not in the human way.

Popular Science

A 2024 study found that cats learn to associate images with words faster than human babies. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. "My cat always watches my phone as I text or read a book," someone wrote on Reddit . "Even right now she is on my shoulder, intently watching what I am typing on this post. Can she read or is she just interested in what I am doing?"


Why do elephants have such big ears? There's not one answer.

Popular Science

Why do elephants have such big ears? The multi-use appendages are kind of like their superpower. The African elephant has some of the world's biggest ears, measuring more than six feet long and more than four feet wide. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. While real life elephants can't fly, they certainly have enormous ears.


Why do we have five fingers and toes?

Popular Science

Why do we have five fingers and toes? It all goes back to our fishy ancestors. The answer to why we have five fingers and toes is surprisingly difficult to suss out. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. The popular nursery rhyme is an early childhood memory for many of us.


What is shivering? Why our bodies shake when it's cold.

Popular Science

Why our bodies shake when it's cold. Involuntary muscle contractions keep us warm and even fight infections. "Shivering is a way for our bodies to generate heat when we are cold," says Dr. Natasha Bhuyan, a family physician based in Phoenix, Arizona. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. You're walking down a Chicago street on a blustery winter day, when a particularly strong wind almost whips you off of your feet.