Aristotle thought the stars were all exactly the same distance away, stuck to a dark shell that surrounded the Earth like the dome of a planetarium. Now we know that the farthest galaxy is over a billion times more distant than the nearest star. How...
Everybody loves the swimming pool. But how clean is the water in the average backyard or public pool? If you trust chlorine to take care of germs, you're in for a surprise. Chlorine and other disinfectants do indeed help to clean the water, but some...
Dear Annie: I live alone with my five cats. Four years ago, my youngest son brought his girlfriend, Emily, for a visit. Emily told me she was allergic to cats and needed a cat-free bedroom, so I gave her mine. My son occupied the other bedroom, which...
Yael: Y'know Don, you're nothing but a bunch of quarks. Don: Huh? Y: It's just that when you get right down to it we're all made of subatomic particles like quarks and photons. D: I thought you were commenting on my quirky habit of annoying, tuneless...
For those who enjoy Jim Carrey's brand of humor, Yes Man may seem funny and entertaining. The plot is a bit thin, but we'll give you the general premise. What if a sarcastic misanthrope, who has only ever said no to anything, suddenly starts saying y...
Quality of Interpersonal Interactions人际交往的质量 We are defined by how we treat other people. Each interaction with another individual reflects a personal belief system and code of morality. How do you treat strangers? How do you treat the...
A group of middle school students recently complained to authorities that one of their teachers is confused about the difference between humiliating young people and teaching them. The dress code at the school requires students to wear white socks. I...
Don: Hey Ya?l, what do locusts, neurons, robots and the movie Star Wars have in common? Ya?l: You got me, Don. D: The answer is: Doctor Claire Rind, a biologist and robotics expert at the University of Newcastle, England. Dr. Rind wanted to design a...
Amanda: Have you dissected a frog yet in your lab class? Mike: No, I'm not taking biology. I'm taking chemistry now, so we're learning how to blow things up. . .at least that seems to be what I'm doing, even if it's not exactly what's supposed to hap...
You've heard about them, and maybe seen them in movies as they smash apart ocean liners, or wash whole cities into the sea. What causes tidal waves, and how are they different from the ordinary waves that wash against our coastlines? Tidal waves actu...
