Why is the sky blue?
The internet’s default answer to “why is the sky blue?” is “Rayleigh scattering”. And that’s not wrong, but it’s also not very useful. Simply knowing the name of something is very different from understanding it. But if names don’t constitute understanding… what does? My answer: having a model that allows you to make predictions. If you can reliably predict something, then you probably understand that thing. In this article, we’ll explore why the sky is blue – but we’ll go deep enough that, by the time you finish, you can predict what color the sky will be on other planets.
Is Particle Physics Dead, Dying, or Just Hard? | Quanta Magazine
Columnist Natalie Wolchover checks in with particle physicists more than a decade after the field entered a profound crisis.
How Spiders Survive Winter is Cooler Than You Think
An in-depth look at how spiders survive cold winters, including some of the places they go, how they prevent freezing solid, and some of the wrong answers the internet might give you. Including discussions of what diapause actually is and how supercooling works, this video explores the science behind the survival of some of nature's most impressive predators.
Project MUSE – The Perception of Qualities in Typefaces: A Data Review
The current review aims to provide professionals with scientific support for choosing an appropriate typeface by collecting scattered data in a single place. We describe the findings of 34 studies that asked participants to rate the perception of 229 qualities in 635 typefaces, and we created a unified dataset where data are easily comparable across multiple studies. We believe this work will make the messages created by professionals in the design, marketing and communication industries more effective.
Byte magazine artist Robert Tinney, who illustrated the birth of PCs, dies at 78 – Ars Technica
As the primary cover artist for Byte from 1975 to the late 1980s, Tinney became one of the first illustrators to give the abstract world of personal computing a coherent visual language, translating topics like artificial intelligence, networking, and programming into vivid, surrealist-influenced paintings that a generation of computer enthusiasts grew up with.
Babylon 5 Is Now Free to Watch On YouTube | Cord Cutters News
nI a move that has delighted fans of classic science fiction, Warner Bros. Discovery has begun uploading full episodes of the iconic series Babylon 5 to YouTube, providing free access to the show just as it departs from the ad-supported streaming platform Tubi. The transition comes at a pivotal time for the series, which has maintained a dedicated following since its original run in the 1990s. Viewers noticed notifications on Tubi indicating that all five seasons would no longer be available after February 10, 2026, effectively removing one of the most accessible free streaming options for the space opera. With this shift, Warner Bros. Discovery appears to be steering the property toward its own digital ecosystem, leveraging YouTube’s vast audience to reintroduce the show to both longtime enthusiasts and a new generation.
Free Streaming One Little Pill (documentary film)
"Your alcoholism will kill you before your HIV does,” says a doctor to one of our characters. Worldwide, alcohol abuse kills more people than HIV, nearly 3.3 million per year. Yet what the public believes, and Alcoholics Anonymous purports, “Once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic,” is not as true as you think. Nor is the fundamental principle for treating alcoholism that we all take as truth; abstinence. Science has shown that abstinence not only doesn’t take away the addiction, but also increases the craving. So why has one modality dominated our thought since the 1930’s? Why are profitable rehab facilities reluctant to change? And why are millions of people still being denied the opportunity of a simple life saving method and drug that have been FDA approved since 1994? One Little Pill takes an in depth look at a simple, safe method with success rates of 78%, the suppressing obstacles surrounding it, and those people just now finding it. This character driven film will leave you compelled to help spread the word that "Options Save Lives."
The Mysterious Plastered Skulls of Jericho with Raven Todd Da Silva – The Ancients
In the depths of ancient Jericho, beneath layers of earth dating back 10,000 years, archaeologists uncovered something extraordinary: human skulls cast in plaster, their faces carefully reconstructed and their eyes set with shells. Who were these haunting figures meant to represent? In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by archaeologist Raven Todd DeSilva to explore the mysterious plastered skulls of Jericho. Dating to the Neolithic period, these striking objects reveal complex beliefs about memory, identity and the dead in some of the world’s earliest farming communities. How were they made? What did they mean? And why did this unusual practice spread across the Levant? Join us to dive into one of prehistory’s most compelling archaeological discoveries.
Why Federated Design Systems Keep Failing
I spent nine years at Spotify leading design systems and accessibility. During that time, I learned as much from what failed as from what succeeded. I'm sharing these insights not to critique decisions made at the time, but because I believe they're valuable and can help others navigate similar challenges. This is the first in a series exploring those lessons.
The Mongol Khans of Medieval France | History Today
The kings of medieval France were fascinated by the Mongols, who they saw as great empire builders. Eager to learn more, they amassed a huge archive of knowledge about them