Surprising Science — February 23, 2014

The Beehive Cluster

M44 is a cluster of young stars some 600 light-years away from Earth. Also known as the Praesepe or Beehive Cluster, its stars are around 600 million years old compared to our Sun’s 4.5 billion years and the closest cluster to our galaxy, according to NASA. Some of its yellowish-colored stars and red giants make it a popular treasure for binocular-equipped star gazers.

Image source: NASA

a computer generated image of a human brain.

Thinking

The great free will debate featuring Michio Kaku and Steven Pinker

Who — or what — really controls your mind?

Building destroyed by the Halifax Explosion. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C.

The Past

The largest accidental explosion of all time

More than a century ago, Halifax suffered an accidental blast one-fifth the size of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

a collage of photos of a man with a hat and a book.

High Culture

6 great books with wildly unreliable narrators

Dive into the twisted truths and concealed realities told by literature’s most unreliable narrators.

a group of five matches on a pink background.

The Well

Signs you’re burned out — and how to bounce back

If you don’t feel better after the weekend, the “burnout paradox” could explain why.

▸

7 min

—

with

Laurie Santos

Starts With A Bang

The trick to instantly identifying JWST images

If you can identify a foreground star, the spike patterns are a dead giveaway as to whether it’s a JWST image or any other observatory.

Up Next

Technology & Innovation

Private Data Can Be Collected As You Drive

The high-tech in your car may be spying on you as you drive. The navigation and infotainment systems in dashboards and in black boxes located under hoods can collect our […]