Ria Misra

We Want To Hear Your Six-Word Science Fiction Tales!

What kind of story can you tell in only six words? Will you send us the text from the off-world signage of the future (“EMPLOYEES MUST WASH HANDS BEFORE TERRAFORMING” / tarrkid), go through the ship’s log of a strange vessel (“The ship’s unsalvageable.” – my body’s pilot / csmason04), or something else entirely? Tell…

Is Groot A Plant, An Animal, Or A Fungus?

Groot’s response to the question would probably be a simple “I am Groot!”, but does the evidence suggest that Groot is a plant, an animal, or perhaps a fungus? After reading this post on the real plants that could have evolved into Groot, a discussion began about what kingdom Groot would really best fit into…

Is A Rise In Crocodile Hybrids Endangering The Cuban Crocodile?

The Cuban Crocodile is a critically endangered species. What’s threatening it? A history of hunting, habitat destruction, and, increasingly, the rise of a new group of crocodile hybrids, resulting from interbreeding with another crocodile species. The full story is after the jump.

Just how much do you pay for a single Lego brick? Over at Wired, they’ve broken down the cost of the different types of Lego to figure out what you pay for a single brick — and just how much that changes depending on the box’s theme. (Hint: Whatever you do, steer clear of the…

What Will California’s Drought Do To Our Food Supply?

California is in the middle of a crushing, and steadily worsening, drought. It’s also one of our top agricultural producers. So just what does this drought mean for our food supply? Top image: California riverbed, post-drought / NOAA. These twin infrared satellite images, taken three years apart of the same region in Northern California in…

What’s The Most Egregious Example Of Fictional Scientific Misconduct?

Whether we’re talking about archeologists who smash their way through ruins or doctors who seemingly never perform diagnostic tests, there are some troubling protocols among scientists in fiction. Today we want to know which fictional scientist offers the worst example for good scientific practices. Tell us in the comments now which fictional scientist — from…

Why Is International Shipping So Expensive?

If you’ve ever shipped an item across national borders, you’ve probably experienced a moment or two of sticker shock. But just what’s included in the high price of sending something across country lines? Commenter (and ops manager for an international freight forwarder) Ruthless, if you let me filled us in on just some of the…

You Are Cutting Your Bagels Wrong

How are you cutting your bagels? With a boring straight down the middle cut, or into a delicious linked breakfast chain, using the Mobius strip method? Computer science professor and sculptor George Hart put together this video showing his method for slicing a bagel using a two-twist Mobius strip as the cutting guide. The result?…

This Antarctic Seal Has An Unusual Bite

The Crabeater Seal is one of the most common seals in the world — with one of the most unusual feeding processes. That process, which involves using its teeth like a filter, is explained after the jump! https://observationdeck.kinja.com/pinnipednesday-lobodon-carcinophagus-edition-1614320349

Party On, GIFs. Party On.

Good morning, GIF-fans. Let’s throw on a mixtape and get this party started! What plans and projects have you been working on this week? Maybe you finished up something you’ve been working on. Maybe you picked up a new hobby. Maybe you’re going to the movies. I don’t know; but you do! So tell us…

Why Are Sinkholes Round?

Why are sinkholes almost always round, instead of square-shaped, or triangular, or heart-shaped, or dodecahedron-shaped, or any one of the infinite number of other geometric forms they could take? The answer lies deep underground. USGS research geologist Dan Doctor joined us today to answer all our questions about the inner workings of sinkholes — including…

Our First Ever Look At The Surface Of The Moon

Fifty years ago exactly today, we got our first up close shot of the surface of the Moon as Ranger 7 beamed back this shot to show us what it could see. The pictures were meant to be a precursor to exploration, as NASA searched out potential landing sites for the Apollo missions. But this…

Ask A Geologist Whatever You Want About Sinkholes!

What causes sinkholes and can we predict when they will form? Geologist Daniel Doctor is here to answer all our questions about sinkholes, how they form, and anything else you’ve ever wondered about the geological phenomenon. Top image: Sinkhole in Guatemala City 2007 (AP Photo/Str) / Bottom image: Great Blue Hole in Belize / USGS.…

What Natural Wonders Should We All See In Our Lifetimes?

We live in an amazing world, full of astronomical, geological, and environmental phenomena. What do you recommend we check out in it? Whether it’s a place (perhaps Belize’s Great Blue Hole) or an event (perhaps the Aurora Borealis), whether it’s something you saw locally or something you had to travel far to catch a glimpse…

An Inside Look At How Two Authors Collaborated To Write A Book

Every author collaboration is its own little kingdom, complete with its own set of rules, protocols, and practices. Here’s a look at how Melissa Marr and Kelley Armstrong collaborated to write the Blackwell Pages trilogy. Marr joined us today for a Q&A about her Wicked Lovely series, her new book Made For You, and the…

What Happens To Sunlight As It Filters Through The Ocean?

How far does sunlight travel into the ocean — and just what happens to all those different wavelengths of color as you go deeper into the depths? The American Museum of Natural History put together this chart showing exactly how far light — and the different wavelengths of color that make up the full spectrum…

Author Melissa Marr Is Here To Answer Questions About Wicked Lovely!

Author Melissa Marr is here to take your questions! Ask her about her bestselling series Wicked Lovely, what we might expect to see in its movie adaptation, or her brand new novel, Made For You, which she’s also going to be revealing the brand new cover design for! Top image: Cover art from Made For…

Which Of Today’s Technologies Will Most Mystify Future Generations?

When new technologies come out they can be awe-inspiring, and then a few generations go by and yesterday’s shiny new toy is today’s stunning inconvenience. Today we want to know about the technologies that will most make future generations go: “Really?” It might be something that will puzzle archaeologists thousands of years from now. Or…

Someone Needs To Make All These Fake Movies For Real

Whether tapping into the Hulk’s sensitive side or taking the epic battle of Superman and Batman to the venue that it was always meant to end in (small claims court), the fact that these movies don’t really exist will never stop making us sad. Fortunately, we’ve at least got the posters. Top image: The Incredible…

What is climate change doing to our food supply? The datasets you need to answer that question are now all publicly available at the government’s new Food Resilience data website, which has everything from food desert mapping tools, data from the last ag census, crop prediction models, and more.