Science
Archive
Reed Timmer gets right into the thick of huge storms for a living. So we asked him to watch Into the Storm, a new tornado thriller, and report back on how it compares to the real thing.
To create the next wave of super-athletes, Red Bull has turned to a novel new treatment: trickling a small electric current through the brain's motor cortex. Just don't call it electroshock therapy.
Sports nutrition companies like Herbalife have been hawking health-in-a-pill for years with no evidence that their products work. And despite edging into possibly illegal territory, they're going to continue to get away with it.
A visual breakdown of what makes for blissful travel—backed by science.
As climate change threatens snowpack, ski areas are adopting a new survival strategy: Beefing up the summer fun.
Two brothers and a sister—whose parents are endurance athletes—attempted to swim the English Channel together this month. Does the family factor add any advantage?
Los Alamos, New Mexico, wins Liveability's "Best Small Town" contest
1,800 CrossFit gyms already offer programs for kids. Should they?
There's more to life than chasing definition in certain muscle groups. Maintaining a healthy weight, for instance.
The "eight-percent rule" ignores the power exercise has to counter time spent on your butt.
Charge up in the backcountry using only water and heat.
A down-and-out polar bear in Argentina could use a change of scenery. Is it too late?
Over the last five years, a lot has changed in the fitness world. But these four trends will continue to define the way you train.
New research suggests your pet really loves you, just not necessarily in the way you think.
Wind power may have faded as an energy alternative, but a Google-backed startup is poised to revive the industry.
Three plane fuselages in a Montana river might seem like a problem, but there’s more to the accident than meets the eye.
That's right. Some Specialized engineers have proven that shaved legs are faster than furry ones. So next time your girlfriend hassles you about your shiny calves, tell her science is on your side.
From wombats to killer whales, animals suffer from OCD, PTSD, anxiety, phobias, and mood disorders. What that says about us, and how we can learn to be "therapy humans" for our pets.
Our genetic profile only tells one piece of the story, but that hasn't prevented scientists from making some bold assumptions about human performance.
Pet-friendly American suburbs make ideal habitats for skunks, and populations of the bushy-tailed moochers have exploded in recent years. Time to investigate an outbreak that's bringing the wrong kind of funk to summer nights.
Summer nights are worth staying up for at these 7 dark-sky parks
Bet you didn’t think this would come up in your fitness regimen, but your esophagus needs love during training, too. Intense exercise can contribute to heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD), and there’s a good chance that ramping up your routine may be causing your symptoms, says…
It's not easy to swim with sperm whales: they're hard to find, hard to reach without adequate diving experience, and they just might swallow you up if you get too close. But how else are we going to crack their complicated language system? A group of rogue freedivers takes the plunge.
Studies and experts suggest that nasal strips like Breathe Right don’t improve athletic performance in adults in any measure—no improved VO2 max, ventilation, maximal work rate, lactate threshold, or lowered ratings of perceived exertion. And it appears the same goes for horses. “Equine nasal…
The Navy showed us it's possible, but is our most abundant natural resource a practical energy solution?
Virtual reality is just for gamers. But augmented reality—a new wearable technology—could revolutionize how we train for sports, making athletes faster, better, and more precise.
A diverse diet doesn't necessarily mean a healthy diversity in intestinal bacteria. In fact, it may mean just the opposite.
This may not be the answer you’re looking for, but it’s the truth: The most effective way to get back into shape (and stay that way) isn’t by just doing one magic move over and over. The good news? You may not have to work out more than or…
It's been more than 50 years since the Colorado River regularly reached the sea. But this spring, the U.S. and Mexico let the water storm through its natural delta for a grand experiment in ecological restoration. As the dam gates opened, a small band of river rats caught a once-in-a-lifetime ride.
In a desperate measure to burn surfeit calories, men and women have rushed to stuff their jiggly bits into resistance pants. But can clothing really make a workout any better?
Depending on the school of thought you’re following, meditation can be practiced in a number of ways—sitting cross-legged in a dark room, while on a long run, or even on a crowded bus with the help of a smartphone app and a pair of headphones. In general, though,…
Some good foods contains natural SPF—and you should be eating more of them
Think breakfast helps kick-start metabolism and boosts weight loss? These are widely believed myths not supported by evidence, scientists say. But breakfast does deserve high marks for increasing physical activity.
That’s right. The future of adventure filmmaking lies in 360-degree video footage, at least according to a handful of ambitious inventors.
A pair of chemists think they have an edge in the prestigious competition. Are they all wet?
Vitamin B12 shots have been around for years, and they’re often marketed as a miracle cure for everything from fatigue to depression to those stubborn extra pounds you can’t shake. And while it’s true that a B12 deficiency can contribute to those things, there is…
Newly prescribed pollution limits are sure to push coal further out of the U.S. energy mix—but overseas demand might help keep coal cranking stateside.
New Healthkit app displays live fitness data, connects doctors and patients in real-time
What you can do beforehand, at sea level and once you hit the mountains
You’ve been told that gluten-free diets are a fraud, that the science is settled, and that it’s all just the placebo effect. If so, how can the anecdotes be explained? Enter FODMAPs, the underappreciated forms of sugar that may just underpin your wheat, rye, and barley intolerance—and unlock your fitness potential.
Europe banned chemical-covered produce; should we follow suit?
There are roughly 200 natural history museums across the U.S., not including the big daddies in New York and D.C. Some are barely bigger than a schoolroom, while others are sprawling, multimillion-dollar palaces that house some of the country’s most precious natural artifacts. The five below are among the finest—for…
The avalanche of data generated by fitness tech has science zeroing in on some surprising performance recommendations.
The hit documentary Fed Up is the latest in a litany of articles and documentaries to portray sugar as dietary villain number one. But what if sugar isn't the enemy—and by focusing on its effects, we've ignored the biggest causes of our health crisis and even subverted athletic performance?
How much, what kind, and when? Time to question (only some of) what you know about fueling up.
For years, an underground movement has claimed that the very food we eat—by virtue of the pesticides and herbicides we so commonly use—is poisoning us. Until now, they’ve been (at best) ignored and (more often than not) mocked. Suddenly though, it looks like the joke has been on us all along.
Study finds correlation between lack of exercise and deficient long-term memory.
Nine million data points determine we’re all irrational
You fall, hit your head, and suffer a concussion. How long will it take to recover? It depends.
Outside and Greenfield chew the fat about locally sourced food—and learning to grow and hunt your own.
Scurvy set into Wilson Price Hunt's party until the Shoshone mega-dosed his explorers on their super-high-C "bush" remedy.
Drugs that affect hormones have the potential to cause all kinds of screwy side effects in the body—but fortunately, there’s not much evidence that medications like birth control or antidepressants will slow you down on the track or impede your progress in the gym. In fact, some research shows…
Reduced-oxygen training room Air Fit opens in Bay Area
That fancy exfoliating wash cream you just dropped a bundle on? It may be full of "microbeads" and mucking up some major waterways.
Lyme disease is up 21 percent in dogs, but that doesn’t mean your ultimate adventure companion has to stay in the kennel—so long as you take these precautions before hiking this summer.
Why your thoughts go from brilliant to batty on your run
At last, researchers may have a tool to diagnose the little-understood and controversial post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome.
Good news! Your post-race pavement pizzas don’t have anything to do with your lactate threshold. “You’re going to be running your lactate up when you’re doing things more intense, but the two are not directly related,” says Dr. Stephen Simons, Director of Sports Medicine at…
Some people make the grade in Boston—literally; others don’t. And the difference might all come down to the downhill.
America’s Most Endangered Rivers, the 2014 list from American Rivers.
Bites from lone star ticks have been blamed for causing red-meat allergies.
A new study indicates that climate change will bring the disease, and the bugs that carry it, previously uninfected areas.
How the high price of down is changing the insulation market
A handful of entrepreneurs and nutritionists think it's time to start enhancing meat with the kind of healthy fat found in fish. And the new omega-3 beef is headed for a store near you.
You're slim, but that doesn't mean you're fit. What matters most: staying active.
As athletes, we are always trying to break walls, but sometime we end up breaking ourselves.
A growing body of research supports what was once a startling conclusion: vitamins don't help. In fact, they hamper performance.
A recent study suggests that Lyme disease might be sexually transmitted. Just how seriously should you take the findings?
Poo-phoria occurs when your bowel movement stimulates the vagus nerve, which descends from the brainstem to the colon.
A handful of primate researchers believe Sasquatch is real, and they take their search for the creature very—very—seriously.
In a perfect world, we'd get plenty of both. But this is reality—and we have to choose. But can science really balance sleep against training?
A popular performing orca may get listed under the Endangered Species Act. Her freedom rests on the decision.
Teenager sets new world record for the fastest unsupported trek from Antarctic coast to South Pole
Let's just say the dry spell means much more than an epically awful ski season.
A warming habitat—and a changing Antarctic landscape—have forced the iconic wobblers to take to high ground, ascending precipitous frozen cliffs in the process. But how is the question.