They’re squishy, colorful, and look like something out of a sci-fi movie. However, Portuguese Man-of-Wars (or Man o’ Wars) are nothing to mess with, even when they wash up along the shore of your local beach. As of late, these creatures have been showing up on the beaches of New York and New Jersey, shocking …
Author: Prentice, the Science Platypus
Prentice is the mascot of Insanitek.
Why a platypus? Well, why not? It's unusual, somewhat crazy, and evolution pretty much smashed a bunch of concepts together and said, "Try that."
Head’s Up, We’re Already Entering the Sixth Mass Extinction
If you’ve been anxious about the next mass extinction, bad news: it’s already commenced. Scientists have found that species loss is currently 100 times greater than the expected rate. In short, we’ve already entered the sixth mass extinction, and soon we may face the same fate as the dinosaurs. “The evidence is incontrovertible that recent …
NASA: We’re Quickly Running Out of Fresh Groundwater
Editor’s note: This post has been updated and broken links removed. Please see our policy on broken hyperlinks for more. You may have heard that at the rate we’re going, we’re quickly headed toward a lack of fresh water. As the creatures responsible for this planet, we haven’t exactly done the best job of sustaining …
How Many Asteroids Narrowly Avoid Hitting Earth on a Regular Basis?
It’s not a very comforting thought, but the fact of the matter is that we aren’t alone in the universe. No, I don’t mean aliens — think asteroids! These gigantic rocks fly by our planet on a regular basis, but exactly how close are they getting to wiping out all of humanity? A new diagram has been released …
A Brief History: Really, Why Do We Call Them ‘Flying Saucers?’
Have you ever wondered why people call UFOs “flying saucers?” It sounds silly, when you think about it, but there’s an actual story behind this commonly used term. Unfortunately, “flying saucer” is the result of a misquote. Now, it seems as if it will be marked in our vocabulary for the rest of time. Kenneth …
Peanuts, Cashews, Pistachios: Eat Up! You May Live a Longer Life
If you’ve been slathering peanut butter on your sandwiches to get the protein from nuts, nothing beats the real thing. A new study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology found that eating approximately 10 grams of peanuts every day can lower your chance of death over 10 years by 23 percent. Tree nuts seemingly …
Sidewalk Crumbling? Google’s Got a Fix For That
Nothing is more frustrating (or embarrassing) than tripping on a cracked sidewalk. Now, Google wants to make sure you don’t have to worry about it in the future. Say hello to Sidewalk Labs. In an effort to improve urban life, Google has created Sidewalk Labs to improve cities through more affordable housing, better public transportation, …
After 20 Years in Captivity, Are Komodo Dragons Now Dangerous to Humans?
When you think of dragons, you likely think of “Game of Thrones” here in 2015, but did you know that they really exist? The Komodo dragon, more specifically, still roams the planet (and our zoos). Recently, one of these creatures made headlines for its bad behavior. At the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium in Nebraska, …
Boston’s Blizzards May Be to Blame for Its Rough Allergy Season
Boston set a new record for snowfall last winter, and pretty much everyone in the area wants to just leave it in the past. However, it’s hard to do so when you’re sneezing endlessly. Medical experts now say that this past winter could be to blame for horrendous seasonal allergies. Although the amount of pollen isn’t more …
Antidepressants May Not Be As Risky During Pregnancy As Originally Thought
Previous research suggested that women should have a bit of concern while attempting to conceive if they are on antidepressants. Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, or SSRIs, were thought to increase the risk of persistent pulmonary hypertension in newborns. Now, a study published in JAMA shows that perhaps women don’t need to be as hesitant about SSRIs as they …