Concrete Does Not Dry Out

MinutePhysics explains why building things to last is more complicated than you might think.

What Are The Four New Elements On The Periodic Table?

DNews briefly explains the latest additions that complete the seventh row of the periodic table. Right now, IUPAC has given them temporary names: Ununtrium, Ununpentium, Ununseptium, and Ununoctium. Yeah, gotta love that impromptu Latin root lesson…Anyway, these new elements will get proper names later on, and hopefully the public will get to learn more about what they can do as well. What a way for the field of Chemistry to kick off 2016!

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Flavor Science: What’s Really in a Pumpkin Spice Latte

SciShow explains why your favorite foods are way more complicated than you might think.

A Brief History of Timekeeping

SciShow explains the complicated and fascinating science behind telling time.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Rusty Nail

This week’s challenge is all about forces of nature, so I thought I’d focus on something common, but overlooked: Oxidation. Rust forms when iron comes into contact with things like water and oxygen, and even more so with salt water. This chemical reaction happens everywhere, perhaps most famously with the Statue of Liberty; it was made of copper, but years of ocean weather gave its surface a blue/green patina. If you want something a little more local, try finding an old nail…like this one on my back porch. Large version available here.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Plankton Rainbow

This week’s challenge is all about forces of nature, so I thought I’d post something about light and its effects of animals. Here’s another Exploratorium exhibit. Basically, zooplankton can distinguish different colors of light. In the ocean, it helps them swim toward the surface, where their food is located. Blue and green lights shine deeper in the water than the other colors, hence why the plankton are attracted to these ones; they think the sun is shining through the water, and that they’re entering the photic zone for a meal. Large version available here.

Why Do I Have to Use a Number 2 Pencil?

SciShow explains something that befuddles many a test-taker.

The Recipe For Life…

It’s Okay To Be Smart breaks down the human body, a la Fullmetal Alchemist.

The Coldest Place In The Universe

SciShow Space explains the basics behind the Cold Atom Laboratory, and why the ISS will be literally the coolest man-made thing in the universe.

Manganese

Periodic Videos examines one of the most often overlooked elements.