How 'vibes' factor into scientists' decisions about using certain units

Explore the fundamental constants of the metric system

In 2019, the International System of Units was revised, such that all seven fundamental units are defined in terms of combinations of seven fundamental constants of the universe. These include the speed of light in a vacuum, Planck's constant, Avogadro's number, and the elementary charge of protons and electrons.

View the 55 ECVs used to describe Earth's atmospheric conditions

Essential climate variables include physical, chemical, and biological variables that meaningfully contribute to Earth's climate and how it changes with time. Many of these variables influence one another through feedback mechanisms across Earth's atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, biosphere, and geosphere.

What is a calorie?

Today it may go without thinking that we measure food by calories...but where did this come from and what does it mean? A kilo-calorie (or, as we call it, simply "calorie") is the amount of heat energy needed to raise the temperature of one...

A temperature of absolute zero is impossible to reach

Zero on the Kelvin scale—equivalent to -273.15 degrees Celsius—describes a system where all atomic motion completely stops, which is forbidden according to thermodynamics. As of 2025, the closest scientists have gotten to absolute zero is 0.00000000004 K.

Spectroscopy lets scientists analyze an object's light to determine its properties

By separating the light spectrum into its component wavelengths and comparing them to what is expected based on Earth-based experiments, we can determine an object's temperature, elemental and molecular composition, and motion through space.

The mass of a cell can be measured using hollow, vibrating beams

In 2010, scientists at MIT constructed a U-shaped device that vibrates like a guitar string with an internal fluid channel. As cells and bacteria pass through the device, its rate of vibration shifts, with greater mass creating larger shifts.

The speed of electricity may refer to the movement of electrons or energy

In the 18th century, various experiments, including one in which monks holding an iron wire were shocked, suggested that electricity traveled at infinite speed. Advancements in technology, recognizing that electric currents were moving electrons, and the development of the theory of electromagnetism showed that electric signals can travel at near light speed, despite electrons moving much slower.

Astronomers use a set of scaffolding methods to measure distances across the universe

Different methods are used depending on how far away an object is—from radar for nearby planets, to parallax for stars, to redshift and supernovae for distant galaxies. These tools allow scientists to chart the universe across unimaginable scales using astronomical units (AU), light-years, and parsecs.

Photons are both particles of light and messengers of the electromagnetic force

Einstein's model of light as a wave and a massless particle of energy revolutionized physics, and scientists' application of the model led to groundbreaking technologies, including medical imaging and treatments, telecommunication signals, and probes of the quantum and cosmological realms.

The Kardashev scale measures a civilization's advancement based on energy use

Developed by Russian astrophysicist Nikolai Kardashev in 1964, the scale classifies a civilization based on the amount of energy its existing technologies can harness, ranging from a society that consumes as much energy as a single planet to one that consumes as much energy as an entire galaxy.

Why the Scoville scale for measuring a pepper's heat is outdated and inadequate for sauces

Developed in 1912 by American pharmacist Wilbur Scoville, the scale is a subjective test in which testers determine the dilution at which capsaicinoids—the molecules that give peppers their heat—are no longer detectable. Modern chemical analyses can accurately quantify the amount of these molecules in peppers, which are diluted to varying degrees in sauces, thus affecting their net spiciness.

How facts, hypotheses, theories, and laws in science differ from everyday language

Facts are observations of the world, and they can be pooled together for a given phenomenon to develop a hypothesis—a proposed explanation consistent with observations that requires further investigation. Experiments and additional data can rule out many hypotheses or graduate a proposed explanation into a widely accepted and validated theory.

Authentic storytelling and audience awareness drive effective science communication

Bill Nye suggests that making people care about science requires limits on technical jargon, ensuring content is relatable to viewers, and injecting some comedy to help make the ideas stick. Having clear learning objectives can help educators stay on track and efficiently write content.

How geometry and uneven charge distribution make some molecules greenhouse gases

Molecules vibrate and rotate with different frequencies based on their elemental composition and shape, which can produce uneven distributions of electrons, as seen in carbon dioxide and water. The resulting unbalanced electric field can interact with electromagnetic waves of the same frequency, causing the molecule to absorb the radiation.

Physicists detect the sound of heat in superfluids, theorized since 1938

Referred to as "second sound," the flow of heat in a superfluid resembles a sound wave bouncing back and forth. The heat-mapping techniques used to make the detection may improve the study of neutron stars and superconductors.

Radioactive elements can generate electricity, sterilize products, and date artifacts

Since their discovery in the 1890s, these substances have been incorporated throughout our daily lives, from treating food packaging and improving microbial safety to their presence in smoke detectors and gauges for ice cream aeration.

Feels-like temperature indicates how our skin will feel

When the wind is moving faster, we tend to feel colder due to the so-called "wind chill," which cools our bodies by moving heat away from them and making water evaporate faster. On the other hand, high levels of humidity can make us feel 10 degrees warmer at times.

What the stars once meant to ordinary people

The stars were a crucial aid for ordinary human beings in premodern societies, acting as regular timekeeping phenomena and celestial navigators. Today, light pollution and modern technology have rendered the stars a mere aesthetic delight for most of us, but their significance in history remains. Watch this brief video to learn how premodern humans used the stars for navigation, mathematics, and more.

Mechanical watches measure the passage of time via the vibration of a quartz crystal

When electricity from a battery passes through the crystal inside a watch, the crystal vibrates, creating an electrical signal with a precise frequency of one vibration per second. This signal moves the hand of the watch so that it ticks once per second, allowing it to track the passage of time.

Cooling each square foot of a room requires at least 20 BTUs of capacity

British thermal units describe the cooling capacity of air conditioners, though noise levels, directional airflow, and filtration also affect their effectiveness. Insufficient BTUs are unlikely to cool a large enough room faster than the environment warms the air.

Qubits let quantum computers process massive datasets all at once

The quantum phenomena of superposition and entanglement enable qubits to act in 0 and 1 binary states simultaneously and influence each other instantly. These features give quantum computers incredible power, though keeping them stable is a major challenge.

The boiling temperature of water decreases with increasing elevation because the molecules need less energy to overcome the lower atmospheric pressure associated with thinner air.

Time dilation explains that movement through space affects the passage of time

According to special relativity, everything in the universe moves through space-time at the speed of light. Just as turning from north to northwest on a road reduces one's northward motion, moving through space leaves less of this speed to move through time, causing an object to age more slowly.

How people imagine a calendar year

It turns out everybody imagines the abstract calendar year in a simple, concrete way, though there are surprising differences between the exact model and shape of each image. Dive into one writer's collection of tens of thousands of questionnaire responses showing the fascinating consistency and divergence of how people visualize time.

The Reynolds number is the ratio of viscous and inertial forces in fluids

It can approximate fluid behavior in simple systems by non-dimensionalizing—removing the units within—the Navier-Stokes equations. A value close to zero indicates that the fluid will exhibit laminar flow, while a large number suggests that turbulence will occur.

The science behind why some noises have color names

Different noise colors (white, brown, pink, blue) have been proven to affect mood and focus. An audiologist explains that these sounds are named after specific light wave frequencies. While individual preferences vary, certain noises consistently impact sleep, stress reduction, cognitive performance, and problem-solving. The article highlights how these sounds can enhance productivity, relaxation, and even gaming experiences.

Stars appear to twinkle because turbulence in the motion of molecules in Earth's atmosphere causes light to bend and wiggle rapidly on its way to the surface—a phenomenon called scintillation.

Scientists can determine Earth's past climate conditions by analyzing air trapped in microscopic bubbles within ice cores—columns of compressed snow layers that build up over hundreds of thousands of years.

Explore our favorite visualization of the immense scale of space, from an astronaut to the size of the observable universe

The history of many kitchen appliances involves unexpected discoveries and applications, including wartime radar turned hamster defroster and replacing an 'ice king' with heat-stealing boxes.

Chaos theory—informally known as the butterfly effect—is the reason why weather forecasts are presented with probabilities rather than certainties.

Pure water does not conduct electricity because this flow of energy requires the movement of charged particles, and water is a neutral molecule.

The deadliest aspect of volcanic eruptions is often not lava, but pyroclastic flows—avalanches of ash, gas, and rock that can move more than half the speed of sound.

The word 'jazz' evolved from 'jasm,' 19th-century American slang for 'energy'

How fusion—which releases energy when two lighter atoms combine to form a heavier atom—differs from fission

As of 2025, the most cited papers in science include a review of graphene, methods to improve image recognition, streamlining electron density calculations, and optimizing protein studies.

Radioactive elements can introduce software errors because the ionizing radiation they produce can detach electrons from atoms, and computer code relies on the distribution of electrons.

Studies suggest when you sleep is as important as how much you get, and syncing with your circadian rhythms may lead to less fatigue and improved long-term health outcomes

Browse a detailed visual analysis of over 200,000 similes—comparisons that often use 'like' or 'as'—from popular fiction to see how frequently writers the same idiomatic expressions.

An investigation suggests a Scottish island became awash in forever chemicals via seafoam and seaspray—raising questions about what that means for the safety of other coastal areas.

Clever Hans was a 1900s horse that was believed to be able to solve math equations, tell time, and read and comprehend German, until a psychology student discovered how he got his answers.

A century of Billboard issues documenting the evolution of popular music.

English mathematician Ada Lovelace wrote the first computer algorithm a century before computers existed and hypothesized that computing devices would one day be able to compose music—foreseeing the generative AI systems of today.

Explore what it's like inside a patient isolation unit, used in situations such as treating a patient or suspected patient with Ebola.

Some Pokémon have been named after real and fictional organisms, while some real-world species have been named after Pokémon, such as Chilicola charizard and Binburrum zapdos.

SpongeBob exemplifies Aristotle's philosophy for living well because he understands that happiness doesn't come from external factors like money, recognition, or power.

The US dollar is the most widely circulated currency in the world, and is involved in nearly 90% of global transactions

Budweiser stores yeast derived from the original 1800s strain in a secret bunker, which only the Head of Yeast Management can access—not even the CEO

Use this calculator to find the dollar value of your mental load, from meal planning to coordinating after-school care for your children.

Venture capital is a form of funding provided to early-stage companies with high growth potential, typically in exchange for an equity (or ownership) stake