Esther Inglis-Arkell

io9

Two ways to look at the Jukes, America’s most “degenerate” family

The Jukes are not a real family. Juke is a made-up surname, assigned to a sprawling, impoverished family by a Victorian scientist. That scientist wanted the family to get a hand up. The next scientist to study the Jukes wanted them eliminated entirely. Max Juke was born in the first half of the 18th century. … Continued

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Did Mattoon have a mad scientist or a mad population?

Towards the end of World War II, the sleepy town of Mattoon came under attack by a madman. Or perhaps it came under attack by many madmen and women, who believed that they were under attack by a madman. Who was the “mad gasser” of Mattoon? By the end of August the town of Mattoon, … Continued

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Why You Can’t Draw Things Even If You Know What They Look Like

Why can’t you just draw the things you’ve seen? Because no matter how carefully you’ve observed things during your life, you haven’t been observing them the right way. Here’s an experiment that shows how looking at the world isn’t enough to allow you to recreate it. The Challenge Most of the people reading this have … Continued

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When it comes to calculating pi, two wrongs might make a right

A great deal of time has been spent working out the facts about pi. At one point, the “facts” were wrong. And a mathematician caught the error by using something that, well, might also be wrong. Calculating the value of pi has proved a headache for many a mathematician. Today, we leave it up to … Continued

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The US wartime experiment that starved men almost to death

Towards the end of World War II, word got through that certain people in occupied territories were eating a near-starvation diet. American researchers wanted to study the effects of starvation, so they recruited volunteers – and starved them some more. The Minnesota Starvation Experiment pretty much lived up to its name. It was an early … Continued

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The wheel paradox that stumped Aristotle and Galileo

Here’s a simple problem, illustrated simply, that will have you cocking your head and wondering how it’s done. You won’t be the first. Aristotle (reputedly) first took a whack at this, and Galileo gave it a try as well. See what you can make of it. Not everyone agrees that Aristotle invented this little paradox, … Continued

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Were you part of the evil Seattle Halloween experiments?

Did you live in Seattle, Washington, in 1976? If you were there on Halloween of that year, and a lady invited you into her house, you may have been the subject of an experiment. Over 300 children were experimented on, and they may never know! When these children came up to one of 18 houses, … Continued

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The horrifying letter in which a scientist “confessed” to murder

Cornelius P. Rhoads was a well-regarded cancer researcher, that some people to this day suspect of murder. The suspicion sprang from a letter that Rhoads himself wrote one night when he was drunk. Dr. Cornelius Rhoads had a long and successful career. An oncologist, he investigated treatments for anemia before going on to head a … Continued

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Why did they put canaries in coal mines?

In the old days, a canary went down to work with coal miners. The practice was so ubiquitous that it’s become a cliche. But why, specifically, is a canary such a good indicator of imminent suffocation? The canary in the coal mine is always the first to go, whether in reality or in metaphor. It’s … Continued

io9Television

This episode of Arrow made me want a Laurel Lance series

Laurel Lance has been a shaky character since the beginning of Arrow. Bearing the twin burdens of love interest and goody-two-shoes, she’s flitted ineffectively around the edge of the series. This episode, “Blind Spot,” made me want a whole Laurel Lance series – provided I could plot it. The episode of the series featured some … Continued

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Why music slows down when you yawn

Some people have noticed that when they’re listening to music through headphones and they yawn, the music slows way down. This might be due to a little thing called chronostasis. A few days ago we looked at the Stopped Clock Illusion, when the the second hand of the clock freezes for a bit the moment … Continued

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This pole-climbing rheopectic fluid might one day keep you alive

There are some kinds of sludge, like quicksand, that you sink into. There are some kinds of sludge, like custard, you can walk on. And there are some kinds of sludge that just get stronger the more you stand on them. Are you about to step onto some suspicious sludge? I don’t judge you for … Continued

io9Books & Comics

The books that perfectly capture their authors’ philosophies

Every book reflects the beliefs of its author, at least indirectly. But some books are the very apotheosis of their authors’ philosophies, often containing long sections devoted to ethical or moral analysis. Here’s what it looks like when your favorite authors get philosophical. Monomania is a trait shared by science fiction authors and science fiction … Continued

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The heartbreaking feud between Edward Teller and J Robert Oppenheimer

There have been plenty of feuds in science. Usually they’re petty. Nearly always, they’re depressing. This one is more depressing than most. It resulted in two different scientists being expelled – in different ways – from the scientific community. During World War II, Edward Teller and J Robert Oppenheimer worked together on the development of … Continued

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There is such thing as an anti-greenhouse effect

As we all face the long, miserable slide into a post-apocalyptic world due to the greenhouse effect, isn’t it comforting to know that there is such a thing as the anti-greenhouse effect? Of course, it only exists on other planets, but there is a way we can bring it to Earth. So, we’re coming out … Continued

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Scientists prove a point by injecting liquid into babies’ diapers

It’s not always glamorous, being a scientist. Sure, occasionally you get to smash subatomic particles together or sequence a genome, but other times, you are stuck in a room, alone, waiting for a baby to fall asleep so you can fill its little diaper with simulated pee. To be fair, in doing that you might … Continued

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Why what you do makes sense and what other people do is dumb

Why, oh why, do people do all those stupid things? The answer, according to psychologists, depends on whether you are the person doing the things — or the person watching and reeling at their idiocy. For instance, remember how you woke up this morning. What did you do, and why did you do it? Maybe … Continued

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Why the clock seems to stand still the second you look at it

When you glance at an analog clock, have you ever noticed that the second hand seems to pause right as you started looking? Either your face is ugly enough to stop a clock, as the old saying goes, or it’s the work of the Stopped Clock Illusion. When you glance at a clock, in a … Continued

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How to start a fire with a drop of water

Don’t worry, it’s not that tedious one that forces you to sculpt ice into a lens and then ignite some dry twigs. This one takes a handwarmer pack, and some table salt, and some zinc, and makes the entire thing go up in a ball of flame. It’s time for another explosion! This one might … Continued

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An experiment that tested a man’s tolerance for isolation to the limit

In 1962 a 23-year-old geologist lived alone in a cave for two months. He had no problem with it. In 1972, he tried it again, and nearly lost his mind. Naturally, there are people who choose to isolate themselves, but what would happen to someone whose primary goal in life wasn’t enforced solitude? Michel Siffre, … Continued