We all have a concept of reality. We know what is “fact” and what isn’t. However, the truth of the matter is that the definition of “real” is a mere construct of the brain. If that didn’t blow your ...

The great sci-fi writer Arthur Clarke once wrote, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic,” and he was largely right. For example, can you accurately describe how your ...

Unfortunately, this book can't be printed from the OpenBook. If you need to print pages from this book, we recommend downloading it as a PDF. Visit NAP.edu/10766 to get more information about this ...

Concerns have been rising about American adults’ lackluster understanding of science and declining trust in scientists. A November 2023 survey from the Pew Research Center found that the share of ...

But for every incredible scientific breakthrough, there also comes some pretty frightening ones too. Last time, people shared the scientific facts that completely freaked them out ...

Some science facts sound impossible, but they’re real. These examples show how strange reality can get once you look closer.

Anyone can do a simple experiment. Navigate to a search engine that offers suggested completions for what you type, and start typing “scientists believe.” When I did it, I got suggestions about the ...

Section 1. Policy and Purpose. Over the last 5 years, confidence that scientists act in the best interests of the public has fallen significantly. A majority of researchers in science, technology, ...

Scientific research publishing is a particularly lucrative industry. The most recent estimates suggest that it generates around 19 billion U.S. dollars (or 16.67 billion euros) in annual turnover, ...