ScienCentral » Weird Science

Smarter City Birds

ScienCentral — Thu, 24 May 2012 04:26:42 +0000

Birds with street smarts Are you a city person or do you prefer country living? Though it may not take more intelligence to live in a city, at least for birds, it does take adaptability.

Naps and Creativity

ScienCentral — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Telling your boss you need a nap might not be the smartest thing to do at work, but scientific evidence is now on your side. As this ScienCentral News video explains, sleep researchers just released a new study that says naps over an hour long may boost creative problem solving.

Make Mushrooms Taste Like Bacon

ScienCentral — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 18:05:02 +0000

Sunita Reed has learned a recipe that has her and others at ScienCentral fairly astonished: how to make mushrooms taste like bacon. In this ScienCentral Video, Sunita Reed and Chef Elliot Prag mix up some umami flavor.

Food Flavor Mystery Solved

ScienCentral — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 17:25:32 +0000

We’re all familiar with sweet, salty, bitter and sour tastes. But how many of us have heard of umami (pronounced oo-MAH-mee)? The so-called “fifth taste” is found in soups, meats, seafood and cheese.

Red Sways Men

ScienCentral — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 13:44:54 +0000

It may be that red is the color of Valentine’s Day because hearts are red. Or there may be more to it than that. Psychology researchers have found that the color red makes women more attractive to males.

Violence Not What Attracts Video Gamers, Says Study

ScienCentral — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 14:58:26 +0000

Just a few days after a U.S. congressman proposed legislation that would brand violent video games with a health warning, a new study, released today, shows that violence is not what attracts players. The research could be reassuring news for parents.

Brain “Boot Camp” Makes You Smarter

ScienCentral — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 14:21:07 +0000

Is getting more exercise among your New Year’s resolutions? What about some training for your brain? Researchers have put people through a series of brain exercises—a brain boot camp—and found that, just like exercise for your body, exercise for your brain pays off.

Robot Lizards’ Pushups Fool Real Lizards

ScienCentral — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 19:16:29 +0000

A robot lizard that does pushups! No, it's not the latest must-have toy this Christmas. It's a research tool for studying “lizard-speak” in the wild.

007’s Water War Based in Reality, Not Fiction

ScienCentral — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 19:40:17 +0000

As a lot of us are learning these days, Bond is back. And while the new movie is raking in the big bucks with Agent 007 battling bad guys over H2O, we wondered: how realistic is this Bond film's villain?

Virtual Reality Helps War Heroes Recover From Burns

ScienCentral — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 14:45:50 +0000

It’s pain you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy, let alone our veterans. But now, a cool, high-tech virtual reality game gives soldiers an escape during excruciating wound treatment. This ScienCentral News video explains how this game can make the unbearable treatment fun.