Dr. Donald Hopkins: From Smallpox Eradication to Near-Ending Guinea Worm Disease

Cats have an extraordinary survival skill known as the “righting reflex” that allows them to twist midair and land on their feet, even when dropped upside down. This uncanny ability is made possible by their flexible spine, lack of a functional collarbone, and a combination of biological sensors and physical laws governing motion. Astonishingly, kittens develop this reflex as early as three weeks old, mastering the art of graceful landing that defies everyday expectations. This article unravels the science and mystery behind this feline feat.

The “Grana Double Tree” in Piedmont, Italy is a highly unusual tree, which consists of a cherry tree growing atop a mulberry tree. It is essentially a two-species, two-tiered hybrid duplex.

The Dancing Forest in Russia is noted for its unusually twisted pine trees. The trunks of these trees are contorted into spirals, rings, and other squiggly loops, but the reason for this malformation is still a mystery.

Flight is one of nature’s most remarkable adaptations, but its origins trace back millions of years before modern birds took to the skies. Emerging from theropod dinosaurs during the Jurassic period, birds evolved feathers, wings, and lightweight bodies that enabled powered flight. This detailed narrative explores the fascinating evolutionary path from ground-dwelling dinosaurs to the aerial masters of today, blending science, intriguing fossil finds, and surprising trivia about our feathered ancestors.

After losing both arms in an accident, an Indian girl received limbs from a male donor. The donor hands, which were formerly huge and hairy, changed skin tone and became thin and feminine over time to mix in with her body.

A 28-year-old scientist could receive the Nobel Prize for developing a new class of antibiotics that fight drug-resistant bacteria, but she only has months to live after being diagnosed with incurable heart cancer, and she says "There aren't words to express how sad I feel' about not seeing award."

On the western coast of New Providence in Nassau, Bahamas, there is a tourist attraction that you can dive down to see. Called Ocean Atlas, this is the largest single underwater sculpture ever installed. It depicts a local Bahamian girl carrying the weight of the ocean, in reference to the Ancient Greek myth of Atlas holding up the heavens.

Ancient Babylonians did math in base 60 instead of base 10. That's why we have 60 seconds in a minute and 360 degrees in a circle.

Dreams have fascinated humanity for millennia—enigmatic stories that unfold in sleep, weaving memories, emotions, and symbols. Modern science is now unraveling why we dream and exploring what these nightly narratives reveal about our brain, emotions, and waking lives. Journey through the latest discoveries on the science of dreaming and its meaningful reflections in our psyche.

An expedition team in Indonesia discovered the elusive, egg-laying animal (Echidna) named after David Attenborough, which had not been seen since 1961.

Penicillin was discovered by Alexander Fleming, but he never attempted to turn it into an antibiotic. It wasn't until ten years later that Howard Florey discovered Fleming's obscure paper and understood the mold's potential. Up to 200 million lives may have been saved as a result of Florey's work.

Dr. Harry Coover was trying to develop clear plastic for gun sights during WWII when he accidentally created cyanoacrylate, an extremely strong adhesive. Initially dismissed, it was later marketed as Super Glue in the 1950s.

Dr. Leonid Rogozov was a legendary surgeon who operated on himself in 1961 to remove an inflamed appendix.

Scientists recreated an Anglo-Saxon manuscript-based 9th century onion and garlic eye remedy and discovered that it killed 90% of antibiotic-resistant staph bacteria (MRSA).

Over 1,800 years ago, long before modern technology, the ancient Chinese astronomer and inventor Zhang Heng created the world’s first seismograph in 132 AD. This ingenious bronze device could detect distant earthquakes by releasing small balls from dragons’ mouths into toads’ mouths—each indicating a different compass direction. Its historic detection of an earthquake 400 miles away astonished the imperial court and transformed the way societies understood and responded to seismic events.

Sanju Bhagat, an Indian farmer, lived with an undiagnosed parasitic twin inside his abdomen for 36 years. In 1999, doctors discovered the twin during surgery. This rare condition, fetus in fetu, occurs when a malformed twin is absorbed during pregnancy, surviving within the host sibling's body.

In 1939, George Dantzig arrived late to his statistics class. On the board were two famous “unsolved” problems in statistics written as an example by his professor. Dantzig mistook the examples for homework assignments. He solved the “unsolved” problems and submitted the homework to his professor a few days later. His solutions earned him a doctorate.

In 2020, a 38-year-old Brazilian man visited his doctor for severe back pain and was shocked to find out that he has three kidneys instead of just two.

There is a 300-year-old mummified mermaid with 30 centimetres tall and features a human-like head, two hands with what appear to be fingernails, and its lower body that look like a fish tail. The “mermaid mummy” is being probed by Japanese scientists in an attempt to unravel the mystery of its existence.

In a groundbreaking study, researchers have discovered that pigeons can be trained to distinguish between cancerous and non-cancerous tissues in medical images with accuracy rivaling that of human experts. This surprising capability opens new avenues for understanding visual perception and has potential implications for improving diagnostic tools in medicine. Here is the fascinating science behind pigeons’ ability to spot cancer and what it signifies for the future of medical imaging.

1850 Dmitri Mendeleev walked almost a thousand miles to Moscow so he could apply for the University of Moscow. Although he was not accepted, he walked to St. Petersburg where he was accepted, And with that education, he developed the the periodic table of the elements

Scientists lit a hole filled with natural gas on Fire in 1971, expecting it would burn only for few days. The hole has been burning for the past 48 years & is called "The Door To Hell".

In 1975, when officials in the Chinese city of Haicheng were alarmed by odd and anxious behaviors of dogs and other animals. These observations led them to order 90,000 residents to evacuate the city. Only a few hours later a 7.3 magnitude earthquake destroyed nearly 90% of the city’s buildings.

This Sahara Desert Meteorite was discovered to be older than the earth itself. This Meteorite is estimated to be 4.6 billion years old, while earth is estimated to be 4.54 billion years old.

Sleep is not just rest—it's an active process where our brain cycles through stages that shape cognition, memory, and overall mental performance. Different sleep phases, from deep slow-wave sleep to REM dreaming, play unique roles in consolidating memories, boosting attention, and refreshing brain networks. Explore how sleep cycles work and why they are essential to learning and sharp thinking.