Curious Kids[1] is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. [2]. Is it possible that one day we could make Mars like Earth? – Tyla, age 16, Mississippi When I was in middle school, my biology teacher showed our class the sci-fi movie “
... Supermassive black holes have masses of more than a million suns – but their growth has slowed as the universe has aged
Black holes are remarkable astronomical objects with gravity so strong[1] that nothing, not even light, can escape them. The most gigantic ones, known as “supermassive” black holes, can weigh millions to billions times the mass of the Sun.
These giants usually live in the centers of galaxies[2]. Our own galaxy, the Milky Way, contains a...
Meteorites from Mars help scientists understand the red planet’s interior
Of the more than 74,000 known meteorites[1] – rocks that fall to Earth from asteroids or planets colliding together – only 385 or so stones came from the planet Mars.
It’s not that hard for scientists to work out that these meteorites come from Mars. Various landers and rovers have been exploring Mars’ surface for decades. Some of...
Storytelling strategies make communication about science more compelling
As a science communication scholar[1], I’ve always supported vaccination and trusted medical experts – and I still do. As a new mom, however, I’ve been confronting new-to-me emotions and concerns[2] while weighing decisions about my son’s health.
Vaccines are incredibly effective and have minimal risks of side effects[3]. But I began to...