You’ve likely heard that you can get iron from eating spinach and steak. You might also know that it’s an essential trace element^[1] that is a major component of hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from your lungs to all parts of the body.

A lesser known important function of iron is its involvement in ...

Scientific discovery doesn’t always require a high-tech laboratory or a hefty budget. Many people have a first-rate lab right in their own homes – their kitchen.

The kitchen offers plenty of opportunities to view and explore what physicists call soft matter and complex fluids. Everyday phenomena, such as Cheerios clustering in milk or rings...

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]. Why do people hate people? – Daisy, age 9, Lake Oswego, Oregon Have you ever said “I hate you” to someone? What about using the “h-word” in casual conversation, like