Science

August 15, 2017

Trees with “Crown Shyness” Mysteriously Avoid Touching Each Other

If you look up toward certain types of towering trees—including eucalyptus, Sitka spruce, and Japanese larch—you may notice a unique phenomenon: the uppermost branches don't touch. Known as “crown shyness,” this natural occurrence results in rupture-like patterns in the forest canopy that seem to perfectly outline the trees' striking silhouettes. Since scientists first started studying the topic in the 1920s, crown shyness has been observed between trees of the same and different species in locations across the globe.

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July 18, 2017

Illustrated Periodic Table Shows How Elements Are Part of Everyday Life

Anyone who ever sat through a high school chemistry class knows how frustrating it can be to tackle the periodic table. Created to give an order to chemical elements according to their atomic number, chemical properties, and electron configurations, the scheme has been in use since the mid-1800s. And now, the table has gotten an update to demonstrate how these elements apply to our daily lives.

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April 12, 2017

Spectacular Visualizations of Brain Scans Enhanced with 1,750 Pieces of Gold Leaf

Anyone who thinks that scientists can't be artists need look no further than Dr. Greg Dunn and Dr. Brian Edwards. The neuroscientist and applied physicist have paired together to create an artistic series of images that the artists describe as “the most fundamental self-portrait ever created.” Literally going inside, the pair has blown up a thin slice of the brain 22 times in a series called Self-Reflected.

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My Modern Met

Celebrating creativity and promoting a positive culture by spotlighting the best sides of humanity—from the lighthearted and fun to the thought-provoking and enlightening.