How Stuff Works

Hot Peppers (Ricardo Gomez Angel) — The Scoville scale is used to compare the relative heat of foods, such as ginger, black pepper, and hot peppers. Chemical heat is reported using Scoville heat units (SHU). The scale is named for Wilbur Scoville, the pharmacist who devised the organoleptic test for heat in 1912. This is a […]

Scoville Scale for Peppers and Other Hot Chemicals

This entry was posted on March 22, 2018 by Anne Helmenstine (updated on April 4, 2018)

Fish can't live with Magic Rocks because the metal salts from the crystals get into the water and poison them. — One surprisingly common question I get is whether it’s okay to put fish in a Magic Rocks aquarium. The short answer is no, definitely not! For those who don’t know, Magic Rocks are a science project in which you take a packet of special rocks, pour a “magic” solution over […]

Magic Rocks and Fish in an Aquarium

This entry was posted on January 18, 2018 by Anne Helmenstine (updated on January 24, 2018)

Although two snowflakes may look identical under a microscope, the chance that two snowflakes are the same on the molecular level is infinitesimally small. (Aaron Burden) — You’ve likely been told no two snowflakes are alike — that each is as individual as a human fingerprint. Yet, if you’ve had the chance to closely examine snowflakes, some snow crystals do look like others. What’s the truth? It depends how closely you look. To understand why there’s a […]

Is It True No Two Snowflakes Are Alike?

This entry was posted on December 26, 2017 by Anne Helmenstine (updated on December 26, 2017)

Nitrogen is necessary for race cars and beneficial to regular automotive tire performance, too. — Valve stems of many automobile tires have a green cap indicating they are filled with nitrogen. Is there any advantage to putting nitrogen in my automobile tires instead of compressed air? How does it work? Why Nitrogen Is Better Than Air There are multiple reasons why nitrogen is preferable to air […]

Nitrogen Versus Air: Which Is Better in Tires?

This entry was posted on December 21, 2017 by Anne Helmenstine (updated on January 1, 2018)

(André Karwath) — Lure and Trap Fruit Flies Using Chemistry If you’ve got fruit flies, you know how hard it can seem to get rid of them. Here’s a quick, easy, and effective method for clearing out the flies using simple, non-toxic household chemicals. What You Need Only natural, non-toxic ingredients are used, […]

Easy Home Recipe to Get Rid of Fruit Flies

This entry was posted on October 7, 2017 by Anne Helmenstine (updated on February 28, 2018)

Balancing an Egg on the Equinox — According to a popular urban legend, it’s only possible to balance an egg on end on the equinox. The equinox occurs twice a year, with the spring or vernal equinox falling around March 20 and the fall or autumnal equinox occurring around September 22. On these two days of the […]

Equinox Egg Balance Science – Is It Really Easier on ... Recently updated !

This entry was posted on September 20, 2017 by Anne Helmenstine (updated on April 20, 2018)