Mark Mancini

Porbeagles are related to great whites, but while they're also athletic killers, they're smaller and far less ferocious. And what's with the funny dog name?

By Mark Mancini

You don't need to be a fan of chemistry to appreciate isotopes. They affect geology and medicine, too.

By Mark Mancini

The idea of planet Nibiru has captivated doomsday prophets and conspiracy theorists for decades, but nobody has proven its existence. What's the deal?

By Mark Mancini

"Cryptids" are animals whose existence is unproven, but we sure do love to believe in them.

By Mark Mancini

Everyone knows that Hollywood dramas are no substitute for a good history teacher. We're looking at what 10 "based on a true story" movies got wrong — or right. It's not always what you think!

By Mark Mancini

If you're looking for the venomous timber rattler, the U.S. is the place to be, as these bad boys are found in at least 27 states.

By Mark Mancini

This human-made element can power everything from nuclear weapons to deep space missions. So what's so scary about plutonium?

By Mark Mancini

Contrary to popular belief, the leaders of a wolf pack aren't always hyper-aggressive social climbers. The truth is more nuanced, and more interesting.

By Cristen Conger & Mark Mancini

Utah's Great Salt Lake has been in the news in 2021, but for all the wrong reasons. It's at its lowest level ever, and some say it could eventually dry up.

By Mark Mancini

Both dry and over-saturated soil can contribute to flash flooding. Can anything be done to prevent them from becoming catastrophic?

By Mark Mancini

It can definitely be done — we saw Capt. Sully Sullenberger successfully land an Airbus A320 without any engines, in the Hudson River no less. But just how far a plane can fly without its engines depends on a few different factors.

By Mark Mancini

Spiders don't have wings, so technically can't fly. But some arachnids can soar through the air with the greatest of ease.

By Mark Mancini

We know that humans are largely responsible for fueling global warming with our carbon emissions. So what if we could seize all that carbon and squirrel it away in a safe place? Well, we can. It's just hard and really expensive.

By Debra Ronca & Mark Mancini

This envelope-pushing comedy stars Robin Williams and Nathan Lane as a gay couple trying to survive a meeting with their future in-laws. If you love "The Birdcage" (and who doesn't?), give our quiz a whirl!

By Mark Mancini

Yep, two small-bodied Russian tortoises made it to the moon and back before man did.

By Mark Mancini

Not all diamonds are found on dry land. Many turn up in sediments below the ocean's surface. You just have to know where to look.

By Mark Mancini

The practice of hiding secret messages has existed in many forms for centuries, but the advent of personal computing in the 1980s stepped it up and steganography now exists all around us, invisible right under our noses.

By Mark Mancini

Deep underneath Antarctica, there lies a hidden lake. Roughly the size of North America's Lake Ontario, the buried landmark has inspired curiosity and controversy for decades.

By Mark Mancini

Legend says that jackalopes roam the plains of Wyoming. These horned jackrabbits are harmless and even like campfire cowboy songs. So how much truth is there to this mythical creature?

By Mark Mancini

You read that right. Fruit bats are instrumental in pollinating hundreds of plants, including the agave, a key ingredient in tequila.

By Mark Mancini

The Pacific's Ring of Fire is a 25,000 mile long "ring" that's home to 75 percent of all the world's volcanic activity and 90 percent of the planet's earthquakes. So what makes this area so active?

By Mark Mancini

Named the happiest country in the world for the past three years in a row, Finland is considered a Nordic country. But is it part of Scandinavia?

By Mark Mancini

Scattered all over the globe in oceans, lakes and seas, are fascinating underwater ruins that once thrummed with the daily lives of the people who inhabited them. So how did they end up underwater?

By Mark Mancini

Iceland? The North Pole? Antarctica? There are a lot of super cold places on this planet, but which one can claim bragging rights as the coldest place on Earth?

By Mark Mancini

Scientists recently found 12 more moons revolving around Jupiter, bringing its total to 79. Why does Jupiter have so many darn moons? Is there any advantage to that?

By Mark Mancini