Mark Mancini is a freelance writer currently based in New Jersey. Over the years, he’s covered every subject from classic horror movies to Abe Lincoln's favorite jokes. He is particularly fond of paleontology and has been reporting on new developments in this field since 2013. When Mark's not at his writing desk, you can usually find him on stage somewhere because he loves to get involved with community theater. And if you ever feel like trading puns for a few hours, he's your guy.
Recent Contributions
It's a slippery proposition, to be sure, but bees do it, birds do it and you can bet that eels do it too. The question is, how?
By Mark Mancini
Boas and pythons and rattlers, oh my! There are lots of big snakes on this planet, but which one wears the crown of biggest snake in the world?
By Mark Mancini
Everything we do is controlled and enabled by electrical signals running through our bodies. But how are those signals produced?
By Julia Layton & Mark Mancini
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The nine films were released in an unusual order. To get the best viewing experience, should you watch chronologically or in the order they debuted in theaters?
By Mark Mancini
Rossby waves influence everything from high tides to extreme weather patterns, and not just on Earth. They also occur on the sun and on Venus and Jupiter as well. So, what are they exactly?
By Mark Mancini
Sriracha is spicy and tangy but not super hot. That's why so many people love it. It never overpowers foods; it just complements them.
By Mark Mancini
There are many types of energy in the world, from potential and kinetic to electrical and thermal, along with many others. But what exactly is energy?
By Mark Mancini
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June 21 marks the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. Here are five cool facts about it.
By Mark Mancini
Utahraptors lived around 135 million years ago in the late Cretaceous Period. So what does salt have to do with these massive dinosaurs whose fossils were first discovered in 1975?
By Mark Mancini
Helmets, battles, Leif Erikson Day - our new Viking quiz has it all. Grab some mead and let's get started.
By Mark Mancini
Even washed up on the beach, the Portuguese man-of-war can deliver searing pain with its stinging tentacles, so whatever you do, don't touch it.
By Mark Mancini
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With a little patience, you can master this trick of converting binary code to decimals — and have fun doing it!
By Mark Mancini
Brought to life on the screen by Alexander Skarsgård, the story of Amleth the Viking was the inspiration for Shakespeare's "Hamlet." But who was Prince Amleth and did he actually exist?
By Mark Mancini
The elusive hagfish is a master at hiding in holes and crevices, but its main defense is its ability to release a noxious, suffocating and sometimes poisonous slime when attacked.
By Mark Mancini
Earth is a complex place, and its climate follows suit. That may explain why many of us are still confused about climate change. Think you can tell the facts from myths? Find out with this quiz.
By Mark Mancini
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Every April, the Lyrid meteor shower fills the sky with shooting stars. Here's how to see them in 2022.
By Mark Mancini
In 1984, President Ronald Reagan had a vision for a permanently inhabited space station. Today that vision is a reality we know as the International Space Station.
Dimetrodon may look for all the world like a dinosaur, but was actually closer, evolutionarily speaking, to humans. Scientists are still trying to figure what their magnificent sails were used for.
By Mark Mancini
Since it launched Aug. 12, 2018, NASA's Parker Solar Probe has made 11 of the 24 planned approaches with the sun, analyzing the massive star's solar wind and magnetic fields. But just how close will it get to our solar system's massive star?
By Mark Mancini
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It made geographical sense for Russia to sell its territory of Alaska to Canada, but it opted to sell it to the U.S. instead. Why was that?
By Mark Mancini
Your eyes aren't playing tricks on you. Those mountains way off in the distance really do look blue, and it's because of how light wavelengths scatter in the atmosphere.
By Mark Mancini
The spring, or vernal, equinox traditionally marks the first day of spring — but climate scientists use a different date altogether. Find out more about this and other facts about the spring equinox.
By Mark Mancini
Don't let its name — or strong aroma — turn you off. Fish sauce is a savory sauce used in Southeast Asian cuisine, and we promise if you try it, you'll never let your kitchen be without it.
By Mark Mancini
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Both degrees and radians represent the measure of an angle in geometry. So, how do you convert one to the other?
By Mark Mancini
Anne Bonny was an Irish marauder whose brief period of piracy in the 18th century Caribbean enshrined her in legend as one of the few documented female pirates in history.
By Mark Mancini