Mark Mancini is a freelance writer currently based in Texas. 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 theatre. And if you ever feel like trading puns for a few hours, he’s your guy.
RECENT CONTRIBUTIONS
It's one of the gentle giants of the sea. It loves sunbathing, dining on crabs and taking deep dives to the ocean floor.
You don't need to be a fan of chemistry to appreciate isotopes. They affect geology and medicine, too.
Will this groundbreaking clock revolutionize space travel? NASA is banking on it.
These little critters are super cute, so why do they have a reputation for being one of the worst of the mammal world?
She commanded as many as 70,000 other pirates, became fabulously wealthy and yet managed to retire without being captured or imprisoned. So how did she do it?
Mnemonic devices are little tricks — like acronyms and phrases — that help us memorize important info. Our quiz will test your knowledge of everything from geography to music scales. And every single answer has a fun mnemonic attached.
The flightless Aldabra rail lives exclusively on the Aldabra Atoll in Madagascar. But it appears to have descended from birds that soar.
Launching a rocket into space takes all types of precision and physics. And knowing the exact time to get the launch right is a science in itself.
The idea of planet Nibiru has captivated doomsday prophets and conspiracy theorists for decades, but nobody has proven its existence. What's the deal?
If the King of Monsters isn't a dinosaur, what in the world is he? We talked to some expert paleontologists to get their opinion.
Everyone loves a good pirate yarn, but some well-worn stories about them don't align with genuine history. Today, we be quizzin' ye about real pirates, buccaneer fiction, and the scurviest of all holidays. Yarr!
To honor their prehistoric pasts, most U.S. states have designated official state fossils, ranging from trilobites to dinosaurs. Take our quiz to learn more!
The fossilized remains of Simbakubwa kutokaafrika, which means "big lion from Africa," were discovered not once, but twice.
Eugene Shoemaker's contributions to lunar science were legendary. In a fitting tribute, NASA sent his ashes to the moon.
Caves are full of incredible geological formations, including stalagmites and stalactites. But you've probably never seen anything like cave popcorn before.
Every April, the Lyrid meteor shower fills the sky with 'shooting stars.' Here's how to see them.
"Will draw dinosaurs for food" is what they like to think they do. But it's actually way more complicated.
Solar wind is a continuous stream of mostly hydrogen and helium that flows outward from the sun in all directions. It does everything from disrupt GPS signals to create the aurora borealis.
We know space is awash in ultraviolet radiation. So how are astronauts protected from all those UV rays?
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 equniox.
