The BrainSnail Blog
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797 articles · page 9 of 34
How Do Tornadoes Form? The Spinning Storms of the Great Plains
A tornado is a column of spinning air from a thunderstorm to the ground. The rotating storms that make them, why the Plains get so many, and the EF scale.
What Is the Minotaur? The Labyrinth, Theseus and the Bull of Crete
The Minotaur was a man with a bull's head kept in a maze under the palace of Crete and fed on Athenian youths. The myth, the palace behind it, and the thread.
How Does a Football League Work? Points, Promotion, Relegation and the Table
A football league is a round robin in which every club plays every other twice. How the points work, why goal difference matters, and what relegation does.
What Is Confirmation Bias? Why We See What We Expect to See
Confirmation bias is the habit of seeking evidence that fits what we already believe. Where it comes from, how it is measured, and what curbs it.
What Is Baroque Art? Drama, Light and Persuasion in the Seventeenth Century
Baroque art is the theatrical style of the 1600s: strong light, movement, emotion and scale. Where it came from, why the Church wanted it, and who made it.
What Is Shabbat? The Jewish Day of Rest Explained
From Friday sunset to Saturday nightfall, Jewish life stops work and turns to meals, prayer and family.
How Does a Lithium-Ion Battery Work? Charging, Discharging and Wearing Out
A phone battery shuttles lithium ions between two layered materials. What happens on charge and discharge, why capacity fades, and why cells burn.
How Did Life Begin on Earth? What Science Can and Cannot Say
Life appeared soon after the oceans formed. The chemistry that may have started it, where it may have happened, and what is still unknown.
What Is Epicureanism? Pleasure, Friendship and a Garden in Athens
Epicurus taught that pleasure is the goal of life and that the greatest pleasure is freedom from pain and fear. What he said, and why his name became an insult.
How Do Rainforests Work? Layers, Rain and the Richest Life on Land
Tropical rainforests cover six percent of the land and hold half its species. How the layers work, where the rain comes from, and why the soil is poor.
What Is a Novel? How the Long Prose Story Took Over Literature
A novel is an extended fictional narrative in prose, and it is younger than it looks. Where the form came from, what sets it apart, and why it took over.
How Does Radiocarbon Dating Work? Counting the Clock in Dead Wood and Bone
Radiocarbon dating measures how much of a radioactive form of carbon remains in something once alive. How the clock is set, how it is read, and where it stops.
How Does Caffeine Work? The Molecule That Blocks Sleepiness
Caffeine keeps you awake by jamming the receptor that tells the brain it is tired. How it works, how long it lasts, and why the effect fades with habit.
How Is Wine Made? From Grape to Bottle
Wine is grape juice whose sugar yeast has turned to alcohol. How red differs from white, what skins, barrel and year add, and why some wines age well.
How Does Insurance Work? Pooling Risk So That Nobody Is Ruined
Insurance turns a large uncertain loss into a small certain payment by pooling many people's risks. How premiums are set, why pools fail, and where it began.
How Was the Moon Formed? The Giant Impact and the Evidence for It
The Moon is thought to be the debris of a collision between the young Earth and a Mars-sized body. What the Apollo rocks showed, and what still does not fit.
What Is a Prime Number? The Atoms of Arithmetic
A prime number has exactly two divisors, itself and one. Why primes are the building blocks of arithmetic, how they are found, and why they guard bank cards.
Were Dinosaurs Warm-Blooded? What Bones, Feathers and Growth Rings Suggest
For a century dinosaurs were pictured as sluggish reptiles. Bone structure, growth rates, feathers and chemistry now point to warm blood in most of them.
What Was the Age of Exploration? How Europe Mapped the World and Changed It
Between 1400 and 1600 European ships found sea routes to Asia and stumbled on two continents. What made the voyages possible and the exchange that followed.
What Is Abstract Art? Painting That Stopped Pretending to Be a Window
Abstract art does not depict recognisable things. Where it came from around 1910, what its makers thought they were doing.
What Is a Symphony? How a Four-Movement Form Took Over the Concert Hall
A symphony is a large work for orchestra in several movements. How the form grew from Italian overtures, what each movement does.
What Is a Contract and When Does a Promise Become Binding?
Most contracts are never written down. What turns a promise into one a court will enforce, the four ingredients the law looks for, and what a breach costs.
How Do Snowflakes Form? Why Every One Has Six Sides
A snowflake grows from a speck of dust in a cloud as water vapour freezes onto it. Why the shape is always six-fold, and what decides stars versus needles.
How Do Elo Ratings Work? The Maths Behind Chess Rankings
The Elo system gives each player a number and moves it after each game by how surprising the result was. The formula, what a 200-point gap means, and its uses.
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