Scientists Say
A weekly word defined, in a sentence and in context. Click here to find the alphabetized list.
- Earth
Scientists Say: Caldera
These gigantic craters form when a volcanic eruption empties magma chambers underneath, allowing the mountain to crumble into the void.
- Space
Scientists Say: Interstellar medium
Radiant energy and primordial space dust span the vast reaches between star systems.
- Physics
Scientists Say: Lepton
Leptons are a quirky class of particles. Besides electrons, they include ghostly neutrinos and hefty muons and tauons.
- Animals
Scientists Say: Exoskeleton
This plate armor provides protection to insects, spiders and more. But that benefit comes with tradeoffs.
- Plants
Scientists Say: Circumnutation
Plants are always on the move, their tips slowly waving in search of better light — a process called circumnutation.
- Chemistry
Scientists Say: Vitamin
Our bodies can’t make enough of these tiny but mighty worker molecules. That’s what makes them a dietary essential.
- Physics
Scientists Say: Lift
An airplane wing’s unique shape creates air pressure differences that result in this gravity-defying force.
- Tech
Scientists Say: Agrivoltaics
This win-win technology means future farmers may produce both food and electricity.
- Brain
Scientists Say: Neuroplasticity
Neurons in the brain forge new connections and sometimes trim back old ones. This capacity for change allows us to learn new skills and recover from injury.
- Chemistry
Scientists Say: Nucleosynthesis
For this nuclei-forging cosmic process, the Big Bang was just a way to get started.
- Earth
Scientists Say: Dark lightning
We don't see it, but rare gamma-ray lightning can bolt from stormy skies like regular lightning.
- Animals
Scientists Say: Caecilian
Some of these amphibians can produce a milk-like liquid for their offspring and give birth to live young. And those aren't the only rules these rebels break.
