The "why" behind ordinary things,
in plain words
Every article here is written for someone who has never met the phenomenon before. Technical terms and equations are kept out of the main text and collected in the panel at the end.
That panel says which part of the story belongs toMiddle schoolHigh schoolHigh school+University, and adds aResearch section on what is still unknown, so you can see that the world continues past the edge of the textbook.
Every article has a "check it with the equation" panel. It states the equation, explains what each symbol means and then puts real numbers in, without skipping steps. You can follow it with a pencil rather than just read it. Where a subject cannot be reduced to an equation, the panel explains why not.
Articles are translated as they are finished, so this list is shorter than the Japanese one. The full catalogue is on the Japanese site.
- How does a blacksmith know the iron's temperature without a thermometer? ― Hot iron glows a colour fixed by its temperature
- Do lightning-heavy years really mean a good rice harvest? ― The Japanese word for lightning hides some real chemistry that turns air into fertiliser
- Why do acorns have bumper years and bust years? ― Whole forests seem to fruit on cue, together
- How do migrating birds never get lost?
- Why rice won't cook properly on Mt Fuji, but a pressure cooker cooks it faster
Science that keeps you safe (6)
Why is carbon monoxide most dangerous when you can't notice it?
Colourless, odourless, tasteless, and it never makes you feel short of breath. Carbon monoxide can't be detected by…
Why do people at the beach suddenly find themselves swept out to sea?
Many drowning accidents at the beach are blamed on rip currents. Without assuming any prior knowledge, this article…
What actually happens when you mix bleach with the wrong cleaner?
When chlorine bleach meets an acidic cleaner, chlorine gas forms on the spot. Here's how the gas, heavier than air…
Why shouldn't you go near the white, foamy part of a river?
The white, foaming water below a drop in a river is called a
Why does throwing water on a chip-pan fire send flames to the ceiling?
Pour a cup of water on burning frying oil and you can get a column of fire reaching the ceiling. The reason comes down…
Why You Should Never Shelter Under a Tree in a Storm
Sheltering from rain under a tree is one of the most dangerous places to be during a thunderstorm. Here's a…
Everyday puzzles (5)
How does a blacksmith know the iron's temperature without a thermometer? ― Hot iron glows a colour fixed by its temperature
Swordsmiths and blacksmiths read the temperature of heated iron by its colour. Hot iron glows a colour fixed by its…
Why is the sky blue, but sunsets red?
A blue sky and a red sunset aren't two separate things — they're two sides of the same coin. Air scatters blue light so…
Clouds are made of water. So why don't they fall out of the sky?
Clouds are made of tiny liquid water droplets, yet they don't fall. They're not floating — they're falling at just 1…
Why rice won't cook properly on Mt Fuji, but a pressure cooker cooks it faster
\
How do migrating birds never get lost?
Birds layer several cues at once: the sun, the stars, and Earth's magnetic field. How they actually sense that field is…
Puzzles in nature (2)
Why do acorns have bumper years and bust years? ― Whole forests seem to fruit on cue, together
Some years an oak tree buries the ground in acorns; other years it barely drops any. Why? A plain-language look at…
Do lightning-heavy years really mean a good rice harvest? ― The Japanese word for lightning hides some real chemistry that turns air into fertiliser
An old saying holds that lots of autumn lightning means a good rice crop. Lightning really does turn airborne nitrogen…
No articles match. Try a different search term or field.
The aim is to cover natural science broadly and evenly. Some fields are still untouched, and those come next.
These articles are general science explanations. For decisions that affect safety, follow your fire service, local authority or a qualified professional.