Model of Henry Cavendish's Torsion Balance Gravitational Apparatus, 1798

The Strange Experiments of Henry Cavendish

Cavendish was an idiosyncratic scientist who conducted fascinating experiments, such as “weighing” the Earth and splitting water into its constituent elements.
American Anti-Vivisection Society 1909

Scientists vs. Animal Welfare Activists in the 1920s

The movement against vivisection—experiments involving live animals—swelled with women. A group of scientists was determined to stop them.
A group of business people chasing a dollar on a string

When Big Rewards Don’t Pay Off

One would think that offering potentially big rewards would inspire workers to create better work. A study found a more complicated picture.
Sir Humphry Davy

When Scientists Perform Experiments on Themselves

More than one self-experiment has resulted in a Nobel Prize. Against all odds, and sometimes in spite of the damage they cause, these crazy gambits pay off.
Cat playing Peek a Boo in a box

The Ig Nobels: The Lighter Side of Scientific Research

What exactly are the Ig Nobels? And what can we learn from the Journal of Irreproducible Results and the Annals of Improbable Results?