The most popular moment of science posts in 2017 among the people who follow or like our page on Facebook were the following, in no particular order:
- Wrong Name: An explanation of why your parents may call you a sibling's or even a pet's name
- How Leaf Cutter Ants Farm: We discussed how leaf cutter ants cultivate fungus.
- "Murphy's Toast": An explanation for why buttered toast is more likely to fall on the floor with the buttered side down.
- "Delicious Wasp Tombs": Inside almost every fig is at least one dead wasp
- "Your Body, Your Coffee": You might fall under three different categories of caffeine sensitivity
- "Older Skin Takes Longer To Heal": During World War I, Scientists noticed it took longer for older soldiers' skin to heal
- "No Tusks": A significant number of elephants are being born without tusks
- "The Cannibal Hamsters of Northeastern France": The corn in hamsters' diets in France is affecting their behavior
- "Human Brains Are Cartographers": Cognitive science may have an explanation for why people prefer print over digital books
- "The Difference Between A Square And A Diamond": an episode about perception and vision
- "Are Spelling Bees Held in Languages Other Than English?": Not All Alphabetic languages lend themselves to the challenge of a spelling bee
- "Why Do People Hate The Word Moist?": People can have visceral reactions to words that evoke body processes
- "Silent Reading": In the western world, silent reading is a fairly recent invention.
- "Old Books And Beetles": Scientists are studying the woodcuts in old books to learn more about beetles
- "Your Brain And Lymphatic Vessels": Scientists made a surprising discovery about how the human brain and the immune system interact
- "Why Are Dogs Such Messy Drinkers?": Dogs have to make their tongues into a kind of ladle shape to get water out of their bowls.
This was by far our most popular post on Facebook!
- "Why Your Gravy Needs Starch": the science of gravy
- "The Advantages Of Being Short": In some areas, humans evolved to be short to protect against cold climate conditions
- "A Moment of Slime": An explanation of slime and how to make it
- "The Discovery of Xin Zhui": Xin Zhui's body was so well-preserved that when it was found, her skin was still soft to the touch