Museum of Science and Industry

Earlier in National Chemistry Week, we mentioned this year's Nobel winners for chemistry and their work on the body's receptors for fear and other signals. Just in time for Halloween, here's more on how your system handles scares …

If you’re like me (and most other living creatures), you don’t like being scared. Since it is a survival mechanism, fear is designed to be unpleasant. It activates our emotions and puts our bodies on high alert. Ever wonder what is really happening inside your body...

Rabies is not awesome. The virus is usually transmitted through an animal bite and, if not treated in time, the infection is fatal! While a vaccine and post-exposure treatment are available, what about people without access to them? Scientists from the Centers for...

"Bring it."  "Oh, I'll bring it, bird."

Some of my friends argue that birds are super-smart – maybe even smarter than human children! So far, I haven’t been convinced. And now, depending on how you look at it, one of us has some new evidence on their side! Scientists at the University of Cambridge have completed a study comparing how kids and birds behave when trying to solve a certain birdbrained...

One: Animal lovers, brace yourself! MSI’s cute-o-meter needle is buried in the red with the opening of Born to Be Wild. This Omnimax movie follows the work of two women who work to raise, rehabilitate, and release orphaned elephants and orangutans back to the wild. This film is incredibly adorable, so don’t miss it!

Two: Speaking of rehabilitating elephants, have you ever thought about

Despite what popular culture would have you expect, scientists almost never become supervillains. But sometimes a study comes along that makes you perk your ears up and reach for the Bat-Signal. Researchers in Copenhagen have pioneered a new method for DNA monitoring that’s as easy as taking candy from a baby, except instead of candy, it’s blood! And instead of a baby, it’s a hideous mass of leeches.

By collecting leeches and testing the blood in their tummies, researchers can get a basic...