How Robots See the World Robots utilize specialized sensors and cameras to “see”  their surroundings. Robots use cameras, similar to the human eye, to capture images and videos. They also use LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) to bounce lasers off objects and create...

How We Get Vitamin D Your body makes Vitamin D with a little help from the sun. When sunlight hits your skin, it triggers a chemical reaction that produces Vitamin D. Vitamin D starts as an inactive form called 7-dehydrocholesterol in your skin. UVB rays from sunlight...

The Science Behind Color Vision Our eyes see color by detecting light and translating it into signals the brain understands. Light travels through the cornea, pupil, and lens, and is focused on the retina at the back of the eye. The retina contains two types of...

The Science of Sneezing Sneezing is your body’s powerful way of protecting your airways from harmful irritants and getting rid of things that can make you sick or cause inflammation. A sneeze starts when something irritating — like dust, pollen, or pepper — enters...

Thermal Energy & Heat Transfer Thermal energy is the energy of moving particles; heat transfer is how that energy moves from hotter objects to cooler ones. All matter is made of constantly moving particles — the faster they move, the hotter the object. Heat always...

How Solar Panels Work Solar panels capture sunlight and transform it into usable electricity through the photovoltaic effect. Solar panels consist of many solar cells, which are usually made from silicon, a material that easily moves electrons. When sunlight hits...

Exploring Elastic Forces Elastic forces are the secret behind how stretched or compressed materials return to their original shape. Elastic force is a restoring force that returns an object to its original shape after it has been stretched or compressed. It makes a...

What is Osmosis? Osmosis is the movement of water molecules through a semi-permeable membrane from an area of high water concentration to a low concentration to balance things out. A raisin swells in water because water moves into it to balance the high sugar...

Iron and Your Blood Iron plays a key role in your health by helping red blood cells carry oxygen from your lungs to every cell in the body. Iron is a key part of a protein in red blood cells called hemoglobin, which binds to oxygen. Without iron, your body can’t make...

How Vitamin C Helps Your Body Vitamin C supports your immune system and helps your body stay healthy in many ways. It helps white blood cells (like phagocytes and T-cells) function more effectively to fight off infections. Vitamin C protects cells from damage by...