Swimmer Eric Shanteau placed third in the 200-meter breaststroke at the U.S. Olympic trials with a time of 2:10.05. This gives him an average speed of 1.538 m/s. Of course, this wasn’t his speed the ...

You might already know that the speed of light is 299,792,458 meters per second, but now you can confirm that number by playing kitchen scientist and melting chocolate. And then eating the results.

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in ...