Would aliens prefer to study ants?
Suppose aliens came to Earth and wanted to study our life forms. Why do we assume they would be their first choice? The strongest, the fastest, the…
Author: The Smart Reader Staff
Briefs and quick reads selected and edited by The Smart Reader's editorial team of Rick, Allyson, and Ryan Good.
Make yourself a success
To succeed, remember these truths: * Winners are not born, they are made. * The dominant force in your existence is the way you think. * You can create…
Sun on Earth? Scientists make dramatic advances in fusion energy
The sun is absolutely massive — it contains 99.86 percent of all the mass in the solar system, with enough volume to fit 1.3 million Earth-sized planets…
How to protect your accounts from fraud
The internet provides endless conveniences. Unfortunately, however, it also offers fraudsters a plethora of ways to scam businesses and people. The web…
How scientists think the universe will end
Billions of years from now, the universe will come to an end. At least, that’s what many scientists think. With our current understanding of physics,…
Planning to go to the Super Bowl? Break open that bank
Super Bowl LVII will be in Arizona, a state whose motto is Ditat Deus, or God Enriches. If you want to be there, you better hope the Almighty is on your…
Why we say ‘Pardon my French’
If you are on a roll, talking fast, and suddenly you spit out a profane word or two, then you say it: Pardon my French. But why do you say that last bit?…
Banana nog
Here’s a nog that doesn’t use eggs: Puree four bananas with 1-1/2 cups skim milk, 1-1/2 cups plain nonfat yogurt, 1/4 teaspoon rum extract and some ground…
Loose gas cap wastes fuel
Nearly one in five cars on the road has a loose gas cap. The Car Council says an unsealed cap allows gasoline to evaporate. It can reduce your mileage by…
Do you really only use 10 percent of your brain?
You’ve heard it said that we only use a tiny percentage of our brain, the implication being that if we could just access all of those unused cells, we…