Science Behind the Brightest Auroras

Though scientists have long understood the basic mechanism behind auroras (aka the northern lights or southern lights), a new paper published by Nature Communications offers “definitive evidence” on the spectacular physical process behind the brightest auroras. These colorful, undulating displays typically occur when particles charged by the Sun enter into Earth’s magnetosphere, collide with molecules and generate energy. However, physicists from the University of Iowa; …

Artist Rachel Maclean’s Haunted Toy Store in Scotland’s Jupiter Artland

In the forests of Jupiter Artland—the 120-acre outdoor sculpture park near Edinburgh—Scottish artist Rachel Maclean installed an eerie, graffiti-covered toy store with upside-down attributes aplenty. The sinister structure houses unsettling doppelgänger dolls, as well as Maclean’s new 10-minute animated film, which explores the pressures upon youth (from self-esteem to consumerism and predatory behavior) through the struggles of a cartoon princess. It is the artist’s first …

New York Public Library’s Massive Renovation

The beloved New York Public Library has undergone a massive $200 million renovation that’s resulted in an extra 180,000 square feet of space and amenities. Across the street from the well-known Stephen A Schwarzman location (replete with the familiar marble lions) now sits the new Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library which features “an increase in public seating areas, a whole floor dedicated to children, a new …