Filter Articles:
Need a Dose of Optimism These Days?
Subscribe for good news, no politics, and a guide to a better life online!
Sign upWake up to Good News for a Change!
Get the Ever Widening Circles App! Feeling better about the world is as easy as tapping our app on your phone.
Jump to another article!
Surprise Me!
11 minutes
[ Science ]
Why Don’t Beetles Have Bones? (And Why Do You?)
By Sam Burns
The perfect combination of strong, flexible, and light, our skeletons do a lot more than hold us up! But how did we end up with this skeletal wonder that makes us so different from bugs and beetles? Well, the answer is a great reminder of how a few little detours on the path of life can lead us in entirely different directions!
20 minutes
[ Science ]
Where Do Those Psychedelic Images of Space Come From?
You’ve probably seen those psychedelic images from space; colorful clouds of swirling dust, galaxies colliding, and stars being born. But where do those images come from? How are they made? And does space seriously look like that?!
12 minutes
[ Culture ]
Why Spices Are WAY More Than the Spice of Life!
Ever wondered why some cultures embrace all the spice in the cabinet and others are, well, a little blander? There’s a fascinating bit of science behind the difference in our food preferences around the globe, and it goes way past making our food delicious! Ready to look at your spice cabinet with fresh eyes?
16 minutes
[ Science ]
The Discovery that Reshaped Your Family Tree
Join a group of courageously curious ordinary people, willing to go deep below the Earth’s surface, to help us meet our cousins: an ancient species of humans who walked alongside us in the not so distant past!
10 minutes
[ Science ]
Change Your Habits By Learning How They Change Your Brain!
Have a habit you’d like to change? Here’s what you need to know about how your brain works to make it happen! This is a game-changer for expanding your life and possibilities.
9 minutes
[ Science ]
Teeth: the Most Underrated Marvel of Nature?
An insane process took place inside of your skull before you even had a brain. Let’s take a look at these underrated wonders of the human body growing right out of your face!
17 minutes
[ Nature ]
Explore Joy, Wonder, and Insight in an Unexpected Package: Goats!
By Sam Burns
Let’s get to know an animal with fascinating adaptations for survival and 10,000-year history beside us! We’re going to investigate the world of these split-hooved, 280-degree peering creatures. Join us for a pajama party, a look into what makes a goat a living marvel, and how they can help us innovate!
16 minutes
Do You Have a Doppelgänger?
Do you have lookalikes out there? We’ve seen the images of people who have met their doppelgängers, but is there really a face like yours out there or are our own brains just being fooled? Here’s your marvelous brain at its best!
9 minutes
[ Innovation ]
The Toilet is Saving Our Lives!
By Sam Burns
Did you know that this innovation stops deadly diseases from finding you with every flush? Billions of people still don’t have access to one. So we’d like to take a moment to celebrate the humble toilet and see how some truly amazing thought leaders are bringing them to everyone around the globe!
9 minutes
[ Animals ]
Meet One of Nature’s Most Confusing Creatures
Have you heard of the Tasmanian Tiger, or Thylacine? These wolf-like creatures are actually related to koalas! How? A process called convergent evolution.
18 minutes
[ Animals ]
Why Are Beavers So Busy?
By Sam Burns
These rodents are single-handedly making it possible for other species to thrive! Let’s find out how this is happening…
12 minutes
[ Animals ]
Meet Lucas the Spider, Your Cure for Arachnophobia!
If you’re one of the many people who suffer from a fear of spiders, we may have found a very adorable way to lessen your fears! (And if you are already a spider fan, well, you’ll love this.)
12 minutes
[ Animals ]
The Remarkable Powers of… Spider Silk?
Let’s talk spiders. These creatures may scare some, but their silk is one of the most remarkable substances in the natural world!
29 minutes
[ Happiness & Hope ]
The Mathematics of Finding Love
By Dr. Lynda
Know someone who might need some new insights into finding love? Here’s how mathematics can improve everyone’s chances of finding that special someone!
12 minutes
[ Culture ]
How Cooking Made Us Human
By Dr. Lynda
Why do we cook? Is it just to satisfy our senses or stave off disease? Today we find out how cooking made us into modern humans with larger brains with time on our hands! Fascinating!
7 minutes
[ Art ]
What Claude Monet’s Cataracts Revealed
By Sam Burns
We all know about his fabulous artwork, but we might not all know that Claude Monet developed cataracts. Lucky for us, he was able to show us how they changed his world through his paintings, and It’s Okay to be Smart gives us a deeper look into this…
5 minutes
[ Animals ]
The Orchid That’s Actually an Insect
The Orchid Mantis may look like a gorgeous flower, but behind that beauty is a deadly assassin. Check out how these remarkable creatures use their camouflage to its most deadly–and beautiful–best.
8 minutes
[ Animals ]
A Closer Look at the Dinosaurs with Us Now!
Are dinosaurs still around today? You probably know that birds and dinosaurs are evolutionary cousins, but do you know how we know that? Here’s a deeper look at a piece of knowledge we might normally take for granted!
8 minutes
Meet Your Microbiome!
Did you know you are home to millions of invisible creatures? Say hello your microbiome, the ecosystem of microscopic organisms that help keep you alive!
6 minutes
Our Space Junk Problem: Educating Ourselves for the Future
The era of space exploration hasn’t been long, but it has had an impact. Get better acquainted with our space junk problem and how we can fix it!
8 minutes
[ Animals ]
The Grand History of the Humble Pigeon
Why should we appreciate the humble pigeon a little more? It turns out, pigeons are actually much smarter than we give them credit for, not to mention we share a rich history!
15 minutes
Making Music with Lightning?
Meet ArcAttack, a group making music with Tesla Coils! By combining music, science, and the power of lightning they are taking cool science to the next level.
8 minutes
[ Animals ]
Why Don’t Woodpeckers Get Concussions?
Have you ever asked yourself “Do woodpeckers get concussions?” Well, even if you haven’t, here is the answer that will leave you walking through the world a little smarter!
6 minutes
[ Animals ]
Could Something Called “Slime Mold” Be Smart?
By Dr. Lynda
Just when you thought you could call your enemy an “ignorant piece of slime mold,” scientists have discovered “intelligence” that rivals some of the lapses in the teenage mind! Check this out!
5 minutes
[ Pebbles ]
This is Not a Rainbow: The Science Behind Sundogs
Our skies are capable of creating incredible wonders of light, cloud, and color! Here’s the science behind sundogs, one of the sky’s most brilliant phenomena!
7 minutes
[ Animals ]
Ever Wondered How Bees Make Honey?
Have you ever wondered how bees make honey? These complex creatures aren’t just remarkable, they are a key part of the ecosystems we depend on!
5 minutes
[ Animals ]
Deep Sea Oddities: We Aren’t So Different
By Sam Burns
Our planet is filled with incredible creatures! Dive into the depths of the ocean to explore some of the strangest species we have encountered…
15 minutes
[ Animals ]
Sharks: Do We Really Need Them?
By Dr. Lynda
Since 1975, when the movie “Jaws” came out, the word “shark” has been equated with fear and loathing. But is that a fair assessment… and what happens if they’re gone? Find out with today’s fascinating EWC insights. (Our research even surprised us!)
7 minutes
Snowflake Bentley & His Unique Snowflakes
Have you ever heard someone say “No two snowflakes are alike”? Today we learn the science behind this statement, and learn a little about Snowflake Bentley, the Vermont man who first made this discovery!
