iD (Ideas & Discoveries) is an intriguing science and technology magazine that delves deep to help readers discover answers to questions about science, nature, psychology, history, current events and more. With captivating photography and design and engaging editorial content, iD will have readers thinking about the world around them in a whole new way.
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…THIS MY FIRST FLYING LESSON, AND MY INSTRUCTOR HAS PASSED OUT! • Max Sylvester is flying at 6,200 feet when the most dramatic 45 minutes of his life begin. The audio of his conversation with the air traffic controller shows several heroes at work…
iD (Ideas & Discoveries)
THE SECRET LIFE OF BATS • At times they have been considered to be demons that are in league with witches and the Devil. In some parts of the world bats are hunted down and exterminated even today. Many people are afraid of them—in part because of their reputation for spreading disease. But in recent years scientists have been discovering more and more about their positive qualities: Bats are a lot more beneficial than they are given credit for—indeed, like their namesake Batman, some of them even rise to the rank of superheroes.
THE DARK POWER OF DREAMS • We’ve all had them, those sinister images of the night: frightening events, terrifying feelings, alarming encounters, shadowy figures—nightmares we would like to forget as fast as possible. But science is now saying that would be a mistake, because it is precisely these dark, distressing dreams that actually tell us who we really are…
A DICTIONARY OF DREAM SYMBOLS • The images we see in our dreams have meaning in the context of the circumstances. It’s important to stress that the analysis of dreams is a very inexact science, and some authorities are quite harsh in their criticism. Neuroscientist Patrick McNamara, who has written books and articles on the science of dreams, says, “There’s no scientifically supported system of dream interpretation. Most of it is garbage, pure and simple.” Still, some interpretations are more widely accepted than others. Here are some common ones, from A to Z.
THE SCIENCE OF STINGS • Insects with a stinger or biting proboscis run the gamut from pesky to pestilential to downright pernicious. But how exactly do they attack us?
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A WASP STINGS?
THE PAIN INDEX • The pain an insect sting causes depends on the size of the stinger as well as on the amount of toxin and its content. Duration of pain also varies widely: According to the Schmidt Sting Pain Index, it can range from 5 minutes (Level 1) to 10 minutes (Level 2) to 30 minutes (Level 3) to 5 hours or more (Level 4).
HOW CAN I DEFEND MYSELF AGAINST TOXIC PEOPLE? • They hijack our thoughts, manipulate our behavior, and endanger our health: On average, 1 out of 10 of the people in our lives means us no good. But how can we recognize a toxic person? What types of toxicity are there? And how can we neutralize these energy vampires?
THE 10 TOXIC CHARACTER TYPES • How to Recognize a Toxic Person
WHO WOULD BE THE LAST TO KNOW IF THE WORLD CAME TO AN END? • When the U.S. Navy’s nuclear submarines leave port, they disappear underwater for up to three months at a time—with no break and essentially no communication with the outside world. The goal is maximum deterrence: the credible threat of wiping out the entire planet in a matter of minutes. And now a new generation of submarines is scheduled to join the fleet. Get a first glimpse of the plans on the pages that follow…
SSBN-X FIERCE NEW WEAPON • The abbreviation SSBN stands for “ship submersible ballistic nuclear.” The Columbia class is designed to replace the Ohio class as...