“On legendary Easter Island, scientists undertake a groundbreaking expedition: to map a vast cave system.” — NatGeo

“Building a massive space weapon is all very well, but you have to find the materials to build it with. It’s easy to say that ‘sure, the Death Star would be expensive’ but is there actually enough iron in the Earth to make the first Death Star? Centives decided to find out.” w/ photos

“Enjoy the 50-mph roller coaster ride these bottles take as they’re filled with 80-proof Bacardi Rum.” — NatGeo

“Explore the making of this ubiquitous material and the innovations it has made possible, from the Gateway Arch to medical devices.” — NatGeo

“Lose an hour in the morning, said 19th-century philosopher Richard Whately, and you will be all day hunting for it. Two centuries on, however, escaping the warm duvet is a real battle for many, which can result in a morning of mad and desperate rushing. There’s a sense of powerlessness when it comes to getting up. Whatever else we’ve overcome in life, we feel we’ll never overcome our addiction to the snooze button. And what’s to be gained from it anyway? What advantage is there in an early start to the day?” w/ photos

“Tougher than steel and intricately woven, spiders’ webs are certainly a natural wonder. Now a team of scientists has worked out why they are resilient enough to withstand the force of hurricanes and fierce attacks from predators. It is not just the remarkable strength of the silk, but its clever design. The key to a web’s success is its ability to remain intact and even stronger after threads break, say researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. They say the findings could be used to help design fail-safe buildings and even a new generation of unbreakable materials.” w/ photos

“It is often associated with uncleanliness and leaves many of us left feeling embarrassed when it appears. But, according to scientists, a bit of sweat may not be a bad thing – particularly if you are single this Valentine’s Day. A new book claims men and women should hang on to their perspiration in order to attract new lovers, as well as to maintain the interest of their current ones. Gabriele Froböse, who co-authored the Royal Society of Chemistry book Lust and Love, Is it More Than Chemistry – with her husband, said: ‘Pheromones are what we call here in Germany Sexuallockstoffe, which work on men and on women alike. ‘Those pheromones are included in the sweat. This is why some girls like to wear the T-shirts of their boyfriend and vice versa.” w/ photos

“It is often said that love is a drug. But romance really does work in a similar way to addiction to illegal substances – it triggers a reaction in the same part of the brain, scientists have revealed. Those smitten will produce an emotional response in the part of the grey matter normally involved with motivation and reward. Our brains have been hardwired to choose a mate, and we become so motivated to win them over that we are sometimes willing to go to extreme lengths.” w/ photos

“The Hyrax may look like a guinea pig to the casual observer but looks can be very deceptive. It has even been called the rock rabbit but its family tree is much stranger than you might expect. Its nearest living relatives are the elephant and, bizarrely, the sea cow.” w/ photos

“A soothing massage does more than relax aching muscles, scientists have discovered. It reduces inflammation at the molecular level, mimicking the action of pain killing drugs, research suggests. Massage also promotes the growth of new mitochondria, the energy-generating ‘powerplants’ in cells… ‘This study provides evidence that manipulative therapies, such as massage, may be justifiable in medical practice.” w/ photos