holidays

Fun in the sun—a look at the science behind summer holiday activities

By Lisa McDonald / July 4, 2023

Outdoor activities are a staple of any summer holiday celebration. Today’s CTT compiles some of our previous posts that explain the science behind a few of these activities.

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Science behind the season—exploring the science of holiday gatherings and Christmas movies

By April Gocha / December 19, 2017

How do you celebrate the year-end holiday season? Whether gathering with family and friends, sharing holiday traditions, exchanging gifts, or watching a favorite holiday movie, there’s science behind the season.

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They know when you are sleeping—Netflix launches socks that sense when you’ve dozed off

By Stephanie Liverani / December 23, 2015

Netflix has a technical solution to a very fundamental problem. The brand recently launched a kit for ambitious do-it-yourselfers to assemble their own pair of socks that detect when you’ve fallen asleep and pause your program so you don’t miss any of the action.

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Merry and bright? NASA satellites track your holiday lights from space

By Jessica McMathis / December 22, 2014

Data from a NASA research team shows that during the holiday seasons—Christmas and New Year’s in the U.S. and Ramadan in the Middle East—the night lights shone brighter, a whole 20 to 50% higher, in fact, than during the rest of the year.

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O Christmas tree: Tinsel’s evolution and tree authenticity pros and cons

By April Gocha / December 19, 2014

Whether you decorate your Christmas tree with tinsel or not, there’s perhaps a more debated question looming—real or artificial? April breaks it down in classic fashion—a pros and cons list.

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A ceramic and glass holiday gift guide for everyone on your Black Friday shopping list

By April Gocha / November 27, 2014

The day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday, is a consumer spending extravaganza—and if you’re going to buy a gift, why not get one fashioned out of your favorite materials? Here are some ceramics and glass gift ideas to help you find the perfect present.

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Organic, ecofriendly, and recyclable: Pine resin and alfalfa-based battery could have more than nine lives

By Jessica McMathis / November 3, 2014

Researchers at Sweden’s Uppsala University have developed an alternative to the lithium battery—an alfalfa and pine resin-based organic battery that can be recycled and recovered.

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