The Why Files

The mission of The Why Files is to explore the science, math and technology behind the news of the day, and to present those topics in a clear, accessible and accurate manner. The Why Files covers science at all institutions that engage in scientific exploration and discovery.
The Why Files produces a new story each week, alternating longer features with shorter shorties. They also post a biweekly column by science reporter Tom Siegfried, a series of interactive science animations, the ever-popular "Cool Science Images," and a series of Teacher Activity Pages linked to the national science standards.

On the interactive end, students can make a rainbow, control a tornado, play with lightening and hit a baseball to learn about air resistance and kinetic energy. You can even choose your own baseball team but sorry, no Red Socks. The team you chose has an impact on the result because of the different altitudes of their hometowns. Students can also vary the speed and angle of the ball to see how far it will go when hit.