Archimedes of Syracuse was an ancient Greek mathematician, physicist, engineer, and inventor whose principle of water displacement inspired the design of the World’s Coolest Rain Gauge®. He wrote about the discovery in his famous work On Floating Bodies — and more than 2,000 years later, here we are, still having fun watching things float in water.

Archimedes Backyard: Resources For The Modern Gardener

word written on window

Does 100% Humidity Mean Rain? Humidity Explained

Does 100% humidity mean rain? Not necessarily. Learn what relative humidity actually measures, why it can rain when humidity is below 100%, and how dew point, evaporation, fog and virga...

Does 100% Humidity Mean Rain? Humidity Explained

Does 100% humidity mean rain? Not necessarily. Learn what relative humidity actually measures, why it can rain when humidity is below 100%, and how dew point, evaporation, fog and virga...

woman and dog in rain boots

Drizzle, Showers, Downpours and Cloudbursts: Wh...

Drizzle, steady rain, showers and downpours aren't just different names for the same weather. Learn what separates these types of rain, why rainfall intensity matters and why an inch of...

Drizzle, Showers, Downpours and Cloudbursts: Wh...

Drizzle, steady rain, showers and downpours aren't just different names for the same weather. Learn what separates these types of rain, why rainfall intensity matters and why an inch of...

child in raincoat looking at rain

How Far Does a Raindrop Fall—and Why Doesn’t Ev...

How far does a raindrop fall, how fast does it travel, and why does some rain never reach the ground? Follow a raindrop from cloud to ground and learn about...

How Far Does a Raindrop Fall—and Why Doesn’t Ev...

How far does a raindrop fall, how fast does it travel, and why does some rain never reach the ground? Follow a raindrop from cloud to ground and learn about...

raindrops falling on an outstretched hand

Raindrop Size, Shape and Speed: What Raindrops ...

Raindrops aren't really teardrop-shaped. Learn what raindrops actually look like, how big they can get, how fast they fall and why the largest drops break apart before reaching the ground.

Raindrop Size, Shape and Speed: What Raindrops ...

Raindrops aren't really teardrop-shaped. Learn what raindrops actually look like, how big they can get, how fast they fall and why the largest drops break apart before reaching the ground.

umbrellas in the rain

How Does Rain Form—and Why Do Some Clouds Produ...

How does rain actually form? Follow the journey from invisible water vapor to cloud droplets and falling rain—and discover why some clouds stay dry while others produce drizzle, steady rain...

How Does Rain Form—and Why Do Some Clouds Produ...

How does rain actually form? Follow the journey from invisible water vapor to cloud droplets and falling rain—and discover why some clouds stay dry while others produce drizzle, steady rain...

dog looking up at snow falling

Rain, Snow, Sleet and Freezing Rain: What Deter...

Rain, snow, sleet and freezing rain can all come from the same storm. What reaches the ground depends on the layers of warm and cold air precipitation encounters on the...

Rain, Snow, Sleet and Freezing Rain: What Deter...

Rain, snow, sleet and freezing rain can all come from the same storm. What reaches the ground depends on the layers of warm and cold air precipitation encounters on the...