All Stories

  1. Astronomy

    Kepler’s surprise: Planet hunter also found supernovas

    NASA's now-defunct Kepler space telescope captured five stellar explosions as they happened.

    By
  2. Agriculture

    Some bioenergy crops are greener than others

    In the Upper Midwest, switchgrass trumps maize at boosting ecological health.

    By
  3. Psychology

    The most (and least) realistic movie psychopaths ever

    A forensic psychologist spent three years watching 400 movies to trace portrayals of psychopaths.

    By
  4. Science & Society

    Tracking fireballs for science

    Watching a meteor race across the night sky is a romantic experience. And now it can be a scientific one as well.

    By
  5. Health & Medicine

    ‘Good bacterium’ prevents colic symptoms in newborns

    Crying time was nearly halved in babies receiving the beneficial microbe.

    By
  6. Health & Medicine

    Baby-cam captures an infant’s world

    What do babies see all day? Faces. Lots of faces.

    By
  7. Genetics

    Microbe and human genes influence stomach cancer risk

    When genes of the bacterium and its human host evolve together, the strain is less harmful than that same strain in a person whose ancestors didn't encounter that particular microbe.

    By
  8. Health & Medicine

    Green tea may sabotage blood pressure medication

    Antioxidants in drink may keep intestinal cells from taking up drug.

    By
  9. Astronomy

    Galaxies’ missing mass may hide in gas clouds

    Vast reservoirs of previously undetected gas could account for much of galaxies’ matter, solving a cosmic mystery.

    By
  10. Cosmology

    From Dust to Life

    In about 300 pages, this book sums up the history of all that matters — or at least everything made of matter — from the Big Bang to life on Earth.

    By
  11. Life

    Feedback

    Readers respond to microbe counts, engineered organs and how to map the universe.

    By
  12. Animals

    Wrinkle arises in soggy hand studies

    An experiment bucks earlier finding that ridges help fingers grasp.

    By