All Stories

Earth

50 years ago, scientists dug into Pangaea’s past lives

In 1972, scientists wondered whether Pangaea was Earth’s only supercontinent. Fifty years later, we know it wasn’t the first and it won’t be the last.

Animals

‘Wonderful nets’ of blood vessels protect dolphin and whale brains during dives

Complex networks of blood vessels called retia mirabilia that are associated with cetaceans’ brains and spines have long been a mystery.

Animals

This spider literally flips for its food

The Australian ant-slayer spider’s acrobatics let it feast on insects twice its size, a new study shows,

Climate

Gas flares are leaking five times as much methane than previously thought

The flares burn off methane at 91 percent efficiency. Achieving 98 percent efficiency would be like taking nearly 3 million cars off the road.

Humans

How to get a crying baby to sleep, according to science

Science has come up with a recipe for lulling a crying baby to sleep: Carry them for five minutes, sit for at least five more and then lay them down.

Chemistry

Josep Cornella breaks boundaries to make new and better catalysts

Josep Cornella reinvents chemical reactions essential for agriculture and the pharmaceutical industry.

Earth

Jacky Austermann looks to the solid earth for clues to sea level rise

Jacky Austermann’s work could help inform practical climate change solutions for at-risk coastal cities.

Anthropology

Tina Lasisi wants to untangle the evolution of human hair

Tina Lasisi is pioneering studies of human variation in an ethical and scientifically sound way.

Planetary Science

Robin Wordsworth re-creates the atmosphere of ancient Mars

Robin Wordsworth studies the climates of Mars and other alien worlds to find out whether they could support life.

Computing

Huijia Lin proved that a master tool of cryptography is possible

Cryptographer Huijia Lin showed that the long-sought “indistinguishability obfuscation” is secure from data attacks.

Neuroscience

Emily Jacobs wants to know how sex hormones sculpt the brain

Emily Jacobs studies how the brain changes throughout women’s reproductive years, plus what it all means for health.

Particle Physics

Carlos Argüelles hunts for particles beyond the standard model

Carlos Argüelles overcame hardship and discrimination to pursue a passion for physics.