All Stories
- Planetary Science
50 years ago, an Earth-based telescope spotted Saturn’s fourth ring
Scientists now rely on spacecraft to chart the intricate rings of the gas giant.
- Environment
When it’s hot, plants become a surprisingly large source of air pollution
During a heat wave, trees and shrubs can sharply raise ozone levels, a new study shows.
- Animals
Orangutans take motherhood to extremes, nursing young for more than eight years
Weaning in orangutans has been tricky to see in the wild, so researchers turned to dental tests to reveal long nursing period.
- Life
Jumping genes are part of all that makes us human
Ask 10 people what makes humans human and you’ll probably get 10 different answers — and then some.
- Health & Medicine
Readers ponder the randomness of DNA errors
Readers sent feedback on cellular slip-ups, moon mayhem and more.
- Archaeology
Chaco Canyon’s ancient civilization continues to puzzle
A dynasty may have risen from the dead in an ancient Chaco great house.
- Climate
Higher temperatures could trigger an uptick in damselfly cannibalism
Experiments in the lab suggest that increases in temperature could indirectly lead to an increase in cannibalistic damselfly nymphs.
- Animals
Blennies have a lot of fang for such little fishes
Unlike snakes, blennies evolved fangs before venom, through probably not because of any need to hunt big prey.
- Genetics
Jumping genes play a big role in what makes us human
Jumping genes have been a powerful force in human evolution.
- Health & Medicine
Where you live can affect your blood pressure, study suggests
For black adults, moving out of a racially segregated neighborhood is linked to a drop in blood pressure, a new study finds.
- Physics
Naked singularity might evade cosmic censor
Physicists demonstrate the possibility of a “naked” singularity in curved space.
- Science & Society
The first Cassini to explore Saturn was a person
Cassini, the spacecraft about to dive into Saturn, was named for the astronomical pioneer who first perceived the gap between the planet’s famous rings.
