All Stories
- Animals
Whether froglets switch sexes distinguishes ‘sex races’
Rana temporaria froglets start all female in one region of Europe; in another region, new froglets of the same species have gonads of either sex.
- Chemistry
Shipwrecked bubbly gives chemists a taste of the past
Champagne preserved at the bottom of the Baltic Sea for 170 years has given chemists a glimpse of past winemaking methods.
- Tech
Smart card taps track clogs on London’s Tube
To make public subway systems more efficient, researchers track smart card taps and flag problem stations.
- Plants
Bits of bacterial DNA naturally lurk inside sweet potatoes
Samples of cultivated sweet potatoes worldwide carry DNA from Agrobacterium cousin of bacterium used for GMOs.
- Astronomy
Cosmic rays misbehave in space station experiment
A puzzling feature in a new cosmic ray census may force physicists to rethink which cosmic objects send these speedy particles hurtling across the galaxy.
- Ecosystems
Before you plant this spring, consider the birds
A study of Chicago neighborhoods finds that the plants in private yards influence the variety of birds that live in the area.
- Astronomy
Color differences could recalibrate cosmic acceleration rate
Color differences in a class of supernovas could lower estimates of how much dark energy is in the universe.
- Psychology
Big ears don’t necessarily come with baggage
In a small study, adults judged children and teens with big ears as intelligent and likable.
- Planetary Science
Before moon landings, scientists thought dust or crust might disrupt touchdown
Moon dust didn’t swallow spacecraft as was suggested in the 1960s. Successful exploration since that has changed our view of the moon.
- Science & Society
Expedition’s plants illustrated, build your own robot, and more
Three museum exhibits allow visitors to explore 18th century botanical art, natural disasters and robots.
- Animals
Tales of the bedbug, one of the world’s most reviled insects
‘Infested’ captivates with stories about the bloodsucking insects. Resurgent in many areas in the United States, bedbugs are the fastest-growing moneymaker in pest control.
- Neuroscience
Sky’s brilliant hues may help bodies keep time
The internal clocks of mice are sensitive to changes in the sky’s colors. Humans’ clocks may work similarly, offering a tool to trump jet lag.
