All Stories

  1. Materials Science

    Oxygen sneaks into titanium, making it brittle

    Oxygen atoms trigger defects in titanium’s atomic structure, making the metal brittle.

    By Beth Mole
  2. Physics

    Temperatures taken in the realm of the tiny

    Aluminum and other materials can serve as their own thermometers at nanometer scales, opening up the possibility of taking the temperature of tiny computer transistors.

    By Andrew Grant
  3. Neuroscience

    Shots of brain cells restore learning, memory in rats

    Scientists healed damage caused to rats’ brains from radiation by injecting cells that replenish the insulation on neurons.

    By Kate Baggaley
  4. Neuroscience

    With good timing, experiences can rewire old brains

    New experiences can rewire old brains — but the timing has to be just right.

    By Ashley Yeager
  5. Paleontology

    Ancient wolf skulls challenge dog domestication timeline

    A 3-D analysis of two ancient canine skulls from Russia and Belgium suggests the fossils were of wolves, not dogs.

    By Helen Thompson
  6. Animals

    Tropical wasps memorize friendly faces

    A social wasp species uses sight and smell to keep intruders from hijacking their nests.

    By Helen Thompson
  7. Planetary Science

    New Horizons snaps new photos of Pluto

    Pluto and its moon Charon appear as two smudges in the first pictures taken since New Horizons came out of hibernation.

    By Christopher Crockett
  8. Neuroscience

    How the brain sees follow-through

    The follow-through on your golf swing is more than just a way to use up extra energy. It’s part of how your brain “sees” a movement.

    By Bethany Brookshire
  9. Health & Medicine

    Handheld device turns smartphone into diagnostic tool

    A compact device can process a blood sample to diagnose HIV or syphilis when attached to a smartphone.

    By Nathan Seppa
  10. Health & Medicine

    E-cigarettes lower immunity to flu and other germs

    Electronic cigarettes produce substantial amounts of lung inflammation, a new mouse study finds. They may also reduce the ability to fight off infections from strep and flu germs.

    By Janet Raloff
  11. Paleontology

    Monkeys reached Americas about 36 million years ago

    Peruvian fossils suggest ancient African primates somehow crossed the Atlantic Ocean and gave rise to South American monkeys.

    By Bruce Bower
  12. Earth

    Geologists discover tectonic plate’s slippery underbelly

    Slippery layer of partially melted rock underneath tectonic plate revealed using reflected dynamite blast vibrations.

    By Thomas Sumner