All Stories

  1. Oceans

    Alcatraz escapees could have made it safely to shore

    Detailed simulations of the San Francisco Bay suggest that three prisoners who escaped from the prison on Alcatraz Island in 1962 could have made it safely to shore.

    By Thomas Sumner
  2. Astronomy

    Year in review: Dust obscures possible gravitational wave discovery

    A possible signal from moments after the Big Bang may be due to dust in the Milky Way galaxy.

    By Christopher Crockett
  3. Humans

    Year in review: Old humans reveal secrets

    DNA of the oldest modern humans is rewriting the prehistories of Europe, Siberia and the Americas.

    By Tina Hesman Saey
  4. Planetary Science

    Year in review: Rosetta mission hits its target

    The Rosetta spacecraft and its lander Philae are providing an intimate look at the life of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

    By Ashley Yeager
  5. Neuroscience

    Year in review: Memories vulnerable to manipulation

    New experimental results in 2014 helped bring scientists closer to understanding how the brain manipulates memories to make sense of the world.

    By Laura Sanders
  6. Astronomy

    Gamma-ray bursts may repeatedly wipe out life

    Brief bursts of high-energy radiation may sterilize most planets across the universe, hampering the chances for widespread intelligent life.

    By Andrew Grant
  7. Planetary Science

    Rover finds methane in Mars air, organics in rocks

    NASA’s Curiosity rover has found organic molecules on Mars, but scientists can’t say whether they are a sign of life on the Red Planet.

    By Erin Wayman
  8. Neuroscience

    Cocoa antioxidant sweetens cognition in elderly

    Very high doses of antioxidants found in cocoa may prevent some types of cognitive decline in older adults. But that’s not an excuse to eat more chocolate.

    By Bethany Brookshire
  9. Astronomy

    Year in review: Kepler gets second chance at life

    This year, Kepler engineers figured out how to stabilize the almost-defunct Kepler telescope, while astronomers found hundreds more worlds.

    By Christopher Crockett
  10. Health & Medicine

    Year in review: Risks of e-cigarettes emerge

    Electronic cigarettes dispense water vapor laced with flavors and often a hefty dose of nicotine. These vapors may be far from benign, studies in 2014 suggested.

    By Janet Raloff
  11. Neuroscience

    Year in review: Young blood aids old brains

    Ingredients in young blood can rejuvenate old mice’s bodies and brains, scientists reported in 2014.

    By Laura Sanders
  12. Health & Medicine

    Year in review: Gut reacts to artificial sweeteners

    Saccharin messes with the body’s ability to metabolize fuel, a condition that often precedes diabetes, obesity and other metabolic problems.

    By Rachel Ehrenberg