All Stories
- Paleontology
Sea stars sighted predators 79 million years ago
Sea stars may have evolved complex lenselike structures to detect and evade predators at least 79 million years ago.
- Science & Society
Misconduct found in Japanese stem cell research
An investigation into reports describing a type of stem cells called STAP cells has found that the lead researcher is guilty of scientific misconduct.
- Genetics
Neandertal legacy written in Europeans’ fat metabolism
DNA inherited from Neandertal interbreeding may have helped people adjust to Europe’s environment.
By Meghan Rosen - Animals
Zebra stripes may be mainly defense against flies
The function of zebra stripes may not be for camouflage or cooling, a new analysis finds.
By Susan Milius - Climate
World unprepared for changing climate, IPCC says
The latest intergovernmental report says planetwide impacts continue.
- Archaeology
Black Death grave reveals secrets of 14th century life
Skeletons dug up by London Crossrail excavations are giving scientists a more detailed look at the bubonic plague, or Black Death, of the 1300s.
- Earth
Evolution of river systems
A river’s erosion downward and across a landscape is based on a variety of factors, including terrain steepness and the arrangement of tributaries.
By Sid Perkins - Genetics
Gene editing reverses liver disorder in mice
By editing a mouse's genes with bacterial proteins, scientists have reversed a rare liver disorder in the animal.
- Paleontology
Microbes indicted in ancient mass extinction
About 252 million years ago an estimated 96 percent of all species were wiped from Earth, and now scientists have a new suspect in the killing — methane-belching microbes.
- Psychology
Twenty-two emotions are written on our faces
People’s faces express at least 22 feelings – far more than the six emotions scientists previously recognized.
By Meghan Rosen - Health & Medicine
Daylight saving time linked to heart attacks
Hospital admissions for heart attacks increases after daylight savings time starts, a study suggests.
By Nathan Seppa - Health & Medicine
This rare skull-thickening disease led to a 3-D-printed replacement
A skull implant made with a 3-D printer replaced the 2-inch-thick skull of a Dutch woman with the rare van Buchem disease.