News

  1. Astronomy

    Cosmic Doomsday Scenario: Phantom energy would trigger the Big Rip

    According to a new model, the universe may end with a Big Rip—every galaxy, star, planet, molecule, and atom torn asunder and the cosmos ceasing to exist some 21 billion years from now.

    By Ron Cowen
  2. Humans

    Doctoral seesaw

    Throughout most of the 1990s, the number of doctoral degrees that U.S. universities awarded in science and engineering climbed steadily, to 27,300 in 1998, but by 2001, the number had dropped to 25,500, the lowest number since 1993.

    By Janet Raloff

  3. Feline Finding: Mutations produce black house cats, jaguars

    Mutations in two different genes, which lead to black fur in house cats, jaguars, and jaguarundis, may have protected the black felines from an epidemic long ago.