cover of the August 23, 2014 Science News

In the August 23 SN: Snagging an asteroid, redefining feathered dinos, moose slobber for sabotage, fonts built from math, termites tap an SOS and remembering the passenger pigeon.

August 23, 2014

Nicolle Rager Fuller (cover); COURTESY OF PASCALE GOLINVAUX/RBINS (right)

Archives

Feature

NASA bets on asteroid mission as best path to Mars

NASA wants to bag an asteroid using robotic arms or an enormous sack and place the rock in the moon’s orbit for study. This may keep astronauts working but not, as NASA claims, get them Mars-ready.

3 years ago

Planetary Science,
Technology,
Science & Society
News

Domesticated animals’ juvenile appearance tied to embryonic cells

Mild defects in embryonic cells could explain physical similarities along with tameness across domesticated species.

3 years ago

Evolution,
Cells,
Animals
Science Stats

Survey catalogs what is stressing out Americans

Along with work and other responsibilities, health problems are prominent causes of stress.

3 years ago

Health
News

Early life probably fell victim to massive space rocks

Planet-sterilizing impacts probably snuffed out early life on Earth until around 4.3 billion years ago.

3 years ago

Earth,
Planetary Science
News

Merging magma can set off supervolcanoes in less than 10,000 years

The reconstruction of a massive eruption 4.5 million years ago near Yellowstone National Park suggests that magma chambers merging together beneath a supervolcano can trigger explosions in less than 10,000 years.

3 years ago

Earth
Reviews & Previews

Music soothes the aging brain in film ‘Alive Inside’

A social worker highlighted in a new documentary goes on a quest to bring tunes to nursing homes.

3 years ago

Neuroscience,
Health
News

Voyager may not have entered interstellar space, after all

Two scientists argue that Voyager 1 space probe is still in solar bubble, despite NASA’s announcements to the contrary.

3 years ago

Astronomy,

Voyager
News

Feathered dinosaurs may have been the rule, not the exception

Newly discovered fossil suggests feathers may have been common among all dinosaur species.

3 years ago

Paleontology,
Evolution
Science Visualized

Ups and downs in the quest for clean air

Satellite views reveal good news on U.S. air pollution trends.

3 years ago

Pollution
News in Brief

Recycled water may flood urban parks with dangerous germs

Irrigating city parks with recycled water may flood the soil with drug-resistant microbes.

3 years ago

Pollution