All Stories

Space

Here’s an easier new way to weigh a black hole

The timing of flickers in the gas and dust of a black hole’s accretion disk correlates to its mass, a new study finds.

Earth

Let’s learn about meteor showers

Meteor showers happen when Earth’s orbit passes through trails of debris left behind by comets or asteroids.

Animals

A spider’s feet hold a hairy, sticky secret

Their widespread stickiness traces to the shape of hairs on its feet, scientists now find.

Earth

Scientists Say: Magma and lava

The word magma refers to molten rock deep inside Earth. That rock is called lava when it reaches Earth’s surface.

Planets

Jupiter’s intense auroras heat up its atmosphere

Jupiter’s hotter-than-expected upper atmosphere may be warmed by charged particles slamming into the air above the poles.

Earth

Explainer: How auroras light up the sky

The northern and southern lights are considered natural wonders of the world. Here’s how these and related splendid sky glows form.

Chemistry

Chemists win Nobel Prize for faster, cleaner way of making molecules

Both scientists independently came up with new process — asymmetric organocatalysis. That name may be a mouthful, but it’s not that hard to understand.

Chemistry

Explainer: In chemistry, what does it mean to be organic?

These are molecules formed by combining carbon with other elements, especially hydrogen.

Brain

A sense of touch could upgrade virtual reality, prosthetics and more

Scientists and engineers are trying to add touch to online shopping, virtual doctor appointments and artificial limbs.

Climate

Research on climate and more brings trio the 2021 physics Nobel Prize

Syukuro Manabe and Klaus Hasselmann pioneered work on simulations of Earth’s climate. Giorgio Parisi probed complex materials.

Life

Well-known wildflower turns out to be a secret meat-eater

Look closely at Triantha occidentalis, and you’ll see gluey hairs — and a trail of insect corpses on its stem.