All Stories
- Materials Science
Shape-shifting cuts give shoes a better grip
With pop-out structures inspired by kirigami and animals, a shoe sole goes from flat to spiky to boost friction on slippery surfaces such as ice.
- Animals
Tube-dwelling sea creatures may be oldest known parasites
A fossil bed of clam-like animals from a half-billion years ago is covered in tube-dwelling organisms. These suggest the tube dwellers were parasites, scientists now report.
- Agriculture
Scientists Say: Prairie
Prairies are flat, fertile grasslands in North America. They are their own unique ecosystem.
- Health & Medicine
Ah-choo! Healthy sneezes, coughs sound just like sick ones to us
Think you can tell a sick cough from a healthy one? Think again. New research finds the human ear isn’t sensitive enough to tell the difference.
- Physics
A contrast between shadows and light can now generate electricity
A new device exploits the contrast between bright spots and shade to produce a current that can power small electronics.
- Archaeology
Let’s learn about mummies
A mummy is a preserved body. They’re fun and spooky, but also a great chance to learn about people of the past.
- Fossils
Fossil stomach reveals a dinosaur’s last meal
A rare fossilized stomach reveals a dino’s dining preferences. It also provides clues to the ecosystem in which the reptile lived.
- Health & Medicine
Millions of likely U.S. COVID-19 cases have gone undiagnosed
Over just three weeks in March, some 8.7 million people in the United States may have contracted COVID-19. That far surpasses the official tally.
- Planets
Developing planet emerges in a swirl of gas
Images of a young star 520 light-years away show a spiral of gas and dust swirling around it. A twist inside the spiral appears to be a planet forming.
- Space
Scientists Say: GPS
A GPS system relies on satellites orbiting the planet, constantly sending signals back to receivers on Earth.
- Animals
Bumblebees may bite leaves to spur plant blooming
In a pollen shortage, some bees nick holes in tomato leaves. This can speed up flowering and pollen production by weeks.
- Animals
Let’s learn about bioluminescence
Some animals, bacteria and algae produce their own light. This bioluminescence can attract mates or protect from predators.
