All Stories
- Earth
Explainer: Understanding geologic time
Geologic time is unimaginably long. Geologists puzzle it out using a calendar called the Geologic Time Scale.
- Animals
Tiger sharks feast when migratory birds fall out of the sky
Migrating land-based birds that fall from the sky as they cross the Gulf of Mexico can end up in the belly of a young tiger shark.
- Animals
This tiny dinosaur is officially T. rex’s cousin
A newly identified dinosaur species fills a gap in the tyrannosaur family tree.
- Earth
Dry sand can bubble like the blobs in a lava lamp
Put two types of sand grains together in a chamber and they can flow like fluids. All it takes is a jiggle and some gas.
- Physics
Scientists Say: Light pollution
Light pollution is when artificial light shines into places that are normally dark. It can disrupt the lives of plants, animals and people.
- Physics
Dying stars can make gold as they collapse into black holes
There are spinning stars in space. Some of them collapse into black holes. Along the way, they may generate a lot of heavy elements — including gold.
- Math
For these artists, math is their muse
Artists around the world are finding inspiration in the curves, equations and patterns of mathematics. Here are some of their stories.
- Health & Medicine
New risk from too much screentime
Americans of all ages are sitting more, according to a new national survey. And health experts find that worrisome.
- Planets
Was that a Marsquake?
‘Marsquakes’ could help scientists learn more about the Red Planet’s inner activity.
- Computing
This robot’s parts are helpless alone, but turn smart as they team up
In a new system called “particle robotics,” many small, simple helpless units can seemingly come to life and start moving when amassed into a team.
- Health & Medicine
Scientists Say: Myopia
Myopia is nearsightedness, where people have trouble seeing far away objects. This happens if someone’s eyes are slightly oval, instead of perfect spheres.
- Earth
A million tiny quakes shook Southern California — and no one knew
By putting millions of tiny quakes on record, scientists hope to learn more about what triggers the big ones.
