All Stories
- Animals
Animal graveyard found in deeply buried Antarctic lake
Mud from Antarctica’s Lake Mercer surprised scientists with what appeared to be the carcasses of tiny animals. A neighboring lake had only microbes.
- Animals
A Bolivian frog species returns from the dead
A Bolivian frog was missing in the wild for 10 years. Scientists feared chytrid fungus had driven the frog extinct. Then they found 5 survivors.
- Materials Science
How to turn a greenhouse into a powerhouse
See-through solar cells could turn greenhouses into solar power plants.
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Scientists Say: Gyroscope
Gyroscopes are devices that measure the three-dimensional orientation of an object. They can be found in objects as varied as smartphones and space telescopes.
- Climate
Earth’s permafrost is heating up
Climate change is warming Earth’s permafrost — and in some places thawing it. This could lead to massive releases of planet-warming greenhouse gases.
- Computing
Rise of the botnets
Botnets are armies of connected, infected computers that attack websites and other online businesses. Some scientists have found ways to use connected computers for good, too.
- Health & Medicine
For coughing up phlegm, water is key
Patients with diseases like cystic fibrosis get lungs filled with sticky mucus. Adding water could be the key to getting that phlegm out.
- Health & Medicine
Explainer: The benefits of phlegm, mucus and snot
There are many types of mucus in the body. They might seem gross, but these gloppy goos are the first line of defense against infection.
- Animals
Some male hummingbirds wield their bills as weapons
The shape of some hummingbird bills may reflect a trade-off between drinking nectar and fighting off the competition.
- Health & Medicine
Friendly adults help teens stand up against bullies
In the movies, kid heroes often intervene to stop bullies. What makes that happen in reality? A good family life and trustworthy teachers can help.
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Scientists Say: Petrichor
There is no smell quite like that of fresh soil after a rainstorm. That smell has a name — petrichor — and scientists even know how it’s made.
- Fossils
This robot shows how an ancient creature might have walked
Scientists used fossils, footprints, a computer models and a life-sized walking robot to find out how an ancient creature moved.
