All Stories
- Animals
Nature shows how dragons might breathe fire
Fire-breathing dragons can’t live anywhere outside of a book or TV. But nature provides some guidance as to how they might get their flames. If they existed, anyway.
- Earth
Dirty air can harm your brain and stress the body
New research shows that polluted air can mess with the bodies — including the brains — of even healthy kids and teens.
- Health & Medicine
2016 election stressed out some teens and young adults
Some teens and young adults felt stress, anxiety and fear during the 2016 election — no matter what political candidates they tended to prefer.
- Health & Medicine
Scientists offer new explanation for knuckle-cracking
That annoying pop may come from the partial collapse of bubbles in the joint fluid.
- Earth
Plastic taints most bottled water, study finds
Tiny bits of plastic contaminated nearly every tested sample of bottled water from nine countries. Whether ingesting the plastic might pose some risk remains unknown.
- Life
Scientists Say: Kelp
Kelp is a kind of seaweed that forms huge forests under the ocean. But it isn’t a plant; it’s a type of algae.
- Computing
Computers mine online reviews for signs of food poisoning
Health officials are getting help in identifying restaurant goers who got food poisoning by teaching computers to scout social-media posts for signs of illness.
- Agriculture
Can anything stop the big pig invasion?
Millions of wild pigs roam North America, causing billions of dollars in damage every year. Scientists are looking for new ways to stop the swine.
- Computing
Zap! Laser tattoos could create electronics to eat or wear
Lasers can tattoo a nontoxic form of carbon onto everyday items. This one day could lead to wearable — even edible — electronics.
- Health & Medicine
Analyze This: The power in being understanding of your flaws
Expecting nothing but perfection from yourself can lead to depression. Forgiving yourself after mistakes can lower your risk of feeling bad, a new study finds.
- Tech
Electricity sensor harnesses a shark’s secret weapon
A new “quantum” material mimics the sensors that help a shark sense its prey. Like a shark, it can detect tiny electric fields.
- Animals
Light at night lengthens how long birds can spread West Nile virus
Light at night prolongs the time it takes these birds to knock out a West Nile infection. Mosquitoes that bite them during this time can pick up and spread their virus to others — even people.
