All Stories
- Animals
Poop-eating gulls can be pain in the butt for seal pups
The birds can harm baby fur seals as they try to dine on fresh parasites in the pups’ feces.
- Brain
Brains may need flexible networks to learn well
New data suggest that brain cells may learn best when they are able to easily make and break off communications with neighbors — or distant brain regions.
- Animals
Three simple rules guide fire ants in building towers
Fire ants build towers of ants to protect themselves during a flood. New research reveals the simple rules that guide how they do this, no foreman needed.
- Chemistry
Scientists Say: Capsaicin
This chemical is produced by pepper plants and gives them their hot flavor.
- Chemistry
Recycling urine may be a way to boost plant growth
A new chemical method makes nutrient-rich fertilizers from human urine.
- Animals
As trees come down, some hidden homes are disappearing
Animals such as frogs, toucans and possums live in tree hollows. But as people have cut down trees, a wildlife housing shortage has developed in some places.
- Climate
Picturing how many Great Salt Lakes Harvey dropped onto Texas
Harvey’s astounding rainfall shattered records. The numbers are so high that it can be tough to picture what they mean. Here we give it a try.
- Chemistry
Meet the world’s smallest monster trucks
These DNA-scale nano-vehicles surprised chemists. The bonds that hold their atomic building blocks in place grip the wheels more strongly than anyone had expected.
- Animals
Camo might have helped this armored dinosaur avoid becoming lunch
An armored dinosaur the size of a Japanese sedan also wore camouflage, a new analysis of its skin suggests.
- Genetics
Molecular scissors fix disease-causing flaw in human embryos
Researchers moved closer to being able to fix gene-edited embryos in people. They removed a flawed gene that causes heart failure
- Chemistry
Scientists Say: Graphene
This is a single layer of carbon atoms, linked to each other in a flat sheet. It’s super strong, super flexible and conducts current, too.
- Climate
Hurricane Harvey proved to be a tornado master
Harvey and other hurricanes have spawned tornadoes — sometimes by the dozens. And these tropical cyclones don’t need the typical recipe to spin those twisters loose.
