All Stories
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Science & SocietyFact checking: How to think like a journalist
In an era when much research can be done online, knowing how to assess what ‘facts’ to trust is essential. Unfortunately, it’s also becoming harder than ever.
By Janet Raloff -
PsychologyWarnings may help flag fake news, but they also backfire
Warning that a news story may be false can help people avoid being duped by hoaxes — but not as much as you might think, according to a new study.
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PhysicsThe Milky Way galaxy houses 100 million black holes
Astronomers are estimating the number of black holes in galaxies of all sizes.
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BrainSpying on brains in action
New tools let scientists see inside the brain and nervous system as their research subjects move around.
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AnimalsLight pollution can foil plant-insect hookups
An experiment in remote European meadows shows that light pollution at night can affect the pollination of flowers — even into sunlight hours.
By Susan Milius -
ClimateScientists Say: Weather bomb
Weather doesn’t just affect the air. Huge storms can send waves of pressure through the Earth as well.
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ClimateHere’s why Irma caused some coastal water to temporarily go missing
The first sign of an impending storm surge — and serious danger — may be the sudden, wholesale retreat of water from coastal beaches.
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PlanetsCassini spacecraft takes its final bow
Twenty years after it left Earth, NASA’s Cassini mission is about to end — with a crash into Saturn.
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ClimateFive portraits of Hurricane Irma’s record-breaking fury
A series of remarkable images capture Hurricane Irma’s power and might — and the lessons they can teach scientists.
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PhysicsThe quantum world is mind-bogglingly weird
At the smallest scales, particles are ghostly and ill-behaved. No one understands them, but that doesn’t keep scientists from trying.
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PhysicsExplainer: Quantum is the world of the super small
The word quantum often gets misused. What does it mean? Think small. Really, really small.
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Health & MedicineThe five-second rule: Designing an experiment
Is it true that food is still clean if it’s picked up off the floor before five seconds have passed? To find out, we designed an experiment to give us data.