All Stories
- Earth
Tiny air pollutants inflame airways and harm heart
New studies show how tiny bits of air pollution, called particulate matter, can lead to health problems ranging from chronic runny noses to heart disease.
- Animals
How the house mouse found its home
Once people started settling down 15,000 years ago, a mouse species followed them indoors. The animals didn’t need people to be farming and storing food.
- Animals
Nighttime lights can dim a firefly’s flash
Fireflies blink to attract mates. But when it’s too bright at night, the insects may stay away.
- Space
How the solar system’s tail disappeared
A bubble envelops the planets and other material in the solar system. New data show it does not have a long tail but is round.
- Earth
Scientists Say: Continent
A continent is a large land mass. Geologists recognize six of them — Africa, Antarctica, Eurasia, Australia, North America and South America.
- Health & Medicine
Needle-free blood typing may be on the way
A teen in Kuwait presents data suggesting how, one day, it may be possible to figure out your blood type just by shining infrared light into your skin.
- Life
Weird mega-worm found to have odd diet
Giant shipworms have bacteria in their gills that produce food for them. This has made their digestive organs shrink from lack of use.
- Health & Medicine
A light-filled box could blast bacteria from lab coats
Doctors can pick up bacteria on their lab coats. A teen has designed a special light-filled box to keep those coats from infecting others with those germs.
- Chemistry
Cool Jobs: Counting calories
Do calories count? A nutrition label doesn’t tell the whole story. Meet three researchers working to shed light on the complex connections between food and health.
- Health & Medicine
Explainer: All about the calorie
Calories are a measure of how much energy is in a food. But when it comes to powering our bodies, not all calories are equally available to the body.
- Materials Science
Teen’s invention could help light up bikes at night
A teen researcher from Georgia has developed a light that could replace reflectors on bike wheels. Flexing tires provide all the power it needs.
- Animals
Toss and slap — how dolphins disarm a dangerous meal
Octopus can be a deadly meal, especially if you don’t have hands to cut it up. But dolphins in Australia have figured out how to eat octopus without choking to death.
