All Stories
- Science & Society
Will we know alien life when we see it?
The hunt is on for extraterrestrials. But recognizing them may require some wiggle room in what we define as being alive.
- Earth
Keeping space missions from infecting Earth and other worlds
Scientists are always looking for ways to stop Earthly microbes from polluting other planets. The same goes for bringing bits of other planets back to Earth.
- Science & Society
Fossils point to Neandertal diets — and medicine use
Whether Neandertals were largely meat-eaters or vegans depended on their environment, fossils now suggest. Their teeth also indicate they used natural medicines.
- Brain
Scientists Say: Synapse
When brain cells need to pass messages, they do it without touching, across a space called a synapse.
- Psychology
People tend to tune out details of ‘female’ jobs
Stories about people performing ‘women’s’ jobs are less memorable, a teen’s research finds.
- Earth
Deep-sea dump: Trash is collecting on the Arctic seafloor
Trash is building up on the bottom of the Arctic Ocean, including plastic bags, glass shards and fishing nets.
- Science & Society
Cool Jobs: Reaching out to E.T. is a numbers game
From figuring out if we’re alone in the universe, to writing messages to aliens, scientists use math in many ways in their search for extraterrestrial intelligence.
- Archaeology
Silk Road’s origins may date back millennia
The mountain treks of ancient herders helped mold a cross-continent trade network known as the Silk Road.
- Environment
Cleaning up water that bees like to drink
Plant roots suck up pesticides used on soils, then release them into water that can seep from their leaves. This is a sweetened water that bees love to sip. A teen figured out how to remove most of the pesticide with bits of charcoal.
- Science & Society
Should we call out to space aliens?
Scientists have been listening to space for decades, hoping to pick up alien signals. Now some have proposed we try broadcasting a welcome call.
- Animals
Frog’s gift of grab comes from saliva and squishy tissue
What puts the grip in a frog’s high-speed strike? Quick-change saliva and a super-soft tongue, scientists find.
- Planets
Scientists Say: Dwarf planet
Dwarf planets are distinct from the full-size models. A little too small, they also have a lot of space stuff filling their path around the sun.
