All Stories
- Animals
Among chimpanzees, peeing is contagious
One individual chimpanzee peeing prompts others to follow suit — but scientists don’t know why.
- Physics
Wiggling robots reveal the physics of how Hula-Hoops stay up
Newbies should swing their Hula-Hoops fast and in line with their bodies, the new findings suggest.
- Earth
Scientists Say: Dark lightning
We don't see it, but rare gamma-ray lightning can bolt from stormy skies like regular lightning.
- Brain
Explainer: How our body deals with stress
Our autonomic nervous system balances two natural responses. If stressed or overwhelmed, simple techniques can help to restore that balance.
- Science & Society
Does your natural history museum need a makeover?
A lot of their old-fashioned dioramas — a type of exhibit — are biased, boring or even unscientific. Here’s what modern museums are doing to fix that.
- Tech
A robotic hand helps piano players’ fingers move faster
Robotic devices like this might someday help musicians, gamers, athletes or even surgeons improve their dexterity.
- Physics
Let’s learn about static electricity
The effects of static electricity are all around us — from lightning strikes to clothes clinging together out of the drier. But scientists still don’t fully understand this phenomenon.
- Animals
A changing Arctic current seems to be impacting bowhead whales
A teen researcher investigated bowhead whales and found their migrations may be responding to a changing sea current.
- Animals
Scientists Say: Caecilian
Some of these amphibians can produce a milk-like liquid for their offspring and give birth to live young. And those aren't the only rules these rebels break.
- Planets
Pluto and its moon Charon may have paired up with a kiss
After about 30 hours of contact, Charon could have separated from Pluto and drifted into its current orbit.
- Brain
Having sparse links in the hippocampus may maximize memory storage
Tissue from the memory centers of people’s brains reveal relatively few links among nerve cells in the hippocampus. But they carried strong, reliable signals.
- Science & Society
Viewing math as a language might help it make sense to more of us
It might also reduce the anxiety associated with using math, allowing people to better answer a host of important everyday questions.
