All Stories
- Earth
Meteorites likely wiped out Earth’s earliest life
Enormous meteorites appear to have slammed into Earth several times early in its history. Each mega-smashup would have boiled off oceans and obliterated any bit of life.
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Welcome to Cookie Science!
You don’t need a fancy laboratory or equipment to do science. Here, we show you how to conduct experiments at home — even in your kitchen.
- Animals
How termites ‘hear‘ about trouble
When danger comes too close, termites bang their heads against the walls of their homes. This action sends out a warning vibration that others ‘hear’ with their legs.
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Find floating forests for science
Kelp, a large type of seaweed, provides food and habitat for many ocean creatures. Now, scientists need your help to find out where kelp beds are and how they might be changing.
- Environment
Watering plants with wastewater can spread germs
Recycled waste water may slake the thirst of outdoor plants. But it also can spread bacteria, a new study finds — germs that antibiotics may not be able to kill.
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Teen’s lab experience benefits her mentor, too
Pairing a high school student with a graduate student helped the teen learn about science. But her ‘teacher’ may have learned just as much.
- Animals
Octopus sets egg-nurturing record
Animals will do extraordinary things to help their babies survive. Consider ‘Octomom:’ She sat on one clutch of eggs for nearly 4.5 years.
- Tech
Fashioning inks to ‘print’ tissues
3-D printing may one day create life-saving tissues and organs for transplants. But first researchers are learning how to tailor cell-filled “inks” for use in inkjet printers.
- Fossils
Dinos ‘quickly’ shrunk into birds
Scientists had long known birds descended from dinosaurs. A study now shows that the morphing from dinos into birds went along with a quick and steady shrinking of their body sizes.
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Teachers can get teens into college labs
Early research experience is a great opportunity for a student. James Truglio shares how he gets teens from his class into summer research.
- Microbes
Record Ebola epidemic strikes
A record outbreak of the deadly disease has already claimed nearly 1,000 lives in West Africa. Scientists suspect bats or eating some other wild animals may have triggered the epidemic.
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Scientists who open labs to teens promote STEM inspiration
Scientists willing to take high school students into their labs can inspire young scientists, and benefit their own lab team at the same time.
