All Stories
- Microbes
Thank microbes for chocolate’s tasty flavors
Cocoa beans matter, but yeast and bacteria may be the real secret to fine chocolate flavor.
- Materials Science
Spooky! Grooved surface sends ice sailing — no outside push needed
Boulders that have mysteriously moved across Death Valley’s landscape inspired the work. The new surface can slingshot ice in a chosen direction.
- Life
Scientists Say: Benthic
This ecological region teems with life — from coral to insect larvae to crabs.
- Health & Medicine
What are vitamins?
Humans need 13 different vitamins to stay healthy. Most come from the food we eat. Others are made in our bodies.
- Animals
Parrotfish shape the future of coral reefs, one bite at a time
Could these colorful fish aid struggling coral? Yes, but not always. Parrotfish play a complex role in reefs — and sometimes may cause harm.
- Archaeology
This ancient Siberian ice mummy had intricate tattoos
The 2,000-year-old woman wears ink of prowling tigers and a fantastical griffin-like beast. Her tattoos were inked by two artists — a beginner and an expert.
- Fossils
Baby pterosaurs likely died in violent Jurassic storms
Two hatchlings with broken arm bones point to ancient storms as the cause of mass casualties now preserved in Germany’s Solnhofen Limestone.
- Space
Let’s learn about spooky ‘dark energy’
No one knows exactly what this stuff is, but it’s shaping our universe on the largest scales.
- Animals
Ripple bugs’ frilly feet inspired a water-striding robot
The insects’ nimble movements on the surface of water inspired a robot with automatically unfurling fans on its feet.
- Humans
Scientists Say: Artifact
Take note: This term might describe ancient pottery shards in the field of archeology. But in statistics, it’s a misleading pattern in data.
- Animals
Horses became gentle and easy to ride thanks to two gene mutations
Horse breeders altered two genes by targeting certain traits in horses. One made the animals tamer. Another made their backs sturdy enough to carry riders.
- Earth
Cities across the world are sinking. Here’s how they might rebound
Affected coastal cities tend to flood more often — a growing threat in this era of continuing sea level rise.
