All Stories
- Science & Society
Scientists Say: Thought experiment
Thinking through imaginary, sometimes absurd, scenarios can catalyze new ways of thinking.
- Brain
Just how brainy was a T. rex?
A debate rages over how to count brain cells in dinosaurs. At issue: figuring out how these extinct animals’ likely behaved.
- Earth
Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano recently erupted like a stomp rocket
This appears to be a newfound type of eruption. It could only be recognized because of the extensive monitoring of Kilauea's crater.
- Plants
This squid-like ‘fairy lantern’ plant is new to science
A newly named species of fairy lantern — a parasitic plant — sports tentacles and grows among leaf litter and rotten logs in Malaysian rainforests.
- Space
Space tourists could face out-of-this-world health risks
As commercial spaceflight starts to take off, a new project — the Space Omics and Medical Atlas — documents potential health impacts to travelers.
- Animals
Scientists Say: Beakiation
Parrots use this clever sidestepping motion to maneuver along thin branches.
- Animals
Wild medicine! An orangutan treated his wound with a local plant
This great ape, living in Indonesia, doctored the gash on his face with a plant that people living in the area use as a natural medicine.
- Planets
Active volcanoes may be common on Venus
Researchers took a new look at decades-old images from NASA’s Magellan spacecraft. These now suggest volcanic activity is widespread on the planet.
- Tech
Laser-based tech can identify illegal elephant ivory
Most elephant ivory is illegal to sell. Ivory from extinct mammoths isn’t. They look similar, but lasers can tell the difference to help catch poachers.
- Tech
Where are the flying cars?
Flying cars are a common sci-fi trope, and engineers have the technology to make them. So where are they?
- Materials Science
Scientists Say: Superconductor
At cold enough temperatures, these materials can conduct electricity with no resistance.
- Physics
Forget moon walking, lunar visitors. Try horizontal running
Researchers took over the Wall of Death, an amusement park attraction, to test out how astronauts might keep their strength up on the moon.
