All Stories
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‘The Poisoner’s Handbook’ comes to PBS
Public TV is offering a fascinating and gory account of scientists and justice in a show covering the birth of forensic toxicology during New York City’s Jazz Age. Related educational materials will help teachers bring forensic chemistry to their classrooms.
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A warm-weather pika gathers more moss
Warmer temperatures are causing some populations of the American pika to disappear in the mountain west. But one population has figured out a warm weather solution: a high fiber diet composed mostly of moss.
- Genetics
Ancient DNA sparks new mystery
DNA from a 400,000-year-old leg bone found in Spain is by far the oldest recovered from pre-human ancestors. It also shows an unexpected link to later, Asian ‘kin.’
- Space
The sun’s giant heat elevators
Scientists have long known that plumes of hot plasma rise from the sun’s interior to its outer layers. New observations have now identified especially big plumes that can be 15 times as wide as Earth’s diameter and last for months.
- Computing
Cool Jobs: Paid to dream
Some visionaries use science and engineering to see what our world could — and should — become
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Catch a ‘falling star’ with the smartphone in your pocket
A new free app helps you track meteors and contribute to science.
- Animals
How seahorses use their heads
A dwarf seahorse’s head may look funny, but its shape allows the creature to sneak up on fast-moving prey.
- Planets
Jupiter’s long-lasting storm
Most studies of Jupiter’s centuries-old Great Red Spot suggest this giant storm should have petered out after a few decades. A new study traces the storm’s staying power to the vertical movement of its gases.
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Smithsonian debuts teen learning center
The best way to get inspired by science is by doing it. An exhibit at the National Museum of Natural History hopes to excite teens with a state-of-the-art science experience.
- Health & Medicine
Cool Jobs: Data detectives
Statisticians are experts in seeing the patterns hidden within the raw numbers called data. They especially excel at finding real trends, while eliminating what is actually due to chance. That’s why they offer a good reality check in any field that involves numbers.
- Animals
Look ma — no stomach
Many animals can digest their meals without an acid-producing stomach. And research now shows they jettisoned those stomachs a long, long time ago.
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Measuring rain with your windshield wipers
Windshield wipers get rid of rain so you can see. But what if you could also use the windshield wipers of your car to measure rain? A new study says that we could, and it might help us learn more about the rainfall where we live.
