All Stories
- Genetics
Scientists Say: Telomere
These protective caps at the ends of chromosomes play a key role in cell replication.
- Space
A cosmic explosion this summer may add a ‘new star‘ to the night sky
Some 3,000 light-years away, this white dwarf undergoes a nova eruption every 80 years or so — throwing off light that can be seen with the unaided eye.
- Earth
Superman’s kryptonite doesn’t have a true equal on Earth
Though not quite kryptonite, some Earth minerals can glow under ultraviolet light. Excited electrons cause these real-life power stones to light up.
- Animals
A childhood dog inspired this veterinarian to help others
Sunday Agbonika runs the organization Dogalov, which uses animals to help support neurodivergent children in Africa.
- Space
Sci-fi inspired spacesuit recycles pee into drinking water
A spacesuit that collects and filters urine could prove a boon to future remote workers — even on Earth. Like the idea? Thank Dune.
- Math
Scientists Say: Fractal
There’s no end in sight for these infinitely complex geometric wonders.
- Health & Medicine
A little-known gene may explain why some people never get COVID-19
A quick immune response and high activity of this gene in the nose may help some people avoid getting the viral infection.
- Tech
Lasers help put the cork on spilled oil
Treating cork with lasers made the material able to quickly sponge up oil while repelling water, scientists in China and Israel found.
- Humans
Experiment: Why does the moon look larger on the horizon?
In this experiment, let’s investigate Emmert’s law, which may explain the full moon optical illusion.
- Animals
Freeze-drying turned a woolly mammoth’s DNA into ‘chromoglass’
The 3-D structure of this now-glassy DNA revealed similarities — and differences — between woolly mammoths and elephants.
- Materials Science
Scientists Say: Goldene
Making this metallic, two-dimensional (2-D) material is difficult — but super-thin sheets of gold could have uses in electronics and chemistry.
- Animals
Balmy ‘saunas’ help frogs fend off a deadly fungus
Hanging out in small sun-warmed hideaways could help some frogs resist deadly chytrid fungus, a new study finds.
