All Stories
- Climate
Climate change is changing how scientists measure time
Polar ice sheets are melting faster. This is slowing Earth’s spin, which changes how we sync our clocks to tell time.
- Materials Science
New lab trick makes diamonds without extreme pressure
The lab-grown diamonds form in a liquid of gallium, iron, nickel and silicon.
- Health & Medicine
Cough! What happens when something goes down the wrong way
Certain cells can sense water and acid on the way to the lungs, prompting reactions such as coughing and swallowing, research in mice shows.
- Animals
Belugas can warp and wiggle their forehead fat like Jell-O
Molding and moving this ‘melon’ may help the whales communicate.
- Chemistry
Scientists Say: Methane
Used to cook food and heat homes, this potent greenhouse gas accounts for 30 percent of the warming of our climate.
- Planets
Pluto’s heart may hide the rocky wreckage of an ancient impact
A huge, rocky remnant beneath Pluto’s surface could explain the odd location of Sputnik Planitia — its famous heart-shaped basin.
- Chemistry
Experiment: How to make the boldest, brightest tie-dye!
Clothes are made from a variety of fibers, from natural to synthetic ones. Let’s explore how different fibers react with dyes.
- Plants
Gene editing may help rice better withstand climate change
Three genes may limit the ability of rice to handle dry or salty conditions. A Regeneron ISEF finalist shows that CRISPR could target and change them.
- Plants
Flowers may electrically detect bees buzzing nearby
The discovery may reveal how plants time nectar production and share information with neighboring blooms.
- Health & Medicine
Scientists Say: Menstruation
Menstruation is part of a roughly monthly cycle that helps a person’s body prepare for possible pregnancy.
- Health & Medicine
New tool maps where U.S. heat can pose threats to your health
The daily updated HeatRisk maps use color coding to show where the health threat from heat is highest. The website also offers tips for staying safe.
- Space
Analyze This: A recently spotted space object is puzzling scientists
A pulsar’s invisible partner could be an oddly heavy neutron star or a very light black hole.
