All Stories

Planets

The Way a Comet Crumbles

Astronomers are getting a close look at a comet that's falling apart as it nears the sun.

Tech

Dancing with Robots

Ingenuity and creativity highlight a contest in which student-built robots play soccer, dance, or go on a rescue mission.

Tech

Fingerprint evidence

Identifying fingerprints may have a role not just in solving crimes but also in everyday life.

Animals

Vent worms like it hot

Some undersea worms prefer water at temperatures near the upper limit of what animals are known to survive.

Tech

Switchable Lenses Improve Vision

Special lenses that automatically focus can help people wearing eyeglasses see more clearly.

Animals

Echoes of hunting

Bats use high-pitched sounds to zero in on prey, converting what they hear into how they fly.

Planets

Xena’s Mysterious Sparkle

Orbiting beyond Pluto, the recently discovered 10th planet reflects a lot of light.

Earth

A great quake coming?

The 100th anniversary of the great San Francisco earthquake is a reminder that future quakes could cause even more damage.

Planets

Saturn’s Strangely Warm Moon

Saturn's mysterious moon Enceladus may have liquid water close enough to its surface to produce giant geysers.

Planets

Jupiter’s Second Red Spot

Several huge storms have merged to give Jupiter a second red spot.

Health & Medicine

Prehistoric trips to the dentist

Thousands of years ago, some people had holes drilled into their teeth.

Tech

Microbes at the Gas Pump

Bacteria and other organisms can turn waste plant material into fuel for cars.