Life
- Agriculture
Let’s learn about trees
These long-lived woody plants provide shade for people, homes for animals — and help protect the planet against climate change.
- Ecosystems
Check out the communities of bacteria living on your tongue
Bacteria scraped off the tongue offer a window into how the microbes structure their communities.
- Earth
Let’s learn about the Arctic
The far North is a mix of vast tundra and icy waters, filled with interesting creatures, from tiny zooplankton to huge polar bears.
- Brain
Sleep helps teens cope with discrimination
Good sleep helps teens better deal with racial and ethnic discrimination.
- Fossils
This dinosaur was no bigger than a hummingbird
The skull of one of these ancient birds — the tiniest yet known — was discovered encased in a chunk of amber originally found in Myanmar.
- Animals
Let’s learn about the creepy crawlies in your home
From ants to spiders to crickets to bed bugs — a whole host of insects and other arthropods may be hanging out with you at home.
- Chemistry
Scientists Say: Enzyme
This word describes a molecule that speeds up chemical reactions in living things. Enzymes work by lowering the energy needed for a reaction to occur.
- Environment
Greener than burial? Turning human bodies into worm food
Composting human bodies yielded good results — and good soil — in one small study. It could become an alternative to burial or cremation in one state.
- Animals
Conservation is going to the dogs
Scientists are now training dogs to help track rare, elusive — and sometimes invasive — plants and animals.
- Animals
Try This: Walking on water with science
Water striders walk on water. How do they do it? They spread out. This experiment will show you how it works.
- Plants
Let’s learn about the future of food
Technology and a warming world will change what you eat and how it gets to your plate.
- Earth
Desert trails and microbial life excite this soil scientist
To help her desert community, Lydia Jennings focuses her research on how mining affects soil microbes.
