Newest NASA discoveries could boost search for ancient life on Mars
It's not aliens. (It's never aliens.)
science
A pileup of 14 distant galaxies is set to become the most massive structure in the universe
Astronomers have spotted 14 burning-hot galaxies hurtling toward each other on an inevitable galactic collision course at the edge of the observable universe.
Scientists build a robotic fish to spy on ocean life
SoFi is a soft-bodied robot that glides silently through the water with a smooth, undulating motion designed to mimic the movements of real fish.
Oceans on ancient Mars may have gotten an assist from volcanoes
Billions of years ago, the Red Planet didn't look so different from our own blue-green world, scientists say.
Miniature glasses on praying mantises helps in study of robot vision
If you thought praying mantises already look pretty cool, wait till you see them in these stunning shades.
If we ever get to Mars, the beer might not be bad
Here’s a discovery that took college students and not NASA scientists to find: Hops — the flowers used to add a pleasant bitterness to beer — grow well in Martian soil.
Lionfish-killing contests help control them, study claims
Lionfish devour native species and compete with them for prey, while reproducing at a rate that has frustrated attempts at controlling their population.
Erosion is revealing surprising amounts of water ice on Mars
The discovery could offer researchers a tantalizing new spot to sample our dusty, rusty neighbor.
A mummified child’s remains show signs of a modern scourge
For decades, scientists thought the toddler died nearly 500 years ago from smallpox. New research shows it carried hepatitis B.
Astronaut who led first space shuttle mission dies at age 87
John Young also walked on the moon and was the only astronaut to fly in the Gemini, Apollo and shuttle programs.
Scientists say this fungus is Dracula with a twist: It kills bats. But it’s afraid of light.
The vicious white nose disease that's wiping out bats seemed invincible. But scientists just discovered a weakness: UV light kills the fungus that causes it.
‘A towering legacy of goodness’: Ben Barres’ fight for diversity in science
Ben Barres was a neuroscience pioneer. But he is beloved across academia for his tireless work to make science more inclusive.
Give thanks for the winter solstice. You might not be here without it.
The scientific start of winter offers a moment to reflect on how we might not be here to witness the changing seasons without Earth’s particular tilt toward the sun.
Found: Another star system with eight planets, just like ours
Only a computer program, newly invented, could have detected the exoplanet in Kepler's massive database.
Scientists log record number of Alaska earthquakes in 2017 using growing network of seismic stations
The Alaska Earthquake Center records 80 to 100 earthquakes a day.
Alaskans have a chance to catch best meteor shower of 2017
If the sky is clear, Alaskans can witness the Geminid meteor shower at its peak overnight Wednesday.
This weird, water-loving dinosaur has claws like a velociraptor and a neck like a goose
Scientists have discovered a flippered theropod dinosaur that appears to have spent much of its life in water.
Hundreds of fossilized eggs crack open secrets of ancient flying reptiles
Researchers think up to 300 eggs may be present, some buried under the exposed fossils.
Tracking the elusive whale shark
Researchers have been enlisting tourists to help track and identify whale sharks, the largest fish in the sea.
Your house is a gigantic bug habitat, and there’s nothing you can do about it
"Bugs don't respect the limitations, the borders we've created," said entomologist Michelle Trautwein. Invertebrate roommates are "an inevitability of living on the planet."