All Stories
- Physics
50 years ago, scientists were on a quest for quarks
In the 1970s, physicists confirmed particles called quarks existed. Fifty years later, many kinds of quarks in many combinations have been discovered.
- Astronomy
The number of Milky Way nova explosions per year has been pinned down
Knowing how frequently these stellar eruptions occur will help determine their contribution to the galaxy’s chemical makeup.
- Archaeology
Stonehenge may have had roots in a Welsh stone circle
Ancient migrants to southern England brought the makings of the iconic monument with them, researchers suspect.
- Science & Society
Black, Hispanic and female police use force less often than white male officers
A case study of Chicago policing suggests that diversifying to include more Black, Hispanic and female officers may improve how civilians are treated.
- Earth
Fin whale songs can reveal hidden features of the ocean floor
Fin whale calls can penetrate into Earth’s crust, offering scientists a new way to study the properties of the ocean floor.
- Life
Meatier meals and more playtime might reduce cats’ toll on wildlife
Outdoor cats kill billions of birds and mammals each year. Simply satisfying their need to hunt or supplementing their diets could lessen that impact.
- Science & Society
Can privacy coexist with technology that reads and changes brain activity?
An onslaught of new technology aims to listen to — and maybe even change — your brain activity. Readers, scientists and ethicists grapple with the ethical implications of new ways to get inside the skull.
- Archaeology
Humans made a horn out of a conch shell about 18,000 years ago
Ancient find may have sounded off during rituals in a cave adorned with wall art.
- Earth
A drop in CFC emissions puts the hole in the ozone layer back on track to closing
After a recent bump in illicit CFC-11 pollution, emissions of the ozone-destroying chemical are back down to pre-2013 levels.
- Life
A reeking, parasitic plant lost its body and much of its genetic blueprint
The Sapria himalayana flower's extreme parasitic lifestyle inside the body of its host has left a bizarre imprint on its genome.
- Quantum Physics
‘Designer molecules’ could create tailor-made quantum devices
Scientists are making molecules suited to a variety of quantum tasks by building them up, atom by atom.
- Earth
Three things to know about the disastrous flood in India
The flood, which killed at least 30 people, may have been caused by a collapsing glacier or a landslide, with climate change possibly playing a role.
