All Stories
- Animals
‘Spying on Whales’ dives into the story of true leviathans
"Spying on Whales" retraces the evolution of cetaceans, explaining how they came to be some of Earth’s largest creatures.
- Animals
This invasive tick can clone itself and suck livestock dry
The newly invasive longhorned tick, now found in four continental U.S. states, spreads human diseases in its native Asia. Here, it’s mostly a threat to livestock — so far.
- Animals
Why some mammal species don’t have descended testicles, but most do
New research studying genetic vestiges suggests that descended testicles are as ancient as the first placental mammal.
- Life
Leprosy lurks in armadillos in Brazil’s Amazon
Armadillos in the Brazilian Amazon are often infected with leprosy, which they may pass to people.
- Earth
Earth’s rivers cover 44 percent more land than we thought
A global survey of rivers and streams based on satellite data suggests that these waterways traverse about 773,000 square kilometers.
- Quantum Physics
A tiny version of this physics toy is revealing quantum secrets
Scientists created a quantum Newton’s cradle to study thermal equilibrium.
- Tech
50 years ago, a Japanese scientist dreamed up a rocket-propelled train
50 years ago, a Japanese engineer tried rocket boosters on a train. Today, high-speed trains propelled by superconducting magnets are being tested.
- Astronomy
Japan’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft arrives at the asteroid Ryugu
The Hayabusa2 spacecraft says “hello” to near-Earth asteroid Ryugu.
- Neuroscience
A brain chemical tied to narcolepsy may play a role in opioid addiction
Long-term use of opioids such as heroin is linked to having more brain cells that release a chemical that regulates wakefulness and arousal.
- Planetary Science
Mars got its crust quickly
The Martian crust had solidified within 20 million years of the solar system’s formation.
- Astronomy
‘Oumuamua may be a comet, not an asteroid
The solar system’s first known interstellar visitor doesn’t appear to be the asteroid that scientists thought it was.
- Health & Medicine
How to make CAR-T cell therapies for cancer safer and more effective
CAR-T cell therapy was approved by the FDA in late 2017. Now, scientists are working to tame the cancer treatment’s side effects.
