All Stories
- Plants
Floral curve test shows what’s great for a moth is not so good for a flower
3-D printed flowers reveal a hidden conflict between a hawk moth and the flowers it pollinates.
By Susan Milius - Animals
Drowned wildebeests can feed a river ecosystem for years
Only a small percentage of wildebeests drown as they cross the Mara River, but they provide resources for the river ecosystem for years after their deaths.
- Earth
Battering storms caused Antarctic sea ice to shrink at record pace
Unusually intense storms could explain why Antarctic sea ice shrank to its smallest observed extent this year.
- Science & Society
Latest stats are just a start in preventing gun injuries in kids
New stats on firearm deaths and injuries are disturbing, but the picture to make policy is far from complete, researchers say.
- Archaeology
Sound-reflecting shelters inspired ancient rock artists
Ancient Europeans sought rock art sites where sounds carried.
By Bruce Bower - Ecosystems
Earth’s dry zones support a surprising number of trees
A Google Earth-based estimate of dryland forests adds serious leafage to Earth’s total tree count.
By Beth Geiger - Chemistry
Every breath you take contains a molecule of history
In 'Caesar’s Last Breath', best-selling author Sam Kean tells vivid stories about the gases we can’t see.
- Animals
This glass frog wears its heart for all to see
A newly discovered glass frog species has skin so clear that it reveals most of the animal’s internal organs, including the heart.
- Life
Flight demands may have steered the evolution of bird egg shape
An analysis of nearly 50,000 bird eggs finds a link between a species’ egg shape and flight ability.
- Life
Scientists spy on the secret inner life of bacteria
New images reveal the inner workings of bacteria.
- Health & Medicine
When should babies sleep in their own rooms?
A new study offers support to sleep-starved parents by suggesting that babies age 6 months and older sleep longer when in their own bedroom.
- Health & Medicine
Bones make hormones that communicate with the brain and other organs
Bones send out hormone signals that chat with other parts of the body, studies in mice show. What influence these hormones have in people, though, remain a mystery.