All Stories
- Earth
Deadly New Zealand quake hopscotched across faults
The Nov. 14, 2016, earthquake in New Zealand was much larger than thought possible at the time, prompting a rethink of hazard assessments.
- Health & Medicine
Dengue fever spreads in a neighborly way
Individual strains of dengue spread locally, and new infections cluster near the home of the first person affected.
- Health & Medicine
Random mutations play large role in cancer, study finds
Mistakes made while copying DNA account for more mutations in cancer cells than environment or inheritance do.
- Climate
Arctic sea ice hits record wintertime low
Warm temperatures and heat waves reduced sea ice extent in the Arctic to its smallest maximum extent ever seen.
- Planetary Science
It’s time to redefine what qualifies as a planet, scientists propose
Astronomers can have their definition of a planet, but some planetary scientists plan to stick to the long-held meaning of the word.
- Genetics
In 1967, LSD was briefly labeled a breaker of chromosomes
Claims that the hallucinogenic drug damaged DNA were quickly rejected. But questions remain about how LSD works.
- Animals
Female guppies with bigger brains pick more attractive guys
A larger-brained female guppy may pick primo males, but all that mental machinery costs her in other ways.
- Paleontology
Anatomy analysis suggests new dinosaur family tree
A new analysis rewrites the dinosaur family tree, splitting up long-recognized groups.
- Health & Medicine
Touches early in life may make a big impact on newborn babies’ brains
The type and amount of touches a newborn baby gets in the first days of life may shape later responses to touch perception, a study suggests.
- Neuroscience
Lab tests aren’t the answer for every science question
Acting Editor in Chief Elizabeth Quill discusses the value of observational science.
- Particle Physics
Readers question supernova physics
Star-destroying neutrinos, heart-hugging robots and more in reader feedback.
- Planetary Science
How Pluto’s haze could explain its red spots
Pluto’s collapsing atmosphere may explain the dwarf planet’s seemingly random ruddy spots.
