All Stories

  1. Planetary Science

    Mercury’s dark secret revealed

    Graphite from Mercury’s primordial crust might be responsible for making the innermost planet darker than the moon.

    By Christopher Crockett
  2. Animals

    Eat your stinkbugs

    Prepared as a snack by some groups in southern Africa, the stinkbug Encosternum delegorguei is a good source of protein and antioxidants.

    By Sarah Schwartz
  3. Paleontology

    Free virtual fossils for everyone

    MorphoSource.org archives 3-D images of bones from over 200 genera of both living and extinct animals.

    By Erin Wayman
  4. Health & Medicine

    Mind’s healing powers put to the test in new book

    Cure: A Journey Into the Science of Mind Over Body investigates the brain’s role in keeping people healthy.

    By Laura Sanders
  5. Science & Society

    Historian puts new spin on scientific revolution

    The Invention of Science offers readers an unconventional perspective on the origins of modern science.

    By Tom Siegfried
  6. Health & Medicine

    Brazil study strengthens link between Zika virus, birth defects

    In a study of pregnant women in Brazil, nearly 30 percent of those infected with Zika virus had babies with fetal abnormalities.

    By Meghan Rosen
  7. Animals

    These beetles use surface tension to water-ski

    Waterlily beetles are in for a fast and bumpy ride as they fly across ponds, researchers find.

    By Helen Thompson
  8. Paleontology

    Lizards locked in amber provide clues to reptile evolution

    Amber-encased lizard remains that date to 99 million years ago may shed light on the evolution of geckos and chameleons.

    By Sarah Schwartz
  9. Health & Medicine

    Microcephaly: Building a case against Zika

    Zika virus is the prime suspect for Brazil’s recent surge in birth defects. New evidence in human cells strengthens the case, but more definitive proof could come this summer from Colombia, where thousands of pregnant women have been infected.

    By Meghan Rosen
  10. Science & Society

    Zika virus, mosquitoes, gene drives: Ask us anything

    Three Science News reporters answer questions about zika virus, genetically engineered mosquitoes, mosquito biology and more in a Reddit AMA on Friday, March 4.

    By Science News Staff
  11. Animals

    Is Amy Tan actually ‘thrilled’ a leech is named after her?

    Novelist Amy Tan answers a lingering question about celebrities honored in scientific names of new species — her namesake is a leech.

    By Susan Milius
  12. Genetics

    Missing genes not always a problem for people

    Humans have ways to make up for missing genes, study suggests.

    By Tina Hesman Saey