Science News

All Stories by Science News

  1. The Mathematics of Life by Ian Stewart

    In this engaging overview, a mathematician describes how the field of biomathematics is answering key questions about the natural world and the origins of life. Basic Books, 2011, 358 p., $27.99

  2. Falling to Earth: An Apollo 15 Astronaut’s Journey to the Moon by Al Worden with Francis French

    An astronaut offers a candid look at his trip to the moon, including the scandal that ended his space­faring days. Smithsonian Books, 2011, 304 p., $29.95

  3. The Sun’s Heartbeat: And Other Stories from the Life of the Star That Powers Our Planet by Bob Berman

    Light-hearted tales trace human understanding of Earth’s nearest star and of the sun’s effects on Earth. Little, Brown and Co., 2011, 304 p., $25.99

  4. War’s Waste: Rehabilitation in World War I America by Beth Linker

    An account of  how World War I influenced veteran medical treatment delves into the rise of  rehabilitation therapy and the costs of supporting wounded veterans. Univ. of Chicago Press, 2011, 291 p., $35

  5. Letters

    Prescient sci-fi It took the Science News editor in chief to recognize the most prescient science “fiction” movie of all time, Forbidden Planet (“Science brings real life to the technologies of fiction,” SN: 7/2/11, p. 2). Beyond civilization without instrumentalities, the film also brought us lasers before there were masers, Robby [the Robot] analyzing molecular […]

  6. Russians Dig to Reach Below Earth’s Crust

    During the space race, U.S. and Soviet teams also engaged in a less-famous contest — to drill down to the boundary between the Earth’s crust and mantle.

  7. Health & Medicine

    Body & Brain

    Sour news for cranberries, libido-sapping drugs, the social brain and more in this week’s news

  8. Life

    Life

    Food-storing tayras, stay-at-home finch dads and ant sex scandals in this week's news.

  9. Space

    Atom & Cosmos

    A solar sneeze, a superhot planet, the death of a comet and more in this week’s news.

  10. Humans

    Humans

    Ancient root eaters, copycat games and facing danger together in this week’s news.

  11. Chemistry

    Molecules/Matter & Energy

    Sticky graphene, dried-up coffee, a panda pregnancy test and more in this week’s news.

  12. Earth

    Earth/Environment

    A killer methane belch, radon-siphoning trees, deep oil-spill science and more in this week’s news.