Fraud in science gets a lot of attention and condemnation — as it should. But fraud isn't that interesting compared to all the errors that scientists commit unintentionally.
A mouse’s optic nerve fluoresces in a rainbow of colors. The image offers a detailed look at nerve-protector cells called oligodendrocytes.
One type of radio burst has a pretty mundane origin: prematurely opened microwave ovens.
A surge in designer drugs, which emulate the highs of classic illicit substances with unpredictable effects, is keeping law enforcement busy.
Earth is a wet planet that formed in a dry part of the solar system. How our planet’s water arrived may be a story of big, bullying planets and ice-filled asteroids.
Baltic hunter-gatherers blocked farming’s spread from south.
A soft-shell clam disease is just the third example of a contagious cancer.
A swarm of rubidium atoms has been cooled to about 50 trillionths of a kelvin, making it the coldest substance ever measured.
Astronomers have spotted the remnant glow from a gamma-ray burst without first observing its beam of high-energy gamma rays.
Certain gene variants may predispose people to experience the placebo effect, which may have implications for clinical trials and personalized medicine.
Citrus fruits’ lineage is traced through chloroplast DNA, revealing both maternal and paternal heritage.
An oddly divided galaxy may provide the first evidence that dark matter particles interact through a force other than gravity.
Iridescent prey was more difficult to strike in a video game for birds.
Analyzing samples of healthy and tumor tissues could pinpoint which mutations are driving cancer and help develop better-targeted treatments.
Knuckle cracking is the sound of a bubble forming in a joint, MRI images reveal.
A condition called ‘geographic tongue’ makes mouth organ appear maplike.
New data on lawrencium, element 103, trigger rethink of periodic table.
Scientists propose that exotic structures are buried within Saturn, based on analyses of subtle vibrations in the planet’s rings.
A puzzling feature in a new cosmic ray census may force physicists to rethink which cosmic objects send these speedy particles hurtling across the galaxy.
Two high-profile tests raise worries that bees can’t avoid neonicotinoid pesticides and that wild species are at special risk.
Flies genetically destined to be forgetful could boost their memory with sleep.
Earthquake waves reveal massive magma reservoir deep inside the Yellowstone supervolcano.
Astronomers celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescope by reflecting on its diversity and looking ahead to the future.
Chinese foragers settled down and made pottery shortly before farming’s ascent.
The magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Nepal’s capital city could be overshadowed by larger future earthquakes along the Himalayas, scientists say.
50 years ago, researchers prepared to greet Mediterranean fruit flies with sterile males.
Implied by general relativity and proven by astronomical discoveries, black holes’ existence took decades for physicists to accept.
Vesta Trek lets users explore the asteroid Vesta with data from the Dawn spacecraft.
Sci-fi thriller delves into hubris and power relationships.
Coco de mer palms scrimp, save and take not quite forever creating the world’s largest seeds.
Dark matter can’t be seen, but a new map shows where it’s hiding. The map confirms that the mysterious matter is concentrated in regions that contain a lot of ordinary matter in the form of galaxy clusters.
To the naked eye, fossilized seashells lack the colorful patterns of their living counterparts. But ultraviolet light can reveal some of their unique hues.
An atomic clock described April 21 in Nature Communications is about three times as precise as its record-setting predecessor.
