Editors' Picks

Transforming Raw Scientific Data Into Sculpture and Song

Artist Nathalie Miebach uses meteorological data to create 3D woven works of art and playable musical scores

Photos: The Uneasy Conflict Between Artificial and Natural Light

Artist Kevin Cooley has traveled the world capturing landscapes where one light shines on the horizon

Could Solar Panels on Your Roof Power Your Home?

Researchers at MIT are investigating how to turn houses in Cambridge, Massachusetts, into mini-power plants

Science Beats

lightning

8 Things We’ve Learned Lately About Thunder and Lightning

Such as, storms can make your head hurt. And we should expect more turbulence on transatlantic flights.
May 24, 2013 | By Randy Rieland

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People in Brazil living close to forests are 25 times more likely to catch malaria than those living near places where all the trees have been cut down, new research shows
May 23, 2013 | By Rachel Nuwer

A 2006 drought pushed Syrian farmers to migrate to urban centers, setting the stage for massive uprisings
June 2013 | By Joshua Hammer

Scientists have found life in the depths beneath the ice
June 2013 | By Erica R. Hendry

Rising waters have forced populations to relocate since the dawn of early man
June 2013 | By Brian Fagan

DNA analysis of 166-year-old potato plant leaves has revealed the disease strain that caused the starvation of millions
May 21, 2013 | By Joseph Stromberg

Marine species threatened with extinction aren't just whales, seals and turtles--they include fish, corals, mollusks, birds, and a lone seagrass
May 17, 2013 | By Emily Frost

A new geographic analysis of millions of tweets provides a remarkably broad view of humanity, by language, location and other factors
May 10, 2013 | By Joseph Stromberg

New isotopic analysis of hydrogen in Apollo-era Moon rocks shows that the water locked inside them hails from our planet
May 09, 2013 | By Joseph Stromberg

The newborn seal pups possess the most well-developed brains compared to other mammals, but that advantage comes with a cost
May 09, 2013 | By Rachel Nuwer

A behind-the-scenes look at the ways the National Zoo assists Washington's most famous sexually frustrated bear couple
May 08, 2013 | By Paul Bisceglio

Our bodies convert asparagusic acid into sulfur-containing chemicals that stink—but some of us are spared from the pungent odor
May 03, 2013 | By Joseph Stromberg

From soccer balls to cookstoves, engineers are working on a range of devices that provide cheap, clean energy
May 02, 2013 | By Joseph Stromberg

This seemingly horrific reproduction strategy may be a way for females to better control which males sire her offspring
April 30, 2013 | By Rachel Nuwer

A new book shows how the photographer creates startling images of open-pit mines, evaporation ponds and other sites of environmental degradation
April 26, 2013 | By Megan Gambino

Which penguin swims the fastest? Do penguins have teeth? Why do penguins sneeze? How is penguin poop useful?
April 25, 2013 | By Hannah Waters

Flamingos, shrimp and many other animals use chemical compounds found in their diets to color their exteriors
April 24, 2013 | By Marina Koren

For the EPA's State of the Environment Photography Project, people are returning to sites photographed in the 1970s. They are snapping the scenes yet again—to document any changes in the landscape
April 22, 2013 | By Marina Koren

To help anticipate the next outbreak of an emerging infectious disease, scientists scrutinize our closest relatives in the animal kingdom
April 22, 2013 | By Rachel Nuwer

By combining genes from different bacteria species, scientists created E. coli that can consume fat and excrete diesel fuel
April 22, 2013 | By Joseph Stromberg

Pigeon-eating catfish, Antarctic trash, and more: A list of surprising, alarming and exciting discoveries about our planet from the past year
April 19, 2013 | By Joseph Stromberg

The superstorm's massive ocean waves produced low-level seismic activity across the entire country
April 18, 2013 | By Joseph Stromberg

The rare fish's genome is slowly evolving—and contrary to prior speculation, it probably isn't the common ancestor of all land animals
April 17, 2013 | By Joseph Stromberg

A new report points to drought, climate change and increased demand for water as the reasons the iconic river no longer reaches the sea
April 17, 2013 | By Claire Martin

How far do germs travel after a sneeze? Can you really catch a cold if it's chilly outside? And does vitamin C actually help battle cold symptoms?
April 15, 2013 | By Marina Koren

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