New Research

A Worm’s Gut Could Help Dispose of Plastic Trash

Microbes found in the guts of waxworms like to feast on polyethylene

A natural gas storage tank at the Cenex oil refinery in Montana.

The Fracking Boom Could Burn Out Decades Before It's Supposed To

Overenthusiastic shale gas estimates may be setting the world up for a fracking crash

Half the Cells in This Mouse’s Brain Are Human

Researchers implanted immature human brain cells in mouse pups, which then grew and replaced nearly half the mice's own cells

Public Bathroom Bacteria: Not as Gross as You'd Think

Public restrooms are of no more of a health risk than your own home

Thanks to millions of microscopic hair-like structures, a gecko's foot can resist pulling forces up to 20 times the lizard's own weight.

Geckos Have a Surprisingly Strong Death Grip

Gecko toes remain firmly stuck in place even after the animal dies, implying that the lizards do not actively control their clinginess

An engraving of "Mr. Garrick" as Richard III in a production of Shakespeare’s play

Richard III’s DNA Analysis Reveals Cuckoldry in the Family

Researchers can trace the monarch’s maternal lineage to modern relatives, but not the male side

An artist's interpretation of HIV in the bloodstream

HIV's Ability to Cause AIDS Is Weakening

A combination of advanced treatments and viral evolution are slowing virus’ reproduction

Most College Students Don’t Graduate on Time

The vast majority of students take more than 4 years to earn a bachelor's degree

Manhattan Insects Eat the Equivalent of 60,000 Hot Dogs Each Year

Millions of urban insects act as efficient, largely unnoticed garbage disposals

Why Do Families Move for Men's, But Not Women's, Careers?

Men choose jobs that are less flexible in location

Older People’s Brains Notice More But Filter Less

A small study shows that elderly people notice patterns even when those patterns aren’t useful

Who is this random guy? It's John Tyler, the tenth president of the United States.

Soon Enough No One Will Remember Bill Clinton

People mostly remember first and recent US presidents, forgetting almost all the ones that came between

This relatives and friends of this 30-something-year-old woman suspected she might come back from the grave as a vampire, as indicated by the sickle placed directly across her neck, and meant to keep her in the ground.

The 17th-Century Polish Vampire Next Door

In 17th century Poland, people pegged as vampires weren't weirdo foreigners but locals who freaked their neighbors out

An artists' rendition of a different species of Pentaceratops alongside a modern white rhinoceros for scale

Reexamining Fossils Revealed a New Dinosaur Species

A distinct species of Pentaceratops was hiding in a museum's fossil collection

Artifacts from the Antikythera Shipwreck, the famous mechanism in the center, as exhibited in Athens, Greece

Mysterious Antikythera Mechanism Is Even Older Than We Thought

This ancient astronomical calculator is now dated to 205 B.C. and is 1,000 years more advanced than anything else found from that time

The world's favorite edible bird.

Chinese Chickens May Have Been Domesticated 10,000 Years Ago

Bones found in ancient farming sites are lending insight into the origins of our favorite fowl

We Weigh the Most on Mondays

The weekend’s excesses can pack on a few extra pounds, but routine during the week tends to strip them away again

A Coptic depiction of Christ and of Abbot Mena dating to around the same time as the recently translated book of rituals.

An Ancient Egyptian Spellbook Has Been Translated

It's like the researchers have never seen a horror movie

A Simple Way to Reduce Car Crashes: Start the High School Day Later

A later roll-call time for teens also means improved health, mood, and grades

Ariel view of the Hoover Dam captured in 1967

Americans Are Using Less Water Than We Did in 1970

Peak water was decades ago

Page 171 of 242