Earth Science
This Sea Slug Discards Its Penis After Sex and Grows Another
Chromodoris reticulata, native to the Pacific, engages in mating behavior previously unknown in the rest of the animal kingdom
February 13, 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Trash Threatens Fragile Antarctic Environment
Decaying field huts, open pits of trash and oil-slicked beaches mar King George Island, a logistical hub for Antarctic research
February 12, 2013 |
By Mohi Kumar
An Asteroid Will Skim Right By the Earth on Friday Afternoon
The 147-foot-wide rock will pass a scant 17,200 miles from Earth's surface, under the orbits of some telecom satellites
February 12, 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
NASA Has Been Recording Earth’s Surface for 40 Years, and Today Is Its Last Chance to Keep That Going
The mission has been tracking the Earth's changing face since 1972 and has unveiled everything from the near-disappearance of the Aral Sea to the devastation of Mount St Helens and the development of Alberta, Canada's expansive tar sands projects
February 11, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Photos of Starfish Up Close: What Are You Looking At?
A stunning look at starfish reveal beautiful patterns--but what exactly are those wormy structures, bald patches, and spiky maces?
February 08, 2013 |
By Hannah Waters
Salmon Swim Home Using Earth’s Magnetic Field as a GPS
Their intuitive sense of the magnetic field surrounding them allow sockeye salmon to circumnavigate obstacles to find their birth stream
February 07, 2013 |
By Marina Koren
A Massive 8.0 Earthquake Hit the South Pacific Last Night
Huge magnitude 8.0 earthquakes are rare--but not as rare as you'd think
February 06, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Tour the Grand Canyon From Your Computer With Google Street View
Now, thanks to Google, you don't need a plane ticket or hiking boots to experience some of the Grand Canyon's geologic magic
February 06, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
The Year’s Most Outstanding Science Visualizations
A juried competition honors photographs, illustrations, videos, posters, games and apps that marry art and science in an evocative way
February 05, 2013 |
By Megan Gambino
Searching for the Russian Loch Ness Monster in a Frozen Siberian Lake
In a record-breaking dive, the head of the Russian Geographical Society sunk to the bottom of Lake Labynkyr in Siberia, one of the coldest lakes in the world
February 04, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Scientists See Insect Outbreaks From Space
A new tool uses satellite imagery to help researchers track small disturbances such as bug infestations, which may increase in scope as climate changes
February 01, 2013 |
By Claire Martin
New Research Disproves Prehistoric Killer-Comet Theory (Again)
Maybe the problem here is that other prevailing theories of the Clovis’ decline are just super boring by comparison
January 31, 2013 |
By Lauren Kirchner
Some Microbes Are So Resilient They Can Ride Hurricanes
By comparison, other lifeforms such as fungal spores and pollen don’t thrive nearly as well as the microbes, the survey found.
January 30, 2013 |
By Lauren Kirchner
Google’s New Maps Reveal That, Yes, There Are Roads in North Korea
Seemingly overnight the formerly Google map-blank North Korea modernized, with highways, roads and train stops clustering around the capital and snaking into the country's northern stretches
January 30, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
First Signs of Life Found in Antarctica’s Subglacial Lakes
Preliminary tests from subglacial Lake Willard have shown signs of life
January 29, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
American Drilling Team Is About to Break Through 800 Meters of Ice to Reach Subglacial Lake
Sampling should be done late this evening, with scientific sampling of the subglacial waters beginning immediately
January 25, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Scientists Dismiss Geo-Engineering as a Global Warming Quick Fix
A new study shows that dispersing minerals into oceans to stem climate change would be an inefficient and impractical process
January 23, 2013 |
By Claire Martin
Here’s Why It Is Really, Really Cold Out
Blame this increasingly-common form of Arctic circulation for today's frigid weather
January 22, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
At Night, Giant Fields of Burning Natural Gas Make North Dakota Visibile From Space
Locals have a new nickname for their state. North Dakota: "Kuwait on the Prairie"
January 18, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Researchers Discover New Method of Barnacle Sex
Upending 150 years of theory, scientists observed that some barnacles can capture sperm from the water for reproduction
January 17, 2013 |
By Emily Frost
