Natural Sciences
The natural sciences seek to understand the universe by studying its physical, chemical and biological processes
Eclipses Look Even More Gorgeous From Outer Space
With roiling red Sun and the black disk of Earth, eclipses don't get much prettier than this
March 12, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
This Giant Snail Is Giving Australia Terrible Flashbacks to the Last Giant Snail Takeover
The giant African snail is a true nightmare. So when Australian officials found one in a shipping container yard in Brisbane, they destroyed it as quickly as possible
March 12, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
What Mosh Pits Can Teach Us About Disaster Planning
Moshers might have more to offer society than you once thought. It turns out that mosh pits behave a lot like a container of gas, with each individual behaving like an atom
March 12, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
The Northern Lights—From Scientific Phenomenon to Artists’ Muse
The spectacular aurora borealis is inspiring artists to create light installations, musical compositions, food and fashion
March 12, 2013 |
By Megan Gambino
A Warming Climate Is Turning the Arctic Green
The world is getting warmer, and the Arctic is getting greener
March 11, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
The Amazon Rainforest Should Deal With Climate Change Better Than We Thought
Contrary to previous research, tropical rainforests should be able to stand up to climate change
March 11, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Being a Naturalist Is Way More Dangerous Than You Think
Some of these naturalists were murdered by people in the regions they were working. Others died of horrible diseases or lost their lives to their research subjects
March 11, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
Dennis Hope Thinks He Owns the Moon
Dennis Hope claims to own the Moon, and he wants to sell you an acre for just $19.99 plus taxes and fees
March 11, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
New Study Examines San Joaquin Valley, Home to America’s Dirtiest Air
The smog-filled valley recently hosted NASA planes that tested air quality to help calibrate future satellite efforts to measure air pollution
March 08, 2013 |
By Claire Martin
Life on Earth May Have Been Seeded by Comets
Researchers at UC Berkeley recently added evidence to the idea that life on earth came from a comet
March 08, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
16 Photographs That Capture the Best and Worst of 1970s America
A new exhibit at the National Archives highlights an interesting decade—one that gave rise to the environmental movement and some awkward fashion
March 08, 2013 |
By Megan Gambino
The Sun Can Heal the Cracks in This New Type of Concrete
When the sun lights the concrete jungle, this new material can heal its wounds
March 07, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
This Photo Gallery Can Help ID All Those Weird Bones the Dog Brings In
Does your dog bring home random bones? Ever wondered what, exactly, is he chewing on?
March 07, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
You Should Be Really Scared of the CDC’s ‘Nightmare Bacteria’
Recent reports of this "nightmare bacteria" have grabbed headlines, and there are reports of fatality rates as high as fifty percent. Basically, it's bad, and the CDC is really worried
March 07, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
The (Natural) World, According to Our Photo Contest Finalists
From a caterpillar to the Milky Way, the ten finalists in the contest's Natural World category capture the peculiar, the remarkable and the sublime
March 07, 2013 |
By Megan Gambino
Which Major Cities Are Leaders in Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions?
Research shows that cities can cut emissions by 70 percent; check out the ones striving their hardest to curb their carbon appetites
March 07, 2013 |
By Claire Martin
Why Do Backrubs Hurt So Good?
Why are back rubs so great? Why aren't we all crazy for stomach rubs, or ankle rubs?
March 07, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
Female Butterflies Can Sniff Out Inbred Males
Unlike in humans, butterfly females can actually distinguish between inbred and outbred males by their scent
March 07, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
2012 Saw the Second Highest Carbon Emissions in Half a Century
For more than 50 years observations from Hawaii have tracked rising carbon dioxide. We're still ignoring those warnings
March 07, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
A Plague of Locusts Descends Upon the Holy Land, Just in Time for Passover
Israel battles a swarm of millions of locusts that flew from Egypt that is giving rise to a host of ecological, political and agricultural issues
March 06, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
