Climate Change Could Allow Ships to Cross the North Pole by 2040

Melting sea ice will open up shipping lanes across the Arctic, potentially making the Northwest Passage and North Pole navigable during summer
March 04, 2013 | By Joseph Stromberg

Animals Can Help Kids With Autism More Than Toys Can

Recently, researchers explored the potential for therapy animals to help kids with autism, and found that they were more effective than toys
March 04, 2013 | By Rose Eveleth

This Might Be Why People Don’t Move Away From Tornado Zones

Living through a tornado doesn't change our optimism about our chances of injury compared to other people
March 04, 2013 | By Rose Eveleth

Being a Soccer Fan Can Actually Kill You

During the 2006 World Cup watching a soccer game doubled the risk of a heart attack in German fans
March 04, 2013 | By Rose Eveleth

The American Bumblebee Is Crashing, Too

Colony Collapse Disorder targets honey bees. But now American bumblebees are missing, too
March 04, 2013 | By Colin Schultz

Mississippi Baby Might Have Been Cured of HIV

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University say they have cured a baby of HIV using standard HIV drugs very early in life
March 04, 2013 | By Rose Eveleth

Trapped as Climate Changes, Giant Gusts of Hot Air Trigger Weather Extremes

Thanks to global warming, hot air piles up at mid-latitudes and causes storms and heat waves to linger for long stretches of time, new research shows.
March 02, 2013 | By Claire Martin

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
March 01, 2013 | By Marina Koren

The Health Effects of Fukushima’s Radiation Weren’t So Bad

The World Health Organization calculated a barely-there increase in cancer rates
March 01, 2013 | By Colin Schultz

What Does the Unbelievably Bad Air Quality in Beijing Do to the Human Body?

The level of soot in Beijing's air is off the charts, leading to higher risks of lung cancer, heart attacks and other health problems
March 01, 2013 | By Joseph Stromberg

This Simple Test Could Help Stop River Blindness

River blindness, one of the world's leading causes of blindness, begins when a small parasitic worm wiggles its way into human skin
March 01, 2013 | By Rachel Nuwer

E.T. Phone Home: New Research Could Detect Signs of Life in this Decade

Thanks to a proposal by astronomers Avi Loeb and Dan Maoz, we could find evidence of extraterrestrial life very soon
March 01, 2013 | By Leah Binkovitz

From the Editor

March 2013 | By Michael Caruso

A Visit to the Natonal Zoo’s “Ark of Life”

Smithsonian Secretary G. Wayne Clough journeys to Front Royal, Virginia, to find out the latest in animal research
March 2013 | By G. Wayne Clough, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution

How Did Plants Develop Photosynthesis?

For a large chunk of the Earth’s existence, flora have used the Sun’s light to turn the planet green
March 2013 | By Henry Fountain

Bioluminescence: Light Is Much Better, Down Where It’s Wetter

From tracking a giant squid to decoding jellyfish alarms in the Gulf, a depth-defying scientist plunges under the sea
March 2013 | By Abigail Tucker

Jane Goodall Reveals Her Lifelong Fascination With…Plants?

After studying chimpanzees for decades, the celebrated scientist turns her penetrating gaze on another life-form
March 2013 | By Jane Goodall

Dust from the Sahara Can Seed Rain and Snow Clouds Over the Western U.S.

Clouds above California contain dust and bacteria from China, the Middle East and even Africa, new research shows
February 28, 2013 | By Joseph Stromberg

Could Disappearing Wild Insects Trigger a Global Crop Crisis?

Three-quarters of the world’s crops—including fruits, grains and nuts—depend on pollination, and the insects responsible are disappearing
February 28, 2013 | By Marina Koren

Could Spider Silk Stop a Moving Train?

Spiderman really could have stopped that train from falling, so long as his silk resembled that produced by the Darwin's bark spider
February 28, 2013 | By Rachel Nuwer

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