Natural Sciences
The natural sciences seek to understand the universe by studying its physical, chemical and biological processes
How Motherhood Makes You Smarter
New studies on rats show that being a mom does more than change her body, it may maximize her brainpower too
May 09, 2013 |
By Megan Gambino
The Deep Seafloor Turns Out to Be a Treasure Trove for Ancient DNA
DNA preserved in the the ocean floor could provide a unique view of ancient animals that aren't represented in the fossil record
May 08, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
You Totally Would Have Wanted This Little Dome-Headed Dinosaur as a Pet
Just 90 pounds and 6 feet tall, this newly discovered dinosaur is the oldest of its kind
May 08, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
This New Drug Neutralizes Heroin Before Users Feel the High
By binding the psychoactive ingredients in the blood, heroin can't affect the users' brain
May 08, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Sometimes Male Spiders Eat Their Mates, Too
Many female arthropods - black widows, praying mantises - eat their male mates, but sometimes the reverse is true
May 08, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
We’re About to Pass a Disheartening New Climate Change Milestone
We're teetering on the edge of hitting carbon dioxide levels of 400 ppm, but will that be enough to change minds and policies?
May 07, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Feel What It’s Like to Live on an Antarctic Icebreaker for Two Months
In February 2013 Cassandra Brooks, a marine scientist with Stanford University, landed at McMurdo Station, a U.S. research station on the shores of Antarctica’s Ross Sea. For two months she worked on a ship, the icebreaker Nathaniel B. Palmer, cruising through the Antarctic sea. Brooks documented her life on the ship for National Geographic, and now she’s [...]
May 07, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Scientists Just Recorded the Brightest Explosion We’ve Ever Seen
We just saw the longest, brightest, most powerful version of the universe's most massive explosions
May 07, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Is It Time to Scrap the Manual on Mental Illness?
After 11 years of working on the new DSM, some are saying that it's time to retire the manual and think abut mental health entirely differently
May 07, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
Cavemen Used Some of the Same Words We Do
Our modern language still has some remnants of the grunting cavemen who came before us
May 07, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
How Many Weddings Will the Cicadas Ruin This Summer?
Late spring is when the 17 year cicadas come out. It also happens to be a popular time for weddings
May 07, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
Nearly 4,500 Kids Are Injured on Amusement Park Rides Each Year
Based on current trends in the amusement park market, these injury numbers probably won't go down any time soon
May 06, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
On the International Space Station, Glow-in-the-Dark Plants Let You Know When They’re Stressed
To fight climate change or to grow crops in space, we need to know how plants respond to stress
May 06, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
One Upside to Drought: the Fewest Tornadoes in the U.S. in At Least 60 Years
No water in the air means less fuel for tornadoes
May 06, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
You Think the NFL Has Brain Injury Problems? The Military Has it Way Worse
Thousands of soldiers return home from cobalt with traumatic brain injuries - many without even realizing it
May 06, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
Heavy Metals, Insects and Other Weird Things Found in Lipstick Through Time
From seaweed and beetles to lead and synthetic chemicals, lipstick has seen its share of strange—and dangerous—components
May 03, 2013 |
By Marina Koren
Is It Ever OK To Euthanize a Baby?
In Holland, some doctors and parents say the answer is yes
May 03, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Creepy or Cool? Portraits Derived From the DNA in Hair and Gum Found in Public Places
Artist Heather Dewey-Hagborg reconstructs the faces of strangers from genetic evidence she scavenges from the streets
May 03, 2013 |
By Megan Gambino
The Cicadas are Coming, And So Are the Terrifying Spores That Eat Them Alive
The cicadas have been waiting for 17 years. This deadly fungus has been waiting for them
May 03, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
It’s Fine to Eat Standing Up
Should we add eating standing up to the list of food no-no's? It's unclear, science says
May 02, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
