Natural Sciences
The natural sciences seek to understand the universe by studying its physical, chemical and biological processes
Happier Couples Tend to Gain More Weight Over Time
Couple whose relationship is on the rocks or who are considering divorce may maintain the appearances in order to attract other mates
April 04, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Did We Just Find Dark Matter?
The physics world is buzzing over new evidence for dark matter. We break it down for you
April 04, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
‘Altitude Sickness’ Might Actually Be Two Different Diseases
Something like 20% of people in the United States who travel to the mountains in the west report getting altitude sickness, but the symptoms might actually be from two different diseases
April 04, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
Whether Monkey or Human, Middle Managers Are the Most Stressed Out
While monkeys and humans may lead very different lives, the way both species' middle-rankers suffer and deal with stress is not so different
April 04, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Celebrate Invasive Plant Pest and Disease Awareness Month By Reporting These Horrifying Species
April 1st marks the beginning of Invasive Plant Pest and Disease Awareness Month, but how does somebody celebrate?
April 04, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
One of Napoleon’s Generals Was More Interested in Gathering Beetles Than Fighting at Waterloo
When he died in 1845, Count Pierre François Marie Auguste Dejean owned the largest personal beetle collection in the world
April 04, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
19th Century Shark Tooth Weapons Reveal A Reef’s Missing Shark Species
Lashed to swords and spears from the Pacific's Gilbert Islands are teeth from two shark species that were never known to have swam in the area
April 03, 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
This Giant New Tarantula Has an Eight-Inch Leg Span
Say hello to Peocilotheria rajaei, Sri Lanka's most recently discovered giant spider.
April 03, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
How Your Brain Reassures You That You’re Better Than Other People
The "superiority illusion" may depend on how connected certain parts of your brain are and how many dopamine receptors you have
April 03, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
There’s No Such Thing as a ‘Living Fossil’
Though Darwin coined the term 'living fossil,' if he were around today he'd probably agree that it's time to retire it
April 03, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
America May Be the World’s Top Exporter of Sperm
The United States may be the world's largest exporter of sperm
April 02, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Watch How Fast the Insane Snout of the Star-Nosed Mole Can Move
To many, the star nosed mole is alternatively horrifying and fascinating, but have you ever seen the little rodent's face in action?
April 02, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
What Makes Rain Smell So Good?
A mixture of plant oils, bacterial spores and ozone is responsible for the powerful scent of fresh rain
April 02, 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
What Is the BRAIN Initiative, Anyway?
The Obama administration hopes to do for brains what the Human Genome Project did for genetics
April 02, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
This Sea Lion Can Keep Time With the Backstreet Boys
Ronan the sea lion can keep a beat, something sea lions weren't supposed to be able to do
April 02, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
If Your Plane is Going Down, It’s Better to Sit in the Back
Discovery TV crashed a Boeing 727 in the Sonoran desert to answer the question: where's the safest place in the plane?
April 02, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
Michael Benson’s Awe-Inspiring Views of the Solar System
A photographer painstakingly pieces together raw data collected by spacecraft to produce color-perfect images of the Sun, planets and their many moons
April 02, 2013 |
By Megan Gambino
Why Geckos Don’t Slip Off Wet Jungle Leaves or Hotel Ceilings
A surface's ability to attract and repel water heavily influences the degree to which a gecko can cling overhead, new research shows
April 01, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Stop Trying to Live Like a Caveman
Modern humans are doing it all wrong - they eat wrong, they run wrong, they work wrong, they get married wrong. But is the life of cave people really what we should be striving for?
April 01, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
People Who Never Apologize Are Probably Happier Than You
That childhood distaste for saying you're sorry hasn't gone away as an adult - not apologizing still makes us feel much better than apologizing does
April 01, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
