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Pope Francis waves to the crowd from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio who chose the name of Francis is the 266th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church.

Argentinian Jorge Mario Bergoglio Chosen As New Pope

Pope Francis is the first South American ever to hold the position and the first non-European pope in more than 1,000 years

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Stressed Corals Dim Then Glow Brightly Before They Die

Measuring how coral fluorescence changes may serve as an early indicator of the declining health of a reef

To boldly go where only a few men (and women) have gone before: “Moving Beyond Earth,” a permanent exhibit at the Air and Space Museum, has a replica of the waste collection system used aboard NASA’s space shuttles. This may be the fanciest toilet you will ever see.

How Do Astronauts Go to the Bathroom in Space?

A look at the space shuttle toilet and “the deepest, darkest secret about space flight”

Lake Vostok has been cut off from the environment for ages beneath the thick Antarctic ice.

Brand New, Never Before Seen Bacteria Found in Frozen Antarctic Lake—Maybe

Scientists are revealing, then recanting, then reaffirming their claim to have discovered a new type of bacteria

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Who Really Invented the Smiley Face?

It’s supposedly the 50th anniversary of the original design of the iconic image, but its history since then is surprisingly complex with millions of dollars at stake

Anesthetists, At Least, Report That Only an Unlucky Few Are Aware During Surgery

Researchers used to think about one in 500 people are conscious during surgery, but new research puts that number at one in 15,000

Since the mid to late 19th century, isinglass, a fish by-product has been used as a clarification agent in Guinness beer.

Hey Vegans! There May Be Fish Bladder in Your Guinness

Isinglass, a gelatine collected from the air-bladders of freshwater fish like the sturgeon, is used in the clarification process of some stouts

An intriguing new study suggests that infants dislike those who are different from themselves.

Are Babies Bigoted?

An intriguing study involving puppet shows suggests that infants dislike those who are different from themselves

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An Otter Learns to Play Therapeutic Basketball at the Oregon Zoo

Zookeepers show that it is possible to teach an old otter new tricks

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Science Shows Why You’re Smarter Than a Neanderthal

Neanderthal brains had more capacity devoted to vision and body control, with less left over for social interactions and complex cognition

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The Most Audacious Australian Prison Break of 1876

An American whaling ship brought together an oddball crew with a dangerous mission: freeing six Irishmen from a jail in western Australia

Jesper Kongshaug's Northern Lights display at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

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

American Carl Nordeng relocated several years ago to Vilcabamba, Ecuador, where he is now making his own coconut oil.

Faces From Afar: One American’s Endeavor to Kick Ecuador’s Vegetable Oil Habit

Coconut oil is healthy. It smells and tastes like sweet tropical butter. Yet almost nobody in Ecuador uses it

Your publicly available “likes” can tell others a lot you wouldn’t expect—including your political views, sexual orientation and religion.

How a Computer Program Can Learn All About You From Just Your Facebook Likes

Your publicly available “likes” can tell others a lot you wouldn’t expect—including your political views, sexual orientation and religion

A map showing increasing (blue) and decreasing (red) plant growth over the past 30 years.

A Warming Climate Is Turning the Arctic Green

The world is getting warmer, and the Arctic is getting greener

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 diseases or lost their lives to their research subjects

An artist’s rendering of Curiosity, the rover that is currently exploring Gale Crater on Mars. Learn about the rover from the scientist in charge of its mission this Tuesday at the Air and Space Museum.

Events March 12-14: Missions to Mars, the Civil War in Art and a Meditation on Imaginary Landscapes

Meet the scientist behind the Mars rover, learn the civil war’s influence on contemporary art and watch films by European media collective Flatland

The pollution in California’s San Joaquin Valley, including above this Norton cornfield, was tested by NASA as part of a program to monitor air quality from space.

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

Ben Franklin, inventor of all things sky related

Did Benjamin Franklin Invent Daylight Saving Time?

The creation of DST is usually credited to George Vernon Hudson, but 100 years earlier, Benjamin Franklin pondered a similar question

The quiet highway that leads through Cotopaxi is a bike-friendly route.

Cold, Hungry and Happy in the High Andes

40 bucks in cash, a warm sleeping bag and plenty of wine carry the author through his final days in Ecuador, in the remote high country outside of Quito

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