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Half of Our Atoms May Come From Other Galaxies
According to computer simulations, large galaxies may grow by sucking in matter smaller star clusters expel
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Astronaut Captures ‘Awesome Sauce’ of Aurora From Space
Humans have been amazed for millennia by these atmospheric events
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The Scientific Feat That Birthed the Blue Chrysanthemum
In a world first, scientists engineered the flowers to take on an azure hue
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Why Are Tardigrades the World’s Hardiest Creature? DNA Offers Clues
They may be tiny, but don’t let their stubby stature fool you
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Why Does NOAA Still Send Pilots Into Hurricanes?
The first “Hurricane Hunter” flight was a bet, but today they’re an essential part of risk management
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America Has Been Struggling With the Metric System For More Than 200 Years
The United States is the one of the world’s only holdouts at this point, but it could have been the first country outside of France to adopt the system
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Yes, Sperm Counts Have Been Steadily Declining—But Don’t Freeze Your Sperm Yet
The study is a striking reminder of how much science has to learn about these little wrigglers
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This 1943 “Hellish Cloud” Was the Most Vivid Warning of LA’s Smog Problems to Come
Southern California–and LA in particular–continue to struggle with smog
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Last Orca Born at SeaWorld Dies
The three-month-old creature succumbed to a case of pneumonia, according to the park
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Disease Found in 99 Percent of Brains Donated by NFL Families
The degenerative brain disease develops after repeated concussions or blows to the head
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Underwater Robot Spots Possible Melted Nuclear Fuel in Fukushima Reactor
Identifying the location of the fuel is a vital step in the decontamination process
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Water May Lurk Beneath the Moon’s Surface
The surprising abundance of water could help future lunar settlers survive in the barren landscape
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Snooty, World’s Oldest Captive Manatee, Dies in Accident
The 69-year-old sea cow was the mascot for the South Florida Museum
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Found: New Species of Ocean Sunfish, the World’s Largest Bony Fish
After identifying genetic traces of the creature, one researcher spent years searching for the aquatic beast
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Explore the International Space Station With Google Street View
An astronaut and Google mapped the ISS for Street View with a DSLR and a lot of patience
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Apollo 11 Moon Rock Bag Sells for $1.8 Million in Controversial Auction
NASA waged an unsuccessful legal battle to retrieve the bag, which contains traces of lunar dust, from a private collection
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Vietnam Commits to Shut Down Bear Bile Farms
Though the new agreement is promising, the practice remains prevalent throughout China and southeast Asia
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Humans Have Produced Nine Billion Tons of Plastic and Counting
Over half of that material was created in the last decade
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Thousands of Mysterious Yellow “Sponges” Wash Up On French Beaches
Though experts were initially stumped, the substance has now been identified
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