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Surprising Science

Eating a fatty sandwich for breakfast could impact your cardiovascular health by the afternoon.

Even in Healthy Adults, High-Fat Fast Foods Affect Arteries Almost Immediately

In a new study, people who ate a pair of fatty sausage and egg sandwiches for breakfast showed reduced blood vessel health by the afternoon

Models indicate that climate change will cause more frequent hurricanes, but the overall trend can’t be linked with a particular event, such as Hurricane Sandy (above, on October 29).

Can We Link Hurricane Sandy to Climate Change?

Models indicate that climate change will cause more frequent and intense hurricanes, but the overall trend can’t be linked with any particular storm

Defying its reputation as aloof, this tortoiseshell cat was labelled “the friendliest cat we met”

Judging a Cat (Wrongly) by the Color of its Coat

Black cats aren’t evil, and torties aren’t always aloof. But people often think coat color and behavior are linked

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Scientists Use Cadaver Hands to Study the Dangers of Pumpkin Carving

A rigorous experiment compared pumpkin-carving tools to determine the safest way to carve a pumpkin

Microscopic bacteria were found to conduct electricity between red surface sediments and deeper, anaerobic black seabed layers.

Live Wires: Newly Discovered Seafloor Bacteria Conduct Electricity

Scientists have found ultrathin multicellular bacteria that create electrical circuits several centimeters long

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Tropical Storm Sandy Could Bring Extreme Weather to the East Coast for Halloween

A nascent hurricane in the Caribbean could bring flooding and high winds to the East Coast—or could take a turn and head out to sea

According to the hypothesis, grandmothers can help collect food and feed children before they are able to feed themselves, enabling mothers to have more children.

New Evidence That Grandmothers Were Crucial for Human Evolution

A computer simulation supports the idea that grandmothers helped our species evolve social skills and longer lives

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The Orionid Meteor Shower Will Light Up the Skies This Weekend

Debris shed by the legendary Halley’s comet could make for an impressive meteor show

A 24,700-year-old leaf found beneath a Japanese lake, along with other samples, will help scientists more precisely date a range of ancient objects.

A New Leap Forward for Radiocarbon Dating

Sediments and ancient leaves recovered from the bottom of a Japanese lake will help scientists around the world more precisely date ancient objects

An artist’s conception of the massive collision that would have produced the moon roughly 4.5 billion years ago.

How the Moon Was Made

A new type of evidence found in lunar rocks indicates that an enormous collision between a young Earth and a Mars-sized object formed the moon

14 Fun Facts About Hagfish

These frightening creatures defend themselves with slime and chow down on animal carcasses

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What Is the Most Annoying Sound in the World?

A new study examines the neurological basis for unpleasant noises—and finds exactly which sounds are the most irritating

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The Marshmallow Test Gets More Complicated

A new study finds that in a study of self control, the perception of trustworthiness matters

An MIT study reveals that carbon dioxide directly reduces the strength of ice, regardless of temperature.

Bad News Chemistry: Carbon Dioxide Makes Ice Weaker

An MIT study reveals that carbon dioxide directly reduces the strength of ice, which has troubling implications for climate change

The Hestia Project provides comprehensive visualizations of a city’s greenhouse gas emissions.

New Technology Maps Greenhouse Gas Emissions at the Street and Neighborhood Level

The Hestia project draws on a variety of data sources to paint a comprehensive picture of a city’s greenhouse gas metabolism

A new study debunks the idea that friendships are influenced by shared genes.

Cracking the Code of the Human Genome

Do We Really Pick Our Friends Based On Genetic Similarities?

A new study debunks the idea that friendships are influenced by shared genes

New research indicates that the influenza virus can jump from humans to pet animals, raising the possibility of dangerous mutations.

Can You Give the Flu To Your Dog or Cat?

New research indicates that the influenza virus can jump from humans to pet animals, raising the possibility of dangerous mutations

Tungsten carbide drill bits will grind through miles of ultra-hard igneous seafloor rock in hopes of reaching the mantle.

New Project Aims to Drill to the Earth’s Mantle, 3.7 Miles Down

Scientists aim to reach the mantle and bring back rock samples for the first time in human history

Plastic debris and particles are now turning up in the ocean waters surrounding Antarctica.

High Levels of Plastic and Debris Found in Waters off of Antarctica

In the world’s most remote ocean waters, researchers discovered unexpectedly high levels of plastic pollution

As part of the Pacific Centennial Oscillation pattern, ocean waters in certain areas become warmer and cooler as part of a century-long cycle. Red indicates warmer water; blue shows cooler.

New Climate-Shifting Pattern: Is PCO the Next El Niño?

Computer simulations indicate that ocean temperatures and weather patterns might vary on a 100-year-long cycle called PCO

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