All Science
Forgotten in a museum basement, an extraordinary archaeological findAfter languishing in a box in the basement of Philadelphia's Penn Museum for 85 years, a 6,500-year-old skeleton unearthed in what is today Iraq is finally getting attention from archaeologists.
- Black hole in distant galaxy sets off huge space explosions, say astronomers
Black hole: Particles streaming from a black hole at the center of a galaxy some 23 million light-years away are superheating hydrogen gas to millions of degrees and creating huge shock waves, say scientists.
Comet chaser: Rosetta spacecraft runs down comet after 10-year pursuitRosetta spacecraft catches up with comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on its orbit around the sun. The European Space Agency's next goal is to target a site for the first-ever soft landing on a comet.
- California mystery animal: Bizarre, catlike beast baffles experts
California mystery animal: A catlike animal prowling the streets of Norwalk, California was originally thought to be a mountain lion. But now, experts aren't so sure.
What does comet 67P look like? A giant duckAfter a four-billion-mile chase, the European space probe Rosetta caught up to comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on Wednesday. What next?
Rosetta comet rendezvous: How to watch it liveOn Wednesday morning, the European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft is set to catch up with Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, which it will attempt to orbit.
- Watch great white sharks trying to eat an underwater robot
The SharkCam, an underwater autonomous vehicle repurposed by Discovery Channel to film great white sharks in their native habitat, became the recipient of a few exploratory chomps by the marine predators.
SpaceX to make Brownsville, Texas, first private orbital spaceportThe launch site will be about 17 miles northeast of Brownsville and could make 12 launches a year through 2025. Texas estimates that the SpaceX facility will create some 300 jobs in the region.
Could comet Siding Spring damage Mars spacecraft?As comet Siding Spring approaches the Red Planet, NASA is moving its Mars orbiters to protect them from any dust ejected by the comet.
Huge volcanic eruptions illuminate Jupiter moonJupiter's third largest moon, Io, was the scene of three massive volcanic eruptions over a two-week span in August.
Hurricane Bertha will weaken on Tuesday, say expertsHurricane Bertha, the second hurricane of the 2014 Atlantic season, is expected to weaken on Tuesday, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said on Monday.
Toledo water crisis may be over, but toxic algae blooms are in our futureThe algae that produced the toxins that closed Toledo's taps are found in bodies of fresh water throughout the US. Contributing factors to Lake Erie's bloom: nutrients, climate, and invasive species.
Could NASA's next Mars rover generate breathable air?Aboard NASA's next Mars rover will be a device that could bring humanity a step closer to colonization, a 'factory' that converts the Red Planet's carbon dioxide atmosphere into pure oxygen and carbon monoxide.
Comet-chasing Euro-probe could make history WednesdayIn what is expected to mark a milestone in the history of spaceflight, the European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft is set to begin orbiting around comet 67p/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, where it will attempt to get close enough to deposit a small lander.
William Shatner tweets at NASA, nerdiness ensuesWilliam Shatner, best known for portraying Enterprise Captain James T. Kirk, greeted NASA on Twitter, and the space agency responded with an appropriately Trekkish response.
Oil spill damage to Gulf was deeper, wider than thought, say scientistsOil spill: Scientists have discovered four coral communities deep in the ocean that show signs of damage from the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
NASA test demonstrates 'impossible' propulsion systemSaid to be impossible, a microwave propulsion system that apparently takes advantage of quantum effects has been shown to generate a small amount of thrust, potentially creating an avenue for cheaper and faster spaceflight.
A story for the birds? The incredible shrinking dinosaurThe skeletal changes taking place during the 50-million-year dinosaur-to-bird transition were occurring four times faster than for dinosaurs as a whole, a new study says.
- West Coast beaches overrun by strange blue creatures
Millions of Velella, a small, blue marine animal that travels like a sailboat using the wind, have been stranded on beaches all over US West Coast.
What will the next Mars rover do? NASA unveils design.NASA's next Mars rover, set to launch in 2020, will carry with it a ground-penetrating radar, a device designed to produce oxygen from Martian air, and a mechanism for storing rocks for a future sample-return mission.
