All Science
- NASA rescued a satellite near Mars. Saving Earth's satellites is harder.
There are currently six spacecraft in orbit around Mars. By contrast, more than 1,400 satellites are passing over our heads on Earth.
- First LookNew discovery reveals mystery of the woolly mammoth
A small breeding population may have doomed the last mammoths, a confirmation of gene and population theory that could change how we think about conservation efforts today.
- First LookCan a new study on trees change the conversation about Amazon conservation?
The Amazon is less pristine wilderness than domesticated diversity, a new study finds. That makes the region a cultural artifact, the study's authors suggest – and may provide a roadmap for conservation.
- To make better computers, researchers turn to molecular biology
Forget flash drives, hard drives, floppy disks, CDs, records, and VHS tapes. The most efficient way to store data may be all around you.
- First LookElephants take on college students, new parents for wackiest sleep schedule
Elephants get by on as little as two hours a day, often while standing, says a new study.
- How complexity science can help keep the lights on
Our power grid is the most complex human-technological system ever created, and it's getting more complex every day. Can we develop a theory that explains how it behaves?
- First LookAre Canadian fossils evidence of the oldest form of life yet seen?
A contentious new study looks at rocks as old as 4.22 billion years which suggest 'an almost instantaneous emergence of life' on early Earth.
- In the search for life on Mars, are robots nearing their limits?
Curiosity and the upcoming Mars 2020 rover will continue the search for indirect signs of microbial life on Mars, but some scientists suggest it might take a human touch to uncover conclusive evidence.
- First LookWhy NASA had to give back a bag of moon dust to Chicago woman
A bag used during the first manned mission to the moon in 1969 was accidentally sold to Nancy Lee Carlson during an auction in 2015, much to NASA's dismay.
- First LookHow this giraffe mom captivated the world
As giraffe populations dwindle, a live feed of a pregnant giraffe in Animal Adventure Park, a zoo in upstate New York, has enthralled viewers around the globe, perhaps even helping conservation efforts for the vulnerable animals.
- Why bringing back extinct species may not help conservation efforts
A new economic analysis suggests that de-extinction may detract from, rather than add to, efforts to conserve endangered species.
- How lasers are helping flesh out what dinosaurs actually looked like
Paleontologists reveal spectacular images – created using a laser – of 160-million-year-old dinosaur fossils.
- First LookWorld's only metallic hydrogen sample disappears, if it indeed existed in the first place
When researchers at Harvard University announced that they had found a 'holy grail' of solid-state physics by forcing hydrogen into a metallic form, their discovery was met with skepticism. Now, the researchers' sample has gone missing.
- First LookSpaceX plans to send humans around the moon in 2018. Can they pull it off?
On Monday, the private spaceflight company, which has yet to fly humans to space, announced plans to send a crewed spacecraft around the moon late next year.
- Could the TRAPPIST-1 exoplanets harbor alien life?
Several Earth-sized exoplanets orbiting a small, dim dwarf star could support life – if they have the right kind of atmosphere.
- First LookSpring comes early, bringing balmy days – and climate questions
Spring-like temperatures have arrived between two and three weeks early this month in various parts of the United States.
- Intelligent insects: Scientists teach bees how to play 'golf'
The 'game,' which involves pushing a ball into a designated area for a reward, is unlike most behaviors a bee would be instinctively prepared for in the wild. Bees demonstrated complex cognitive abilities.
- Sunday's solar eclipse: Yes, these events still produce real science
The annular eclipse Sunday in Argentina is seen as a practice run for the big event in August. Why solar eclipses still excite scientists, too.
- Apollo 8 redux: Why NASA may send humans around the moon, again
NASA could send astronauts around the moon sooner than expected, if the Trump administration has its way. But will the added cost be worth the benefits?
- First LookThe Red Planet is red hot right now, but are we really ready to send people to Mars?
NASA, SpaceX, China, India, Europe, and the UAE all want to go to Mars, but will they ever be able to bring people along for the ride?