All Science
For a fallen robot, a 21-gun saluteNew research suggests that soldiers treat their robots much like they do their fellow soldiers. The research raises new questions about how to ensure than robots are used safely and ethically in combat.
What exactly is an equinox, anyway?As Sunday ushered in the first official week of autumn, with the autumnal equinox setting Earth's Northern Hemisphere on a path to shorter days and colder temperatures. But what does the equinox really signify, and what's actually happening in the night sky? We break it down for you.
Why do people want to eat babies? Scientists explain.Admit it: When presented with a baby, you've experienced a fleeting desire to eat it. Now science has an explanation.
Calling all plankton hunters: Ecologists need your help.A team of scientists at Oregon State University and the University of Miami have created a project that opens up for citizen scientists the vast – really, really vast – world of some not so vast beings: plankton.
NASA declares its Deep Impact Probe finishedThe probe, with which NASA can no longer communicate, will ring the sun until it runs out of fuel.
Four new species of legless lizards discovered in CaliforniaThe slithering reptiles were spotted in far-from-pristine environments, including an LAX runway, an oilfield, and an empty downtown lot.
Big methane discovery on Mars: There isn't any methane.NASA's Mars rover Curiosity has detected no trace of methane, contradicting earlier observations that suggest that the organic molecule might be present on the Red Planet.
Don't panic: Earth has at least 1.75 billion years to go, scientists sayA team of British researchers has developed a model for determining how long a planet can expect to be within its sun’s habitable zone before the brightening star cooks the planet's liquid water into steam.
Clown terrorizes town: Why are clowns scary?Clown terrorizes town in Britain. A clown has been spotted all over Northampton, U.K., spawning a Facebook page, and a town clown catcher to alleviate concerns. Why are clowns terrifying to some?
In earwax, the tale of a whaleResearchers have reconstructed the lifespan of a male blue whale, including its brushes with both environmental pollutants and female blue whales, using its earwax.
Private Cygnus spacecraft on its way to deliver food and clothing to space stationNASA launched a 1,500-pound care package today through Cygnus, its newest unmanned commercial spacecraft that will deliver food and clothing to the International Space Station.
House cats and tigers share 95.6 percent of DNA, study revealsAn international team of scientists have sequenced the genomes of tigers, lions, and snow leopards, with the aim of preserving the iconic felines.
Robot snakes on Mars? Serpentine probe could explore Red Planet.Robot snakes: A Norwegian institute is collaborating with the ESA to develop a new, snake-shaped robot that will slither on Mars, collecting details from the hard-to-reach places that a rover cannot access.
Biblical-era town discovered in IsraelBiblical-era town: Archaeologists have discovered a town on the northwest coast of the Sea of Galilee dating back more than 2000 years.
Cygnus vs. Dragon: How two private spaceships compare.If all goes well with Wednesday's launch, the Orbital Sciences' Cygnus spacecraft will be the second private American spacecraft to dock with the International Space Station. How does the Cygnus stack up against its rival, SpaceX's Dragon capsule?
Study links space weather to satellite glitchesA study of satellite failures between 1996 and 2012 found that glitches tended to coincide with solar activity.
Iran's next astronaut could be a cat, official saysIran's next space capsule, scheduled to be launched before next March, might contain a Persian cat, says a senior official with the Islamic Republic's space program. In previous years, Iran has claimed to have launched a monkey, a mouse, a turtle, and some worms into space.
How Japan's Epsilon rocket take cares of itselfJapan's Epsilon rocket, which launched carried a satellite into space Saturday, automatically performs its own health checks instead of using human operators.
How one group of plants help regrow an entire forestA team of researchers report in Nature that legumes grow faster than other trees in the earliest phase of a forest’s re-growth, pumping into the soil enough nitrogen to support the rest of the forest's burgeoning plants.
Did life on Earth come from a comet?New research suggests that the collision of icy comets with our planet billions of years ago may have produced a 'cosmic factory' for early life on Earth.
