All Stories

  1. Planets

    Explainer: What is a planet?

    Over the years, definitions have changed several times.

    By
  2. Chemistry

    Plastic-munching microbes

    Microbes may soon help make it easier to recycle your soda bottle, helping to create new demand for what has historically been a low-quality recycled material.

    By
  3. Agriculture

    Farms sprout in cities

    The farms of the future may be where you would least expect to find them -- in towering skyscrapers in some of the world's largest cities.

    By
  4. Planets

    The trouble with Pluto

    The traditional view of the solar system is out of date. Depending on who you talk to today, the answer to how many planets there are could be eight, 12, or even 208 and counting.

    By
  5. Animals

    Weird, new ant

    Recently discovered South American species shakes up ant family tree.

    By
  6. Environment

    Our plastic world

    Some products contain chemicals that can pose a serious health risk.

    By
  7. Tech

    Lighting goes digital

    Brighter and more efficient, LED lights are on the horizon.

    By
  8. Space

    The solar system’s biggest junkyard

    The science of tracking millions of pieces of garbage that orbit Earth is tricky and essential.

    By
  9. Animals

    Honeybees do the wave

    Giant honeybees make waves when predators come close.

    By
  10. Math

    Math and our number sense

    Not all math skills are learned in the classroom. Some of them come naturally.

    By
  11. Health & Medicine

    The chemistry of sleeplessness

    A brain chemical may help people stay awake even when they are really, really tired.

    By
  12. Tech

    Nanomagnets corral oil

    Scientists may have found a clever way to clean up oil spills -- with magnets.

    By