All Stories
- Computing
Scientists Say: Hardware and Software
Hardware includes all the physical parts of a device you can hold. Software includes all the coded instructions to make that hardware work.
- Animals
Random hops always bring jumping beans to shade — eventually
It’s not fast, but jumping beans use randomness to maximize their chances of getting out of the sun’s heat.
- Climate
Here’s how to increase clean energy without harming wildlife
Wind farms, solar panels and more take up land and may harm wildlife. Researchers are working to resolve this conflict.
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These lemurs take nose-picking to a new level
A nose-picking aye-aye’s spindly middle digit probably pokes all the way into the back of the throat, CT scans show.
- Agriculture
Native Amazonians make rich soils — and ancient people may have too
Modern Amazonians make nutrient-rich soil from ash, food scraps and burns. The soil strongly resembles ancient “dark earth” found in the region.
- Health & Medicine
Scientists Say: Kidney
The kidneys remove waste and excess water from the blood, forming urine.
- Physics
A powerful laser can control the paths that lightning takes
In a mountaintop experiment, a laser beamed at the sky created a virtual lightning rod that snagged several bolts.
- Psychology
There’s a real upside to knowing you could be wrong
We’re often certain that what we believe is true. But questioning those beliefs, as Galileo did, can help us learn better — and even perform better on tests.
- Animals
When it’s hot, echidnas blow snot bubbles to cool off
These spiky Australian mammals have a trick to moisten their noses, allowing them to survive hot temperatures that should kill them.
- Health & Medicine
Let’s learn about allergies
Allergies are caused by the body’s immune system overreacting to harmless substances.
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- Planets
Planets like Star Wars’ Tatooine could be fit for life
Like Luke Skywalker’s home, planets orbiting two stars may be plentiful. A new computer model suggests that many of those worlds could sustain life.
