All Stories

  1. Animals

    News stories about spiders are unfairly negative

    Nearly half of news stories about people-spider encounters contain errors, according to a new study. And those falsehoods tend to have a negative spin.

    By Betsy Mason
  2. Psychology

    Persuasion can be used to change hearts and minds

    Persuasion can be used for good — or ill — to change how people feel. To protect yourself against undue persuasion, pay attention.

    By Alison Pearce Stevens
  3. Chemistry

    Recipes for modern beauty products aren’t so modern after all

    An art historian has combined forces with chemists to uncover the science behind cosmetics used about 500 years ago.

    By Rina Diane Caballar
  4. Animals

    Sea sponges spew slow-motion snot rockets to clear out their pores

    Sea sponges rely on a sneezing technique to clear their pores. The mucus flushes out debris — and provides a snack for other marine life.

    By Jude Coleman
  5. Space

    Amateur astronomers reveal clues to a mysterious double aurora

    Stunning images from citizen scientists show an unusual pattern in ‘Northern Lights.’ They offer clues that may help astronomers better understand a curious red glow.

    By Asa Stahl
  6. Brain

    Scientists Say: Cognition

    Cognition is involved in all conscious mental activity, from thinking and reasoning to remembering.

    By Maria Temming
  7. Tech

    New stick-on ‘sonar’ device lets you watch your own heart beat

    This wearable patch might one day make personalized medicine affordable almost anywhere in the world.

    By Asa Stahl
  8. Materials Science

    Cool Jobs: Scientific glassblowers shape science

    Glass has played a major role in research for centuries. Today’s artisans work at the forefront of discovery.

    By Lindsey Konkel Neabore
  9. Climate

    Heat waves appear more life-threatening than scientists once thought

    This is bad news as a warming planet leads to growing numbers of excessive heat waves — and millions more people facing potentially deadly temperatures.

    By Carolyn Gramling
  10. Brain

    Let’s learn about reading

    Reading can be fun — but it can also be really hard. New research is exploring how to make reading easier for people of all ability levels.

    By Maria Temming
  11. Earth

    Scientists Say: Humidity

    Feel sticky when you step outside on a summer day? Blame humidity — water in the air.

    By Maria Temming
  12. Tech

    This leaping robot can out-jump anything — animal or machine

    Such a bounding bot might someday help explore the moon.

    By Kathryn Hulick
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