All Stories
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Tech
Someday soon, smartwatches may know you’re sick before you do
Such an early detection of flu-like infections could tell you when to avoid others to limit the spread of disease.
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Climate
Scientists Say: El Niño and La Niña
El Niño and La Niña are part of a climate cycle that results in major weather changes every few years.
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Space
Explainer: Calculating a star’s age
Scientists can figure out a star's mass or composition pretty easily. Determining how old that star is, however, is a lot harder.
By Lisa Grossman and Helen Thompson -
Tech
Easy for you, tough for a robot
Robots still can’t do many things that we find easy. Can engineers reduce how klutzy robots are and boost their common sense?
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Climate
Here’s how some sea-loving trees ended up far from the coast
This “relict ecosystem” that’s more than thousands of years old moved inland due to warming and a rise in sea levels.
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Physics
Here’s why ducklings swim in a row behind mom
Baby ducks save energy by surfing their mother’s waves, but only if they do it in an orderly line.
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Physics
Future cars may offer personal sound zones — no earphones needed
Zones that offer each passenger personal listening are closer to reality. A new design improves performance by adapting to the conditions in your car.
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Humans
Researchers role-played as Neandertals to learn how they hunted birds
By pretending to be Neandertals, researchers show that the ancient hominids likely had the skills to hunt crowlike birds called choughs.
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Earth
What can ‘silent earthquakes’ teach us about the next Big One?
Earthquakes usually last seconds. But sometimes, they can last days, or even years. Here’s what scientists are learning about these “slow-slip events.”
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Brain
Concussion patients should avoid screen time for first two days
Teens may find it hard to avoid screen time, but data from a new study suggest it can speed their recovery.