All Stories by Stephen Ornes
- Fossils
These prehistoric fliers likely nested together
Fossils in nest of newfound pterosaur species suggest these animals were part of a social network — and may even have lived communally.
- Space
Sun sibling spotted
Separated at birth: Astronomers find a star 110 light-years away. It was born at the same time as our sun and from the same cloud of gas and dust.
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Science stars are on display at the White House
One hundred students from 30 states participated in the fourth annual White House Science Fair in Washington, D.C.
- Earth
Thirst for water moves and shakes California
Here’s a scary cost to pumping up groundwater to slake the thirst of crops in California’s Central Valley: It may uplift nearby mountains and trigger tiny earthquakes, experts find.
- Brain
Football hits the brain hard
The brain’s hippocampus helps store memories. It is smaller in college football players — especially if they have suffered concussions.
- Tech
Saving vanishing ‘tongues’
More than 3,000 world languages face extinction. Linguists are turning to mobile apps and other tech tools to preserve these endangered languages.
- Animals
Electronics may confuse a bird’s ‘compass’
Birds use Earth’s magnetic field to help guide them as they migrate. A new study suggests that electromagnetic radiation given off by some electronic devices may act like “noise” and confuse the long-traveling birds.
- Brain
The scent of a woman — or a man
Animals unwittingly signal things about themselves by giving off subtle scents. A new study claims the same is true for people.
- Planets
A ‘Goldilocks’ world?
Scientists have spotted a faraway planet that is nearly the size of Earth and could host liquid water. It's too far to visit, but astronomers say the galaxy could be littered with such potentially habitable worlds. Don't hang up yet, E.T.
- Animals
Don’t mess with a frustrated fish
When a trout doesn't get the snack it expected, look out. These fish get aggressive. Sometimes they can defeat even bigger fish.
- Physics
Quark quartet forms exotic particle
Quarks are important building blocks of matter, usually bound together as pairs or triples. Now some have formed a quartet. Scientists confirmed the existence of a particle made of four quarks stuck together. Such strange stuff may have been more common in the earliest universe, the scientists say.
- Environment
‘Greener’ energy needed now, group warns
To avoid a looming environmental crisis brought on by global warming, people need to rely more on renewable energy sources. And fast. Without quick action, the world may face a harsh future, warns the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
