Earth
- Humans
The ultimate genealogical search hunts for our earliest ancestors
The complex search to identify humans’ most distant cousins is long, complex and far from straightforward. It’s also far from over.
- Earth
Scientists Say: Avalanche
The word avalanche usually refers to a huge snowslide down a mountain, but it can also be used to describe any large mass of material tumbling downhill.
- Environment
Leaky sewer pipes pollute urban streams and bays with drugs
Scientists find that leaking sewer pipes around Baltimore, Md., spew thousands of doses of medicines into the Chesapeake Bay and other waterways.
- 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.
- 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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- 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.”
- Space
Let’s learn about auroras
A gust of charged particles from the sun called the solar wind lights up auroras on Earth — and on other planets.
- Physics
Scientists Say: Convection
Convection is a process that transfers heat through the movement of liquid or gas.
- Environment
Everyday plastics can pollute, leaching thousands of chemicals
Plastic bags and containers leach potentially toxic chemicals into both food and water, but researchers yet don’t know how they might affect health.
- Brain
Ask the experts: How to create a top-notch science fair project
Five finalists in the Broadcom MASTERS middle-school competition reveal how they created nationally competitive projects.
- Earth
Here’s how ice needles can sculpt natural rock art
Striking stone patterns adorn remote cold landscapes the world over. The recipe for these adornments: Freeze, thaw, repeat.
