Astrophysics
The History of the Milky Way Comes into Focus
By dating nearly a quarter-million stars, astronomers were able to reconstruct the history of our galaxy—and they say it has lived an “enormously sheltered life.”
Stories by Christopher Intagliata
Climate Change
Some Good News about Corals and Climate Change
A nearly two-year-long study of Hawaiian corals suggests some species may be better equipped to handle warmer, more acidic waters than previously believed.
Animals
Chimps Apply Insects to Their Wounds
It is not clear whether the act has medicinal benefit or is merely a cultural practice among the animals.
Pollution
How Hong Kong ‘Sees’ Invisible Tailpipe Emissions and Pulls Polluters Off the Road
The city has deployed a system of sensors to flag highly polluting vehicles. Nearly all of them have been repaired, helping to clean Hong Kong’s air.
Climate Change
Tiger Sharks, Tracked over Decades, Are Shifting Their Haunts with Ocean Warming
Using a combination of fishing data and satellite tracking, scientists found that the sharks have shifted their range some 250 miles poleward over the past 40 years.
Creativity
Salvador Dali’s Creative Secret Is Backed by Science
The painter described falling into the briefest of slumbers to refresh his mind. Now scientists have shown the method is effective at inducing creativity.
Natural Disasters
Canary Islands Eruption Resets Volcano Forecasts
A volcanologist says the eruption on the island of La Palma is a unique window into the “personality” of basaltic volcanoes...
Cosmology
Astronomers Spot Two Dust Bunnies Hiding in the Early Universe
The scientists found several previously hidden galaxies that date back to 13 billion years ago—and many more might be missing from our current census of the early universe.
Dinosaurs
Flocking Together May Have Helped Dinosaurs Dominate the Earth
A fossil bed in Patagonia provides evidence of complex social structure in dinosaurs as early as 193 million years ago. And scientists say that herding behavior could have been key to the beasts’ success...
Anthropology
Date of the Vikings’ First Atlantic Crossing Revealed by Rays from Space
By dating the remnants of trees felled in Newfoundland, scientists have determined that the Norse people likely first set foot in the Americas in the year A.D. 1021...
Electronics
Flexible Microprocessor Could Enable an ‘Internet of Everything’
Researchers have developed a microprocessor built on high-performance plastic rather than silicon—and they say it could enable smarter food labels and supply chain management...
Black Holes
Astronomers Find an Unexpected Bumper Crop of Black Holes
In trying to explain the spectacular star trails of the star cluster Palomar 5, astronomers stumbled on a very large trove of black holes.
Evolution
The Secret behind Songbirds’ Magnetic Migratory Sense
A molecule found in the retinas of European robins seems to be able to sense weak magnetic fields, such as that of Earth, after it is exposed to light.
Biology
Elephants May Use Urine to Navigate
Scientists found that elephants often sniff pathways—and seem especially attuned to urine.
Biology
The Dirty Secret behind Some of the World’s Earliest Microscopes
Dutch scientist Antonie van Leeuwenhoek made extraordinary observations of blood cells, sperm cells and bacteria with his microscopes. But it turns out the lens technology he used was quite ordinary...
Evolution
Who Laps Whom on the Walking Track—Tyrannosaurus rex or You? Science Has a New Answer
An analysis of the animal’s walking speed suggests that T. rex ’s walking pace was close to that of a human. It’s too bad the king of the dinosaurs didn’t just walk when hungry...
Biology
These Endangered Birds Are Forgetting Their Songs
Australia’s critically endangered regent honeyeaters are losing what amounts to their culture—and that could jeopardize their success at landing a mate...
Evolution
That Mouse in Your House—It’s Smarter, Thanks to You
Scientists studied three varieties of house mice and found that those who had lived alongside humans the longest were also the craftiest at solving food puzzles. Christopher Intagliata reports...
Space & Physics
A Heroic Effort to Measure Helium
After an intense game of cat and mouse with different particles, atomic physicists have measured the radius of the helium nucleus five times more precisely than before. Christopher Intagliata reports...
Biology
Scientists Take a Cattle Head Count in India
The research team determined that the city of Raipur in central India has at least one street cow for every 54 human residents. Christopher Intagliata reports.
