The SciencesJune 3, 2010
Free-Fall Forensics: Liquid Droplets Make Curious Craters
Among the oddities of liquid impacts into granular solids: slow-falling droplets can make deeper craters than their speedier brethren
Stories by John Matson
John Matson is a former reporter and editor for Scientific American who has written extensively about astronomy and physics.
TechnologyJune 1, 2010
12 Events That Will Change Everything
In addition to reacting to news as it breaks, we work to anticipate what will happen. Here we contemplate 12 possibilities and rate their likelihood of happening by 2050
Space & PhysicsJune 1, 2010
Extraterrestrial Intelligence
How will we respond to a signal from outer space?
Space & PhysicsMay 27, 2010
WISE satellite already spots two brown dwarfs
Space & PhysicsMay 27, 2010
Solar Scientists Agree That the Sun's Recent Behavior Is Odd, but the Explanation Remains Elusive
The most recent solar minimum was both long and pronounced. But why?
Space & PhysicsMay 26, 2010
Back off, asteroids--We've got nukes
Space & PhysicsMay 26, 2010
Wayward Gluttons: Galactic Black Holes Can Migrate or Quickly Awaken from Quiescence
A pair of studies of galactic supermassive black holes reveals surprising properties and behavior
The SciencesMay 26, 2010
Science Maps Explore New Ways of Displaying Information [Slide Show]
A traveling, evolving exhibit of science maps will eventually contain 100 entries from around the world
Space & PhysicsMay 25, 2010
Out of Flatland: Orbits Are Askew in a Nearby Planetary System
Two massive objects orbiting the star Upsilon Andromedae are well out of alignment
Space & PhysicsMay 21, 2010
From bad to worse: Hard-luck planet gradually being devoured by its host star
Space & PhysicsMay 21, 2010
Primordial Gravitational Waves Provide a Test of Cosmological Theories
Cosmic inflation may have left a telltale imprint on the universe that could be detected in the coming years
The SciencesMay 20, 2010
Fermilab Finds New Mechanism for Matter's Dominance over Antimatter
An analysis of Tevatron data shows an asymmetry in the way particles known as neutral B mesons decay
Space & PhysicsMay 19, 2010
Japanese space agency set to make history with launch of the solar-sailing IKAROS probe
The SciencesMay 16, 2010
Electrical properties of glass at the nanoscale lead to a pump the size of a red blood cell
The SciencesMay 13, 2010
One for All: Five Entangled Photons Collectively Choose a Path to Follow
So-called NOON states could find use in interferometry for precision measurements or quantum lithography to make ever tinier circuits
Space & PhysicsMay 13, 2010
NASA gears up shuttle Atlantis for its last scheduled trip to space
Mind & BrainMay 11, 2010
Balls rolling uphill (or so it would appear) win Best Illusion of the Year honors
The SciencesMay 11, 2010
National Lab Day Seeks to Leverage Hands-on Learning to Broaden Science's Appeal
The new initiative matches educators and science professionals for collaborative projects
Space & PhysicsMay 10, 2010
Astronomers Could Soon Find Moons Outside the Solar System--Even Habitable Ones
Ewoks and the Na'vi may be pure fiction, but Endor and Pandora, the moons they inhabit, appear closer to reality
Space & PhysicsMay 6, 2010
NASA successfully tests escape system for capsule that may never launch
The SciencesMay 6, 2010
Extraterrestrial Specks in Antarctic Snow Yield New Clues to Solar System's Past
Micrometeorites buried under decades of snowfall in Antarctica preserve scraps of cosmic chemistry that hint at how organic molecules made it to Earth
The SciencesMay 5, 2010
Early Results from Large Dark Matter Detector Cast Doubt on Earlier Claims
The XENON100 detector in Italy should have been able to confirm previous dark matter signals
EvolutionMay 1, 2010
Shields Up
Magnetized rock sets start of magnetic field closer to life's origin
The SciencesApril 30, 2010
Star physicists trade barbs over cosmological model