The SciencesDecember 14, 2009
Crowd Forcing: Random Movement of Bacteria Drives Gears
In the swimming motions of aerobic bacteria against asymmetric gears, apparent randomness can yield directed motion
Stories by John Matson
John Matson is a former reporter and editor for Scientific American who has written extensively about astronomy and physics.
Space & PhysicsDecember 14, 2009
WISE, NASA's infrared surveyor, launches successfully
The SciencesDecember 11, 2009
Subsurface Gas Deposit Could Deflate Theory of How Earth's Atmosphere Formed
Krypton trapped in Earth's mantle appears not to have been captured from the sun, as some models would predict
The SciencesDecember 10, 2009
Large Hadron Collider eclipses record for high-energy collisions
Space & PhysicsDecember 9, 2009
WISE Satellite Set to Map the Infrared Universe
NASA's latest space surveyor should be able to peer at distant galaxies and uncover dim objects right in our own celestial backyard
Space & PhysicsDecember 7, 2009
What makes Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo more than just a high-flying plane?
Space & PhysicsDecember 4, 2009
Bright, long-lived blast appears to be elusive pair-instability supernova
Space & PhysicsNovember 27, 2009
10 Views of Earth from the Moon, Mars and Beyond [Slide Show]
For more than 40 years, missions throughout the solar system have sent back stunning images of our home planet
Space & PhysicsNovember 25, 2009
What would rings around Earth look like?
Space & PhysicsNovember 24, 2009
Numerous "Tramp" Stars Adrift in Intergalactic Space Could Await Discovery
So-called tramp stars, flung from their galaxies in past gravitational interactions, could exist in great numbers outside the Milky Way Galaxy
The SciencesNovember 20, 2009
Circulation of LHC Beams Could Resume in Earnest over the Weekend
The lab that operates the oft-delayed particle collider is ready to put it to work
Space & PhysicsNovember 20, 2009
Novel Nova: Stellar Blast Powered by Helium May Leave a Tantalizing Remnant
The first so-called helium nova, the possible result of a large white dwarf sucking material from a hydrogen-deficient companion star, may be a precursor to a supernova
The SciencesNovember 18, 2009
Ultrathin, Now Ultraflat: Ripple-Free Graphene May Hold Key to Material's Mysteries
By eliminating graphene's corrugations, researchers hope to find out how much surface texture influences its properties
Space & PhysicsNovember 18, 2009
Spirit rover's first dash for freedom is a short one
Space & PhysicsNovember 16, 2009
Atlantis lifts off as space shuttle program continues to wind down
The SciencesNovember 15, 2009
Nanodevices Bend under the Force of Light
Researchers engineer minute structures that deform ever more appreciably when light passes through them
Space & PhysicsNovember 13, 2009
LCROSS impact plumes contained moon water, NASA says
Space & PhysicsNovember 13, 2009
NASA prepares effort to free stuck Spirit Mars rover
Space & PhysicsNovember 12, 2009
Next shuttle mission will carry butterflies to space for classroom science experiments
Space & PhysicsNovember 11, 2009
Planets May Affect the Chemistry of Their Stars
A stellar survey shows that planet-hosting stars tend to be highly depleted in lithium
Space & PhysicsNovember 11, 2009
Solar sail concept, like a phoenix, may rise again
The SciencesNovember 10, 2009
Faster Than a Speeding Particulate: Why Powdery Materials Disperse So Fast on Liquids
Hydrodynamic forces propel particles explosively outward on liquid surfaces
Space & PhysicsNovember 9, 2009
Colliding White Dwarfs May Mimic Supernovae Used to Gauge Astronomical Distances
A new path to detonate "standard candle" type Ia supernovae further muddles their origins
The SciencesNovember 6, 2009
NASA-funded monkey-radiation experiment raises hackles