Technology
In Israel Kids Cross Streets in Virtual Reality for Safety Science
Children lack the hazard-perception skills of adults, but training could bolster their ability to stay safe on the street
Stories by Rachel Nuwer
Technology
Tweets Reveal a Twitter User's Income Bracket
An analysis of more than 10 million tweets shows that users unknowingly tip their socioeconomic status
Energy
Cooling Panels Pull Heat from Buildings, Beam It into Space
A multipurpose mirror sucks up heat and beams it into outer space
Health
One Test Detects Every Vertebrate Virus
A new method identifies every virus in a given sample with near-perfect accuracy
Environment
Poaching Upsurge Threatens South America's Iconic Vicuña
Over the past 50 years vicuñas were brought back from the brink of extinction. Now they’ve attracted the attention of poachers and international wildlife traffickers eager to turn a profit from the llamalike animals’ highly prized wool...
Technology
Algorithms Read Your Intentions by Tracking Your Eyes
Software that translates eye movement into commands to control devices could be a boon for motion-impaired people
Conservation
New Powders Can Lift Poacher Prints from Ivory a Month after the Crime
Two new compounds can reveal criminals’ fingerprints on animal tusks and teeth up to 28 days after handling
Behavior
Why Cops Lose Control
What research shows about police violence and how to prevent it
The Sciences
Mother, May I ... Eat You?
Some velvet spiders offer up their bodies to their children—and make it easier for the kiddos to dig in by regurgitating their own tissues
The Sciences
2016 SATs Will Put Stronger Emphasis on Graphic Literacy
The standardized test undergoes its first redesign in more than a decade
Space & Physics
Popcorn Physics 101: How a Kernel Pops
The puffy morsels have “legs” that propel them off the pan
The Sciences
Cockroaches Accumulate Light to See in the Dark
The household pests achieve night vision by pooling light signals over time
Technology
Smartphone Screens Correct for Your Vision Flaws
Self-correcting screens on smartphones and iPads tailor themselves to a viewer's vision—no glasses necessary
Environment
New Class of Polymers Discovered By Accident
Eco-friendly polymers strong enough to use in cars and airplanes
Technology
Wireless Gadget Recharging with Sound Waves
An efficient way to beam electricity through the air
The Sciences
Mystery of Scotch Whisky Rings Solved [Slide Show]
How a photographer’s curiosity led to new scientific insight into the fluid dynamics of binary liquids
The Sciences
Mystery of Scotch Whisky Rings Solved [Slide Show]
How a photographer’s curiosity led to new scientific insight into the fluid dynamics of binary liquids
Environment
Trillions of Tiny Plastic Pieces Reside in Arctic Ice
And they could be released as that lce melts
The Sciences
Sneezes Travel Even Farther Than We Thought
Up to 200 times farther...
The Sciences
The Laser Beams That Pick Up Particles
Updated optical tweezers can pluck objects as small as viruses
