
New Process Could Provide More Sustainable Plastic Production
A common component of plastics could come from existing carbon sources

New Process Could Provide More Sustainable Plastic Production
A common component of plastics could come from existing carbon sources

The First Molecule in the Universe
Scientists have identified mystery molecules in space and the compound thought to have started chemistry in the cosmos


How to Make a Mass Extinction
Journalist and author Peter Brannen talks about his book The Ends of the World: Volcanic Apocalypses, Lethal Oceans, and Our Quest to Understand Earth’s Past Mass Extinctions.

Flames Extinguish Themselves in Zero Gravity
Originally published in November 2000

Science News Briefs from around the Globe
A few brief reports about international science and technology from Indonesia to Spain, including one from Brazil about the highest-voltage electric eel ever discovered.

Want to Crack Open a Safe? Try Nitroglycerine
Originally published in January 1856

Fido’s Human Age Gets New Estimates
By comparing how DNA gets altered over the lifetimes of people and dogs, researchers came up with a new way to compare canine years with human years.

Superstrong Fibers Could Be Hairy Situation
Human hair tested stronger than thicker fibers from elephants, boars and giraffes, providing clues to materials scientists hoping to make superstrong synthetic fibers.

Moths Flee or Face Bats, Depending on Toxicity
Tiger moth species that contain bad-tasting and toxic compounds are nonchalant in the presence of bats, while edible moth species evade their predators.

Not All Hydropower Is Climate-Considerate
While some hydropower facilities release almost no greenhouse gases, others can actually be worse than burning fossil fuels.

How Does a Fire Tornado Form?
Fire tornadoes are terrifying forces of nature. They're rare, but as wildfires become bigger and more frequent, they may grow more common.
Read more about the phenomena, here.

Ancient Rock Art Got a Boost From Bacteria
Indigenous artists in what’s now British Columbia created pigments by cooking aquatic bacteria. Christopher Intagliata reports.