Evolution
How Toads Conquered the World [Slide Show]
An ancestral mutation in the direction of thriving under drier conditions than their amphibian peers has allowed toads to thrive almost everywhere
News9875 articles archived since 1845
Environment
Are Coyotes or Humans the Perpetrators of Suburban Animal Attacks?
Research into both coyote and human behavior informs strategies to reduce urban-nature clashes and make peace with animal neighbors
Environment
Defusing the Methane Greenhouse Time Bomb
Could methane-digesting bacteria and an Arctic cap of fresh water prevent a climate catastrophe?
Technology
NSF Teams with Microsoft to Move Scientific Research into the Cloud
Microsoft becomes the latest provider of software and data hosting services for NSF-funded researchers
Health
Ghostbusters: Authors of a new study propose a strict ban on medical ghostwriting
A scientist who takes credit as an author on an article secretly written by a pharmaceutical company should face punishment like any other plagiarist
Technology
De-Worming Software More Effective at Detecting Infected Network Computers Before Contagion Can Spread
Penn State researchers seek to contain worm outbreaks without interrupting legitimate local network use
Space & Physics
Down to Earth: Technique Lets Ground-Based Telescopes Parse Exoplanet Atmospheres
A new study shows promise for Earthbound observatories in identifying molecules in planetary atmospheres outside the solar system
The Sciences
Shining a Light on Plants' Quantum Secret to Boost Photosynthesis
Photosynthetic microbes employ quantum coherence to efficiently channel the incoming energy from photons
Health
Cold Comfort: Young Women with Cancer Can Freeze an Ovary to Keep Kids in the Picture
Radiation and chemotherapies that save young women from cancer can leave them infertile. But a novel procedure can keep motherhood on ice without delaying treatment
Environment
The Bigger Kahuna: Are More Frequent and Higher Extreme Ocean Waves a By-Product of Global Warming?
Increasing maximum wave heights off the Pacific Northwest coast may pose a greater threat than rising sea levels
Environment
Over the Top: Data Show "Green" Roofs Could Cool Urban Heat Islands and Boost Water Conservation
Quantifying their urban climate change-mitigating effects is an important step in getting green roofing initiatives off the ground
Space & Physics
Phased Out: Obama's NASA Budget Would Cancel Constellation Moon Program, Privatize Manned Launches
The president wants to scrap NASA's space shuttle successor, now in development, and relax the agency's focus on returning to the moon
The Sciences
Thinking Outside the Boxes: Robotic Pallet-Stacking Challenge Aims to Create an Automation Benchmark for Industry
Moving from computer simulations to real bots, university teams will try to design a robotic protocol that loads pallets like a pro
Evolution
Rotting Fish Spoil Ideas about Early Life-Forms' Simplicity
Squashed fossils of the first boneless vertebrates suggest basal creatures, but real-time decay patterns hint they might have been less primitive than we thought
Environment
U.S. Commits to Greenhouse Gas Cuts under Copenhagen Climate Accord
U.S. plans to cut emissions 4 percent below 1990 levels by 2020--other countries such as China, India will submit plans, as well
Environment
Is Water Vapor in the Stratosphere Slowing Global Warming?
A mysterious drop in water vapor in the lower stratosphere might be slowing climate change
Environment
Freeloading Flap: Mediterranean Seabirds That Scrounge Off Fishing Boats Have a Smaller Foraging Range
Shearwater birds around Spain's Balearic Islands fly shorter distances in their search for a meal during times they have access to fishery throwaways
Biology
Colorizing Dinosaurs: Feather Pigments Reveal Appearance of Extinct Animals
Long the range of the imagination, the coloration--and origin--of feathered dinosaurs and ancient birds has begun to be revealed through fossilized organelles
Environment
Bacteria Transformed into Biofuel Refineries
Synthetic biology has allowed scientists to tweak E. coli to produce fuels from sugar and, more sustainably, cellulose
Space & Physics
Early Cometary Bombardment May Explain the Divergent Paths of Jupiter's Biggest Moons
Ganymede and Callisto, the two largest Jovian satellites, appear to have similar origins but have led very different lives
