Environment
Intoxicated on Independence: Is Domestically Produced Ethanol Worth the Cost?
The U.S. is drunk on ethanol--but whether it is made from corn or sugarcane, the crop-derived biofuel raises a host of questions
Features1825 articles archived since 1845
Mind & Brain
Visual Cortexes: Brain-Art Competition Shows Off Neuroscience's Aesthetic Side
To highlight the artistic effort neuroscientists pour into their research images, a nonprofit group held a friendly competition. We review the top entries and winners
Mind & Brain
The Neuroscience of the Debt Debate, or Why Cooperation Takes a Backseat to Mistrust
Our elected leaders are (probably) not distrusting jerks. Game theory suggests that cooperation is natural but that morality could undercut the tendency
Environment
Trawls and Trash Represent One-Two Punch for Threatened Turtles [Slide Show]
Studies have identified plastic pollution and fishing practices as major threats to sea turtles for several years. This knowledge is, at last, beginning to translate into action
Biology
UNICEF Aims to Eliminate HIV Infections in Infants by 2015 [Slide Show]
Is it possible? The United Nations agency thinks so. To see why, follow an HIV-positive mom and her baby as they go through an 18-month HIV-transmission prevention program
Biology
Can We Be Trained to Like Healthy Foods?
Favorite flavors might be programmed in infancy, leading to new research investigating how to rewire our bad dietary habits
The Sciences
The Science of Arabian Horses [Slide Show]
At the Al Shaqab facilities in Doha, Qatar, breeding and showing prized Arabian horses is a science unto itself
The Sciences
Watch the Google Science Fair Awards
See video from the Googleplex in Mountain View, Calif.
Policy
Final Space Shuttle Launch in Pictures [Slide Show]
The July 8 launch of Atlantis was as visually spectacular as any prior shuttle liftoff, but the images are particularly compelling for their historic import
The Sciences
It's Time to End the War on Salt
The zealous drive by politicians to limit our salt intake has little basis in science
Policy
The 10 Most Dangerous Moments in Space Shuttle and Station History
Astronauts are even braver than you think. Here's a list of NASA's closest calls during the history of the agency's shuttle program
Space & Physics
Why Does the Space Shuttle Launch Countdown Have So Many Stops and Starts?
In countdown-clock time, 43 hours really means 70 hours
Environment
Smart Irrigation: A Supercomputer Waters the Lawn
Satellite control of company and municipal irrigation systems, based on custom weather data, saves billions of gallons of water nationwide
Mind & Brain
How the Brain Understands Food and Appetite [Excerpt]
In his new book, neuroscientist David Linden explores the biological basis of food, sex and the other things in life that bring us pleasure
Biology
Bring On the Peanuts: Food Allergy Therapies Move Closer to Approval
Fifteen years after an experimental peanut allergy shot killed one patient, researchers have ramped up the science to find alternative treatments, including protein powders and herbal mixtures...
