Features1827 articles archived since 1845

A Paper-Thin Illusion: Make Your Own Magnetlike Slopes [Slide Show]

A Brief History of Plastic's Conquest of the World

Cheap plastic has unleashed a flood of consumer goods

Top 10 Myths about Bedbugs

The insects, making a comeback around the globe, cannot fly and are really not interested in hanging out on your body--but they do occasionally bite during the day

Projects in Profusion: A Skeptical Look at 3 Wild Fusion-Energy Schemes

Venture capitalists and funding agencies aim to get some bang for their alternative fusion bucks, but a lot of unknowns remain

Lousy with Success: Genetics Reveal Fossil Lice as Evolutionary Champions [Slide Show]

Lice lineages began to split and diversify during the late Cretaceous, when dinosaurs, birds and early mammals probably were on the resilient parasites' menus

Terms of Engulfment: "Changes in the Skies" Alter and Raise Concerns about the Longevity of Pacific Island Languages

Climate change brings both higher tides and neologisms to the Marshall Islands

Array of Hope: Australia and South Africa Vie for Massive Radio Telescope Project

The ambitious, unprecedentedly vast Square Kilometer Array project should open up new realms in astrophysics. But will it live up to its name?

America's "Island of Enchantment": Environmental Hazards and Hope in Puerto Rico [Slide Show]

Politicians, business leaders and environmentalists wrangle over the island's environmental future

Upstream Battle: What Is Killing Off the Fraser River's Sockeye Salmon? [Slide Show]

A recent study suggests a mystery pathogen acting in concert with human-induced stressors may be the culprits

From Dot.Coms to Cloud Computing: What's Old Is New Again

At times it seems cloud computing has no more definition than the atmospheric phenomenon after which it is named

Online 24/7: "Life Logging" Pioneer Clarifies the Future of Cloud Computing

Microsoft researcher Gordon Bell, paperless for more than a decade, envisions data centers saturated with information and services readily available via the Internet

Radiation Sources Range from Cigarettes to CT Scans

How many millisieverts are you getting? A special online-only addition to May 2011's Graphic Science

China's Energy Dragon Looks Tamer to One Forecaster

A revised forecast has China's energy growth tapering off decades earlier than previously thought, with implications for climate and diplomacy.

How Did the BP Oil Spill Affect Gulf Coast Wildlife? [Slide Show]

One year later, there are more questions than answers about the impact of the oil spill from BP's Macondo well on wildlife and ecosystems

The Giant Ragweed Forest: A New Threat to Farming

The emergence of superweeds also raises questions about justifications for genetically engineered crops