Daydreaming and downtime can lead to solutions for difficult scientific problems and provide inspiration for creative works. Some of history's best-known scientific and literary achievements grew out of such mental meandering...
The reasons why, and some reasons why it might be worth cooling our collective jets about them
A new use for stem cells: Drug screening
A documentary about Ray Kurzweil's belief that technology could conquer mortality reveals the futurist's emotional life but fails to question his bold claims
Low-cost spacecraft called CubeSats are helping bring open-source, DIY culture to spaceflight
Industry and our pursuit of fossil fuels have left indelible marks on the planet in numerous ways
Gamers and hackers could control the office as well as games with Microsoft's Kinect
A quiet, green miracle has been growing in the Sahel
The NuSTAR satellite will be the first space telescope capable of focusing high-energy x-rays into high-quality imagery--a feat that requires some incredibly intricate optics
Some science and medical journal editors avoid publishing research findings that could draw lawsuits under restrictive libel laws. Journalists also find this law chilling. A new U.K. bill set for this spring could protect scholars' and reporters' free speech rights...
Fish farming could be a sustainable source of food in future
An online-exclusive supplement to the February 2011 "50, 100 and 150 Years Ago"
From its origins some 200 years ago, the periodic table has become a vital tool for modern chemists
