EurekAlert! - Science for Kids

Climate change works for the brown argus butterfly

Thu, 24 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

A pretty brown butterfly with orange spots on its wings, called the brown argus butterfly, is thriving in the United Kingdom for an interesting reason. Summers have become warmer in the last twenty years, and this change opens up new possibilities for where the butterfly can lay its eggs.

Fragments of rocks that hit the moon

Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

While looking at rocks collected on the moon during the Apollo mission, scientists have found tiny fragments of meteorites that hit the moon long ago.

Earliest known Mayan astronomical calendar

Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

A painted room in a Mayan temple in Guatemala shows numerical records of lunar and possibly planetary cycles, scientists report in a new study. The hieroglyphs are from the 9th century, making this calendar older than the records in the Mayan Codices, which were books written on bark paper a few centuries before Columbus landed.

A different kind of cave treasure

Thu, 03 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

What do you think the scientists who explored the amazing caves in these pictures were looking for? Bats? Skeletons? Pirate treasure? Actually, it was the stalagmites that they were after, because these spiky formations contain important chemical clues to ancient climate.

Did fire or ice shape the valleys of Mars?

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 EDT

A particular region of Mars, known as the Athabasca Valles, can be identified by polygon-shaped patterns on the ground. This part of the planet is a network of valleys located near the equator of Mars, and for years astronomers have puzzled over what kind of processes shaped it.

Polar bears older than previously thought

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Polar bears diverged from their closest relatives about 600,000 years ago, according to a new genetic study published in the April 20 issue of the journal Science.

Baboons can learn to spot printed words

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Baboons can't read, but they can learn to tell the difference between real printed words (like KITE) and nonsense words (like ZEVS), scientists say.

Bone markings: Something for scientists to chew on

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Many fossil animal bones have been dinged up by natural processes, chewed by carnivorous animals or cut by human tools. But, when researchers dig up these bones millions of years later, it can be really difficult to tell these different types of marks apart.

With pesticides, bees can't find their way home

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Scientists have discovered some of the ways that a widely used insecticide harms bumblebees and honeybees.Bumblebees and honeybees are important pollinators of flowering plants, including many major fruit and vegetable crops. Each year, honeybee hives are trucked in on farms to help pollinate almond, apple and blueberry crops, among others.

The extinction of Australia's giant animals

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Human hunters were primarily responsible for the disappearance of Australia's giant vertebrates about 40,000 years ago. And, this extinction in turn caused major ecological changes. These are the conclusions of a new study in the March 23, 2012, issue of the journal Science.

Timing is key to fern's spore-throwing catapult

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 00:00:00 EDT

If you've ever been hiking, chances are you've seen fern plants in the woods. Nestled under fern leaves are tiny capsules chock-full of spores, tiny life vessels which, like seeds, are used for dispersal. Fern plants launch their spores with tiny catapults. Once in the air, wind and air currents can take the spores around the world.

What can honeybees tell us about human behavior?

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 00:00:00 EST

A new study of honeybees might help researchers understand why some people break free of their normal routines and seek out new experiences. Zhengzheng Liang and colleagues took a close look at the genes that are expressed in the brains of honeybees when the bees are out searching for new food sources.

Unlike chimps, young kids share knowledge

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 00:00:00 EST

Young children trying to solve a puzzle collaborated and shared information, while chimps and capuchin monkeys working on the same puzzle did not, according to a new study. These findings help explain why human culture gets more complex over generations, while that of other animals seems to stay roughly the same. Other animals are capable of learning from each other, so researchers would like to know what special human abilities allow us to have "cumulative culture."

Small horses liked it hot

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

The earliest horses were closer in size to a housecat than to the modern-day animals we're familiar with. Even at this small scale, the body size of these ancient horses evolved over time. New research shows that environmental temperatures drove these changes.

Good vibrations and the science of touch

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

Did you know that your fingertips and palms are especially good at feeling vibrations? You can check this out by putting your hands on an object that's giving a gentle hum, like a washing machine. Then try your forearm, and compare what you feel.

Shedding more light on major quakes

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

Using a technique known as Light Detection and Ranging, or LIDAR, before and after large earthquakes might help researchers pinpoint the places where those quakes break the ground wide open, according to a new study.

Off Western Australia, temperature rules the reefs

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

Australia's Great Barrier Reef has been in decline for years. Its crumbling conditions have caused many researchers to predict that higher levels of carbon dioxide in the world's oceans would only harm the coral further. But, new research is suggesting that a more acidic ocean -- due to increased carbon dioxide levels -- would not actually affect coral reefs as much as the sea's temperature.

Before they pounce, jumping spiders see green

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

Jumping spiders have an unusual depth-perception system in their eyes, which helps them pounce on their prey, a Japanese research team has discovered.

Bird attraction based on illusion

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

Bowerbirds, which live in Australia and New Guinea, have an elaborate mating ritual in which the males build large structures or "bowers" that females stop by to inspect. In a new study, scientists report that certain male bowerbirds attract mates by decorating their bowers in a way that creates an optical illusion.

A wind-riding bird gets a boost

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

The wandering albatross spends most of its life in flight, touching down on land to find food or to breed. These enormous seabirds, which have the largest wingspan of any living bird, conserve energy while aloft by riding the wind currents.

Origins of huge-headed 'supersoldier' ants

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

Most ant species in the Pheidole genus have two social groups, or castes: workers and solders. Some also produce "supersoldiers." These large ants block their nest entrance with their extra-large heads and fight with invading ants during army ant raids.Although there are 1,100 different species of Pheidole ants worldwide, just a few of them produce supersoldiers.

One-third for the birds!

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

As the numbers of big fish like tuna decline, humans are increasingly catching anchovies, sardines and other small "forage fish" instead. But if humans take too many, they could be cutting off the food supply for the animals that prey on forage fish.

Naked mole-rats feel no pain from acid

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

The African naked mole-rat is, to our eyes, a pretty ugly creature. These small animals have no hair, wrinkly skin, and two long, yellow front teeth. They live in huge colonies inside deep underground tunnels, where there is little fresh air.

Honor among rats

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

In an unusual example of empathy in animals other than primates, new research shows that rats will liberate their distressed cagemates from a trap, even when they get no additional reward. These animals seem to be showing empathy, which has often been considered unique to primates. An empathetic animal can "put itself in another's shoes" while maintaining its own perspective and emotional separation.

There's something about a face

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

It's easy for people to tell one human face from another. We do it all the time without even thinking about it. But, it does take a special ability. Imagine trying to distinguish one goldfish face from another, or one squirrel face, or one wasp face. Within each of these species, all the faces look pretty much the same, right? In contrast, there's something about the human face that our brains recognize and remember in fine detail.

The world's first fish hooks?

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EST

Researchers in East Timor, a country in Southeast Asia, have discovered the remains of large fish and fishing gear in a shelter that was used by early humans long ago. The remains include some fish hooks made out of bone and they appear to be 42,000 years old, which suggests that early humans were fishing in the open ocean much earlier than researchers had thought.

For decision-making, less information may be more

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EST

A study on European starlings shows that when it comes to making decisions, it can help to have less information about the available choices -- but not always. Whether this "less-is-more" effect comes into play depends heavily on a species' ecological situation, the researchers report.

Stars may not be massive or metallic

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EST

Before stars existed in space, the only elements present in the universe were hydrogen, helium and lithium. The birth of the first stars fundamentally transformed the early universe by emitting the first light and producing the first metals.Astronomers are still trying to unlock some of the secrets of early star formation. Two new studies in the journal Science show that these early stars weren't as big or metallic as previously thought.

Bird brains primed for cooperation

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Best friends sometimes finish each others' sentences, but the plain-tailed wrens of the Andes take things even further. Male and female wrens sing intimate duets in which they alternate syllables so quickly it sounds like a single bird is singing.

The big hearts of pythons

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Pythons can go a full year without food, and once they do score a meal, their heart nearly doubles in size. Since the snake's heart-ballooning after a meal is similar to the heart growth seen in people who exercise a lot, like Olympic athletes, studying snake hearts could help scientists figure out how to make human hearts healthier.

Evidence from a prehistoric mastodon hunt

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 00:00:00 EDT

A controversial mastodon rib, found with the tip of a bone point lodged inside, is 13,800 years old, researchers report in a new study.

The world's first art studio?

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 00:00:00 EDT

One of the earliest forms of paint is known as ochre -- and it really wasn't much more than colorful dirt. But, researchers believe that early humans may have used this colorful ochre to decorate their bodies or to make simple pieces of artwork.

If you love something, close it up? The weird world of caves

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:00:00 EDT

How would you feel if someone told you they'd discovered someplace amazing, but if they let other people come visit, it would be ruined? Would you wonder, what's the point of protecting it, if nobody can enjoy it? Or, could you appreciate the place without having to actually see it in person?

Superfast muscles found in bats

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EDT

As bats swoop in on their prey, their sonar-based calls -- used to locate and track their meals -- increase to an incredible speed of about 160 calls per second. This kind of super-fast sonar call is known as the "terminal buzz," and it is often the last thing an insect ever hears.

Cattle versus wildlife: The battle for food has benefits

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EDT

In Africa, the widespread belief among small subsistence farmers and commercial ranchers alike is that nearby wildlife compete with livestock for food. The solution for most farmers is to kill off wildlife. These eradication efforts are troublesome to scientists and others concerned about biodiversity conservation.

Are you ready for this jelly?

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EDT

There are places in the ocean where giant jellyfish rule. They look like dinner plate-sized water balloons, hundreds and sometimes thousands of them floating together. When people catch too many regular fish like sardines or anchovies, they leave behind an empty ocean neighborhood that the jellyfish move into in a big way.

Virus gene leads moths to tree top doom

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EDT

A gene found in a virus turns gypsy moth caterpillars into tree-climbing zombies, reports a new study in the journal Science on Sept. 9, 2011. These moth caterpillars infected by a virus known as a baculovirus, are hypnotized into climbing to the top of trees to die, liquefy and rain viral particles on the foliage below to infect new hosts.

An evolutionary 'cradle' for ice-age giants

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EDT

The frosty highlands of the Tibetan Plateau may have been an evolutionary "cradle" for the woolly rhinos and other shaggy, cold-hardy creatures that roamed North America and Eurasia during the last ice age, a new study suggests.

Earth-bound meteorites come from stony asteroids

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Thanks to the Hayabusa space mission, researchers have gotten their first up-close look at dust from the surface of an asteroid. The unmanned Japanese spacecraft was launched in 2003 and sent to the stony, or S-type, asteroid known as 25143 Itokawa. In 2005, it landed on the surface of that asteroid and scooped up some loose dust. Hayabusa returned to Earth in 2010 and researchers from all over the world have been analyzing the asteroid dust ever since.

Good teachers need more than facts

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EDT

What makes a good teacher? When adults answer this question, they often talk about how well the teacher understands his or her subject and can explain it to students. But, if you're a student reading this, you might be thinking, well, OK, but there's more to it than that...

By sticking with the group, wasps help themselves

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EDT

What makes animals and insects like Polistes dominulus, commonly known as the European paper wasp, work together and help each other out? What benefits do these wasps receive from building their nests with strangers and serving the queen wasp? Until now, researchers have believed that the wasps are somehow benefiting their relatives by helping out around the nest.

Female frogs limit the length of male mating calls

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Male tungara frogs are known for their long mating calls, which they use in hopes of attracting a female. But, a new study shows that a long-winded frog song doesn't necessarily guarantee the males a mate. Instead, it seems that the female tungara frog's perception -- or what she hears from her environment -- is just as important as what the males are singing to her.

Hear my nectar: How dish-shaped leaves attract pollinating bats

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Bats use high pitched sounds to locate food and navigate. Humans generally can't hear these high pitched sounds. When these sounds bounce off of objects, bats are capable of listening to the returning echoes, which gives bats a sense about the distance, movement and size of all objects in their path -- this is called "echolocation."

A gene to help the butterfly's disguise

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Heliconius butterflies include more than 40 different species of butterfly, and they are famous for their strikingly unique and colorful wing patterns. They have evolved their current wing colors by mimicking, or copying, the warning signals of other species of butterfly.

Being the boss baboon is stressful

Thu, 14 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Boss baboons, the alpha males at the very top of wild baboon society, have higher stress hormone levels than second high ranking males, a new study in the journal Science reports. The findings hint that being the boss isn't always fun, and can sometimes be tiring and hard.

A new player in spinal cord injuries?

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Scars are made of connective tissue that replaces normal skin after a wound -- and even though most people don't like the way they look, they play a valuable role in the healing process.

Planes punch holes in the clouds, making it snow

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Many clouds in the sky contain water that is "supercooled," or able to stay in liquid form at temperatures below zero degrees Celsius. In fact, supercooled water can remain as a liquid all the way down to -40 degrees Celsius. However, when planes fly through clouds that hold supercooled water, they often punch holes right through them. And researchers now say that this phenomenon can lead to increased rain and snowfall on the ground below.

Static electricity revamped: A new take on bad hair days

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Everyone is familiar with pulling off a wool hat or rubbing a balloon on your head, only to find your hair sticking up like a porcupine. But the age-old explanation for this bad hair day phenomenon, caused by static electricity (which is generated by what scientists call "contact electrification"), turns out be inaccurate, a new study in the June 23 issue of Science Express shows.

Hartley 2, a tiny, hyperactive comet

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 00:00:00 EDT

A little comet called Hartley 2 has an unusually small, active center that is spewing out water vapor and ice chunks, researchers report.

A water source in the western US running dry?

Thu, 09 Jun 2011 00:00:00 EDT

The layers of snow, or the snowpack, covering the northern Rocky Mountains has been growing and shrinking, depending on the climate, for centuries. And when that snowpack melts, the runoff feeds into the Colorado, Columbia and Missouri Rivers -- the primary water sources for more than 70 million people.

Where do dark spots on the sun come from?

Thu, 02 Jun 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Dark spots on the sun are created by the movement of gases, a new study in the journal Science reports. Sunspots are dark regions of the sun that appear black because they are cooler than the rest of the sun's visible surface.

Gross, explosive and beautiful -- videos show the fun side of chemistry

Thu, 26 May 2011 00:00:00 EDT

What happens when a cheeseburger is dunked in hydrochloric acid? Or when cotton is doused with liquid oxygen and set on fire? How do you make a fire with pink and purple flames? You can find the answers in a set of short, chemistry-themed videos produced by University of Nottingham professor Martyn Poliakoff, journalist Brady Haran, and the rest of their merry cast of characters.

Sniff sniff: Smelling led to smarter mammals, researchers say

Thu, 19 May 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Paleontologists have now discovered that an improved sense of smell jumpstarted brain evolution in the ancestral cousins of present-day mammals. The findings may help explain why mammals evolved such large and complex brains, which in some cases ballooned 10 times larger than relative body size.

The last of the Neandertals?

Thu, 12 May 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Among the Ural Mountains in Russia, researchers have discovered hundreds of ancient tools that were made by primitive humans who once lived in the region. The funny thing about these tools, however, is that they appear to be just 33,000 years old -- yet they resemble tools made by much earlier cultures, such as Neandertals.

Spikemoss genome hints at ancient plant transitions

Thu, 05 May 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Spikemoss, club moss and quillworts -- this may sound like vocabulary list from a Herbology class at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. But, it's actually an important group of plants whose genomic information is shedding light on plant evolution.

Ocean eddies' roots churn up deep sea

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Swirling currents called eddies can reach deep below the ocean's surface, where they stir up heat, larvae and chemicals from deep fissures in the sea floor and spread them across hundreds of kilometers, new findings suggest.

From the mouths of manatees

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EDT

The Eocene epoch is the period of time in Earth's history that lasted from about 56 million years ago to 34 million years ago -- and researchers say that our planet was a much wetter place then, especially in the tropics.

Some dinosaurs loved the nightlife

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Some dinosaurs and other reptiles from the Mesozoic era (about 250 to 65 million years ago) could see in dim light and were likely active at night, according to a study of these animals' eye shapes.

The Kepler spacecraft's stellar photo shoot

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EDT

In 2009, NASA launched the Kepler spacecraft to look for Earth-like planets orbiting around distant stars that resemble our sun. Cameras on board Kepler analyze the vibrations -- or oscillations -- of stars, and transmit data back to astronomers on Earth. By analyzing how a star oscillates, researchers can learn a lot about the mass and radius of that star.

Declining bat populations could spell trouble for agriculture

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Insect-eating bats are worth billions of dollars to the agricultural industry in North America. But, numbers are falling due to the mysterious "white-nose disease," which has already killed more than one million bats, and wind turbines that are being built to harvest energy.

My, what new teeth you have!

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Chewing an apple -- or if you're unlucky, a Brussels sprout -- is trickier than it looks. To crunch up a tough fruit or vegetable like that, your top teeth and your bottom teeth need to fit together when you bite down. Scientists have now discovered a 260 million-year-old fossil that may have been one of the first of its kind to have this type of special bite.

In evolution, the tortoise beats the hare

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EDT

A new study of E. coli bacteria shows that, even during evolution, a slow and steady pace can win the race. Robert Woods and colleagues performed an experiment in which a sub-population of slowly mutating bacteria eventually took over an entire colony of more rapidly mutating bacteria -- the same way the tortoise beat the hare in Aesop's fable.

The Gulf oil spill's effects on the atmosphere

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EST

After the Deepwater Horizon disaster, a plume of air pollution accumulated over the spill as the oil evaporated off the sea surface, scientists have discovered.

The evolution of North American horses

Thu, 03 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EST

Fossil horses are often referred to as classic examples of evolution. Over millions of years, they increased in body size, reduced the number of toes on their hooves and even grew bigger teeth. Now, researchers have collected vast amounts of data on that last detail -- horses' teeth -- from all over North America for the past 55.5 million years, when horses first appeared on the planet.

How fire ants conquered the world

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST

Fire ants get their name from how bad their sting feels -- like someone's lit a match against your skin. And their sting isn't the only thing about them that hurts. In the United States, people spend more than $6 billion every year trying to control the ants.

During hibernation, bear metabolism hits a new low

Thu, 17 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST

Several American black bears, who were captured in Alaska after wandering a bit too close to human communities, have given researchers the opportunity to study hibernation in these large mammals like never before.

Tiny foot bone tells a walking tale

Thu, 10 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST

A foot bone from the early human relative Australopithecus afarensis suggests that these hominids had stiff, arched feet, like we do, scientists have discovered.

Without birds, a New Zealand shrub suffers

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST

Species of birds around the world have slowly been disappearing, and some researchers are worried that many plant species could disappear as well -- if pollinating birds are no longer around to spread their seeds. Until now, though, researchers have had no proof that such a breakdown between plants and animals is happening.

To babies, might makes right

Thu, 27 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST

A new scientific study reports something that probably makes sense to anyone with an older brother or sister: even babies understand that being brawny comes in handy during a conflict.

Birds let their nests speak for them

Thu, 20 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST

Researchers studying black kites -- medium-sized birds of prey -- have discovered that the ways in which the birds decorate their nests can speak volumes to other birds in the area. Apparently, the black kites that decorate their nests with the largest amounts of white plastic are also the best fighters. Plus, they produce the most offspring and live in the best territories.

Meet Eodromaeus, small predator from the dawn of the dinos

Thu, 13 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST

Researchers have discovered a new dinosaur, Eodramaeus, which lived during the dawn of the dinosaur era, about 230 million years ago.

The Crab nebula's strange behavior

Thu, 06 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST

In the year 1054, Chinese astronomers witnessed a supernova, or a brightly exploding star in the sky. Today, the remains of that supernova are still very well-studied by astronomers from all over the world.

Improving CITES could save more species

Thu, 23 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EST

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna -- known as CITES -- is an important global agreement that encourages countries around the world to monitor the trade of plants and animals. Unfortunately, the business of buying and selling wildlife across countries' borders often takes the form of illegal poaching. Furthermore, this illegal trade of wildlife can spread infectious diseases across borders and introduce destructive, invading species to ecosystems that can't handle them.

Introducing the new field of 'culturomics'

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EST

Imagine how much you could learn from reading every book that was ever published. It would, of course, be impossible for any human being to do.

Imaginary food can make you full

Thu, 09 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EST

Thinking of a candy bar for a moment is probably enough to make your mouth water or your stomach growl. But, according to a new study, if you just imagine eating an entire candy bar -- visualizing every bite, chew, and swallow in your head -- then you'd probably eat less of an actual candy bar if you were to get your hands on one.

Living off toxic waste: Bacteria that munch on arsenic

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EST

Can you imagine eating toxic waste for breakfast? Researchers have discovered a bacterium that can live and grow entirely off arsenic, reports a new study appearing in the Dec. 2 issue of the journal Science Express.

Evolution of the gigantic mammals

Thu, 25 Nov 2010 00:00:00 EST

New research helps explain how mammals around the world evolved to huge sizes after the dinosaurs went extinct.

An unlikely planet

Thu, 18 Nov 2010 00:00:00 EST

Ever wonder what other planets are lurking beyond our galaxy? Well, a new planet has been discovered near a star of extragalactic origin, implying that it comes from outside the Milky Way, reports a new study.

Cats are delicate drinkers, physics shows

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 00:00:00 EST

Cat- and dog-owners already know that their beloved animals are completely different from each other, but scientists now have more evidence that relates to how our furry friends lap up liquids.

CO2 to blame in ancient global warming event

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Increased amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere played a major role in global warming about 40 million years ago, during the Middle Eocene period, a new study reports. This research appears in the Nov. 5 issue of the journal Science.

An early tool-making technique

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EDT

A technique for shaping stones into sharp-edged points may have emerged about 55,000 years earlier than scientists have previously thought, according to a study of stone tools from a cave in South Africa called Blombos Cave.

Creating a crater: LCROSS mission finds minerals on the moon

Thu, 21 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Last year, a NASA space mission crashed a used rocket into the bottom of a dark crater near the Moon's South Pole. This experiment, known as LCROSS -- Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite -- was designed to locate water and other minerals stored in the moon's soil. Now, this week in Science, researchers describe exactly what happened when that empty shell of a rocket slammed into the moon's cold surface.

Why you should take that vocabulary test

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Quizzes don't just tell us how well we've memorized something -- they actually help us remember it, scientists say in a new study.

Planting 2 types of corn pays off for farmers

Thu, 07 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Genetically modified corn plants can kill insect pests and reduce damage to other neighboring crops as well -- but farmers who plant both types of corn at the same time save the most money, researchers say.

Penguin fossil paints portrait of ancient feathers

Thu, 30 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EDT

The fossil feathers of a 35-million-year-old penguin found in Peru give clues to how these plump birds got some of their modern features, a new study reports.

Florida panther population saved by cats from Texas

Thu, 23 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EDT

In 1995, the population of Florida panthers had dwindled all the way down to just 20 or 25 unhealthy adults. As their numbers decreased, Florida's panther population became more and more inbred, which caused many health problems in the wild cats, including heart defects, low sperm quality, low testosterone levels, low reproduction rates and lots of parasites.

Grub-on-a-stick: Crafty crows use tools for nutritious snacking

Thu, 16 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EDT

For New Caledonian crows, using sticks to dislodge beetle grubs from rotting tree trunks takes a lot of time and practice, but the payoff is that the grubs are extremely nutritious, scientists report.

The human brain -- from childhood to adulthood

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Have you ever wondered how the human brain grows and changes as people get older?

Portrait of an exploded star

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EDT

It's almost time for school pictures again, and almost time for your parents to coo and carry on about how much you've grown since last year. If you think they make a big deal over those pictures, imagine how they would feel if their "baby" was an exploded star. And they hadn't seen a picture of it in more than six years!

When plants cry for help, predator bugs answer

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Some plants have a really clever method for protecting themselves against pests. When caterpillars start nibbling on wild tobacco plants, their saliva cues a "help me!" signal from the plants that brings predatory insects flying in to the rescue, a new study shows.

The long-distance voyage of plastic

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EDT

If you took a boat ride from Bermuda, heading east toward the middle of the Atlantic ocean, you'd start to see little bits of white and colored stuff floating alongside. This stuff is plastic.

Gamma rays from a nova explosion greet astronomers with surprise

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Recent observations from a telescope in orbit around Earth have detected gamma rays coming from a nova explosion on a distant star system, known as V407 Cygni. Experts say that this is a surprising discovery because scientists have expected to observe x-rays, instead of gamma rays, coming from similar nova explosions.

White-nose disease a serious problem for bats -- how can kids help?

Thu, 05 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EDT

The little brown myotis, which was once one of most common bat species in North America, may be extinct in the northeastern United States within the next 16 to 20 years or so, due to a disease called White-Nose Syndrome, according to a study in the Aug. 6 issue of the journal Science.

Spider silk's real-life superpowers

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT

When you look at a spider web, you might admire its delicate beauty, but don't let appearances deceive you. That web is made of an incredibly tough material -- silk!

How exploding moss launches its spores

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT

When Sphagnum moss spores explode out of their capsules, they reach more than 10 centimeters in the air, thanks to tiny mushroom clouds that help drive the spores upward, scientists have found.

Gobies gobble up the jellies

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Since the 1960s, the Benguela ecosystem off the coast of Namibia has experienced the collapse of the sardine fishery and a takeover by jellyfish and microbes. Surprisingly, a fish called the bearded goby has thrived in these conditions, partially fixing the food chain in this ecosystem, an international team of scientists explains in the in the July 16 issue of the journal Science.

Why some fireflies flash in sync

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT

At the beginning of summer in the US Smoky Mountains, male Photinus carolinus fireflies put on an unusual show for females of their species, repeatedly lighting up the night sky as they flash unison.

Genes help Tibetans breathe easy on the 'roof of the world'

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT

The area of the Himalayas that includes Tibet and Mount Everest is the highest region of the world. It's so high that the air contains less oxygen than it does at sea level, and when lowlanders travel there, they often run into trouble because their bodies are starving for more oxygen.

The human sense of touch: More than just a feeling

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Have you ever thought about where the expression "having a rough day" came from? Well, a group of researchers has just performed a study that links our physical feelings -- like touching a rough object -- to our unconscious thoughts and behaviors. According to the study's results, the feeling of a rough object can actually inspire feelings of difficulty in our minds as well.

What's climate change doing to the oceans?

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EDT

When you hear the expression "global warming" you might think about the air getting warmer. But, climate affects the ocean too and the creatures living in it.