Science

Rare fox trots into view after 100 years, thrills biologists

By Lorna Baldwin

It's one of only about 50 thought to exist in North America, making the Sierra Nevada red fox one of the rarest mammals on the continent. In December and early January, one (or possibly two) came trotting into view of…

Study reveals wide gaps in opinion between scientists and general public

By Laura Santhanam

Scientists and the public agree on very little when it comes climate change, childhood vaccine requirements and more, but both groups feel more pessimistic about the direction of science, according to a new study released today from the Pew Research…

Skip the fairy tales, and tell your daughter science bedtime stories

By Wendy Thomas Russell

I was never very good at science. Mostly because it was taught to me the same way math was taught to me: It wasn't. I mean it was, technically. But not in a way that inspired me or held my…

Charles H. Townes, inventor of the laser, dies at 99

By Rebecca Jacobson, Inside Energy

Charles H. Townes, a renowned physicist who invented the laser and the maser, died in Oakland, California on Tuesday at the age of 99. Townes’ inventions earned him the Nobel Prize in physics in 1964.

You could get the measles, even if you're vaccinated

By Jenny Marder

Contained inside the data of the latest measles outbreak is a surprising -- and troubling -- number. Among the 51 measles cases linked directly to Disneyland, six of the people had received their measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, according to…

Loss of honey bees and other pollinators could mean malnutrition for millions around the world

By Adelyn Baxter

New research from scientists at the University of Vermont and Harvard University demonstrates the devastating impact the continued loss of pollinators like honey bees could have on millions of people in the developing world.

Underwater microphones capture the distinct sounds of iceberg births

By Rebecca Jacobson, Inside Energy

At the ocean’s edge, slabs of ice break off of glaciers and tumble into the water as icebergs. But these iceberg births are poorly understood. Scientists don’t know how the ice will break or how much the glacier will lose.

In Earth flyby, massive asteroid reveals a moon of its own

By Joshua Barajas

Earth’s close encounter with Asteroid 2004 BL86 on Monday revealed that the massive space object had a traveling companion: its own moon.

Kepler finds galaxy's oldest solar system

By Rebecca Jacobson, Inside Energy

The Kepler Space Telescope found the oldest solar system in the galaxy. While digging through backlogged data from the Kepler telescope, scientists found Kepler-444, an 11.2 billion year-old star in the Milky Way orbited by at least five Earth-sized planets.