Jan 25 What is a Neutrino...And Why Do They Matter? By Jenny Marder Neutrinos are teeny, tiny, nearly massless particles that travel at near lightspeeds. Born from violent astrophysical events like exploding stars and gamma ray bursts, they are fantastically abundant in the universe, and can move as easily through lead as we… Continue reading
Jan 24 What We're Reading: Giant Crayfish, Wacky Weather and Geomagic Squares Giant Crayfish Found in Tennessee is new Species A new species of crayfish was spotted climbing out from under a rock in Tennessee, according this Reuters story. It is five inches long -- that's twice the size of… Continue reading
Jan 20 2010 Ties as Hottest Year on Record Despite slight variations in data, a flurry of reports from different agencies has reached the same general conclusion: 2010 takes the prize as one of the hottest years ever recorded. The World Meteorological Organization, which released its… Continue reading
Jan 19 Watch NOVA's 'Making Stuff' Explores Spinning of Steel-Strength Spider Silk NOVA and New York Times technology columnist David Pogue look at innovative technologies for stronger, sleeker future products, including Kevlar, nanotubes and "invisibility cloaks."… Continue watching
Jan 18 David Pogue Learns What Goes Into 'Making Stuff' NOVA has enlisted the help of New York Times technology reporter David Pogue to answer the question: 'What will the future be made of?' The new miniseries called "Making Stuff" is a four-part look at… Continue reading
Jan 18 How Does Salt Battle Road Ice? By Jenny Marder Since as early as the 1930s, a variation on simple table salt has been used to keep wintry roads from getting dangerously slippery. The mechanism is simple: When liquid water freezes into ice, the loose water molecules arrange themselves into… Continue reading
Jan 17 What We're Reading: Worm Bots, Dark Energy and Climate Psychology Why Dire Climate Warnings Boost Skepticism Dire predictions on climate change don't seem to be working. Even while scientific evidence that humans are causing global warming continues to mount, belief in climate change doesn't. So why the disconnect?… Continue reading
Jan 17 Watch Giffords' Case Offers Insight on Mysteries of the 'Changeable' Brain The treatment of severe brain injuries has garnered increased attention in the wake of the shooting of Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. Continue watching
Jan 13 New Early Dinosaur Fossils Shift Family Tree Scientists have discovered a four-foot-long, meat-eating dinosaur, with serrated teeth and long finger bones, that roamed the earth some 230 million years ago. The fossils are among the earliest dinosaur bones ever found, and the finding, which was published… Continue reading
Jan 13 Australia Flooding Threatens Already Sensitive Great Barrier Reef As muddy river water swept through parts of Australia, inundating more than 20,000 homes and claiming at least 15 lives, it also poured into the ocean, where it now threatens one of the country's most precious natural ecosystems:… Continue reading