Health and Science News

Earlier this year, a pair of scientists predicted the existence of a ninth planet based on computer modeling of the solar system. This fall, the race is on to be the first to spot it in a telescope.

The number of trains carrying oil along the Columbia River between Oregon and Washington could dramatically increase. There's a plan to ship more oil from the Bakken region of North Dakota to a proposed oil terminal in southwest Washington state. An oil train derailment earlier this year has shown the potential danger faced by the region.

Bee experts warn that novices may be inadvertently putting their hives in danger by not keeping the mite population in check.

There's more information on genetic mutations and in the scientific literature than cancer doctors can process easily. Smart, fast computers might be able to help.

As a federal state of emergency ends for Flint, Mich., Mayor Karen Weaver says residents don't trust that government officials have fully addressed the lead contamination of their water.

Algorithms teach computers how to process language. But because they draw on human writing, they have some biases. Researchers are trying to weed out those problematic associations.

Federal environmental regulations for lead in drinking water still leave room for concentrations high enough to pose a health hazard, critics say.

Thanks to an aggressive recovery effort, a species of tiny foxes endemic to California recovers in what researchers say is record time.

The recovery of the bald eagle is bad news for herons, loons and other rare birds. Their numbers are being decimated by eagles who prey upon them.

This Arctic species can live longer than any other known animal advanced enough to have a backbone, scientists say — maybe more than 500 years. Their muscles might hold clues that could help humans.

Eight people with serious spinal injuries who practiced hours of interaction with wearable machines for months regained lost feeling and some ability to move.

The popular annual Perseid meteor shower peaks Thursday night. If astronomical predictions hold true, it could be the best show in years.

Stargazers, get ready for something spectacular on Thursday. The annual Perseid meteor shower, already one of the most reliably impressive celestial events, promises to be especially good this year.

Puerto Rico has more reported cases of Zika than many other places in the region, and the number of cases continues to rise. Unfortunately, Zika is just one of the island's many problems.

Hundreds of elite endurance athletes were taking the prescription heart drug meldonium until it was banned in January. But a similar heart drug, telmisartan, is still allowed.

The study finds, in many cases, amounts barely higher than government guidelines allow, but significant levels in 66 water supplies. The chemicals are very persistent once in the environment.

You've got science questions — we've got answers! Or our astrophysicist, Adam Frank, does. So ask your big questions, and we'll give you short answers. Today he explores atoms in space.

Many of the most powerful antibiotics have lost their punch. Some Stanford students think they've found a different way to attack bacteria that the germs can't overcome.

Elderly hospital patients often arrive sick and leave worse off. But some hospitals are preventing these sharp declines by treating the elderly in units that minimize bedrest and spur mobility.

Science writer Ed Yong talks about his new book, which looks at diet and the microbiome and whether poop transplants and probiotics are all they're cracked up to be.