Why Ants Handle Traffic Better Than You Do
Ants don't show road rage. In fact, some research shows they rarely get into traffic jams, able to maintain a steady speed even as their numbers swell. Can physics explain it?
One Scientist's Race To Help Microbes Help You
Moving the American Gut Project to a biotech hub like San Diego may speed the jump from basic research to real treatments. At least that's microbe tracker Rob Knight's plan.
Are Stripes A Zebra's Cooling System?
Scientists say they are closer to knowing how, or rather, why, the zebra got its stripes. It's an answer that would impress even Rudyard Kipling.
A Fish Gets A New Eye And An Edge In The Tank
Nothing worse than being bulled in school, especially if you're a fish. NPR's Scott Simon speaks with Dr. Martin Haulena from the Vancouver Aquarium about a fish that was picked on by schoolmates.
WATCH: SpaceX Booster Crashes On Barge
The company's resupply mission to the International Space Station went off without a hitch last week, but an attempt to land the spent booster on a floating platform didn't go as well.
It's Official: 2014 Was The Hottest Year On Record, NOAA Says
The annually-averaged temperature was 1.24 degrees Fahrenheit over the 20th century average, and easily broke the records set in 2005 and 2010.
Long-Lost British Spacecraft Spotted By NASA Probe Orbiting Mars
The Beagle 2 Mars Lander was lost Christmas day 2003. Today, British scientists confirmed their spacecraft was found partially deployed on the surface of Mars.
By Making A Game Out Of Rejection, A Man Conquers Fear
Jason Comely's fear of rejection was so strong that he'd become completely isolated. So he set out to get himself rejected at least once a day, every day. Funny thing is, it worked.
Do Fictional Geniuses Hold Back Real Women?
A new study finds that the academic disciplines most associated with "geniuses" are also the fields in which women are underrepresented.
Highflying Geese Save Energy By Swooping Like A Roller Coaster
They could shoot up to 24,000 feet and maintain that altitude in a long-distance migration across the Himalayas. But it's more efficient for bar-headed geese to soar and dive, scientists find.
From The Mouths Of Apes, Babble Hints At Origins of Human Speech
You say banana; this orangutan says ... well, it's hard to tell what she's saying. But the rhythmic, speech-like sounds of the zoo-dwelling ape have started scientists talking.
New EPA Guidelines Limit Methane Release From Drilling
The rules are mostly voluntary, which disappoints environmental groups, but they should ratchet down the amount of leaked methane from new or modified oil and gas operations, which contributes to climate change.
GMO Potatoes Have Arrived. But Will Anyone Buy Them?
New GMO potatoes don't bruise as easily, and, when fried, they have less of a potentially harmful chemical. Yet some big chip and french fry makers won't touch them because of the stigma of GMOs.
Stars Shine Bright In Ireland's Dark Sky Reserve
The International Dark-Sky Association has named only three "gold-tier reserves" on Earth where a "full array of visible sky phenomena can be viewed." There's only one in the Northern Hemisphere — at the the Kerry International Dark Sky Reserve in far Southwestern Ireland.
U.S. Funding of Health Research Stalls As Other Nations Rev Up
It's not just government-sponsored medical research that's dwindled in the last few years in the U.S. Drug firms have curbed their investment, too, especially in early-stage hunts for new drugs.
Good News For Bats! Things Are Looking Up For Stemming Disease Spread
The disease known as white-nose syndrome has killed millions of bats, but scientists are seeing hopeful signs that some bat colonies are recovering.
3 Kings Holiday Cake Laced With Synthetic Drugs Makes Dozens Hallucinate
What seemed like a case of food poisoning has now turned into a police investigation. Synthetic drugs present an evolving problem for the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Your Online Avatar May Reveal More About You Than You Think
Even if your avatar for games and social media doesn't look at all like you, it still says a lot about your personality, a study finds. Want to look friendly? Skip the shades, wear a sweater.
Iowa's Largest City Sues Over Farm Fertilizer Runoff In Rivers
Fertilizer runoff has provoked a confrontation between Des Moines, Iowa, and the farms that surround it. The city's water utility wants to sue neighboring counties for nitrate in the Raccoon River.
The Doctor Who Championed Hand Washing And Briefly Saved Lives
One of the most important medical advances may also be the simplest — hand washing. It's the best defense against spreading disease. And its power was discovered long before anyone knew about germs.
