Thermal imagery for understanding mange in Yellowstone Park wolves

Mange can make wolves vulnerable to hypothermia, malnutrition and dehydration. Scientists are using thermal imagery to understand the situation.

Scientists name bacterium for Frank Zappa

A form of P. acnes – the bacterium responsible for human acne – reminded these scientists of a Zappa song lyric.

Elephants reassure other elephants in distress

Elephants get distressed when they see others in distress, reaching out to calm them down.

Image of polar vortex at its peak, January 2014

NASA image shows the polar vortex as it plunged into the United States, on its peak day of January 6, 2014.

Aurora borealis seen at low latitudes on February 18-19

Observers in the northern half of the United States and Canada captured it in photos.

Earth-orbiting satellites see Arctic surface darkening faster

The retreat of Arctic sea ice is diminishing Earth's albedo, or reflectivity, by an amount about twice as large as previously thought.

Warm U.S. West balanced cold U.S. East to create average January

Overall, the average temperature for January 2014 in the U.S. was 30.3 degrees, only one-tenth of a degree below normal for the month.

Fewer shark attacks in 2013, but more fatalities

Shark attacks worldwide in 2013 were the lowest since 2009, but fatalities were above average, a new study reports.

Help name this polar bear cub

Help choose a name for this polar bear cub. Here are a few videos to help you decide.

How oil spill chemicals cause heart failure in fish

New research by scientists studying environmental damage from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill explains why crude oil causes heart failure in fish.

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