Sign Up for Our Amazing Newsletter!
A daily update by email. Science news, great photos, sky alerts.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
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.
February 19, 2014
Elephants reassure other elephants in distress
Elephants get distressed when they see others in distress, reaching out to calm them down.
February 19, 2014
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.
February 19, 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.
February 19, 2014
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.
February 18, 2014
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.
February 18, 2014
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.
February 18, 2014
Help name this polar bear cub
Help choose a name for this polar bear cub. Here are a few videos to help you decide.
February 18, 2014
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.
February 18, 2014
Ronan the sea lion still rockin’ to a variety of beats
We knew Ronan could keep a beat. A new video presents Ronan's ability to respond to a familiar song at a range of unfamiliar tempos.
February 16, 2014
