Super-massive black holes began growing when universe was very young

The most massive black holes began growing at a very fast rate when the universe was only about 1.2 billion years old, according to a new study by astronomers in Tel Aviv.

Foxes use Earth’s magnetic field to jump on prey

Foxes are the first animals thought to use Earth's magnetic field to judge distance, not just direction.

Poverty can keep kids from reaching genetic potential

A new study suggests that growing up in poverty can suppress a kid's potential to demonstrate their smarts, even before age two. Read more about genetic potential.

Garbage soup, not garbage patch, in our oceans

Angelicque White says it's a dilute garbage soup, not a garbage patch, in our oceans. But plastic can be found in across an area bigger than Texas.

See the night sky in biggest-ever image

A new image from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey consists of 1.2 trillion pixels and covers a third of the night sky. It captures half a billion individual stars and galaxies.

Toowoomba flash floods sweep away cars. See video

Watch this dramatic video of cars swept away Toowoomba flash floods. This city in Queensland, Australia, suffered 6 inches of rain in 30 minutes.

1st global online science fair launched by Google

Google Science Fair gives budding scientists ages 13 - 18 the chance to show their work on an international and virtual stage. Read about the online science fair.

E. O. Wilson: Science is an adventure, and you can participate

EarthSky’s 600+ Global Science Advisors selected E. O. Wilson as EarthSky’s Science Communicator of the Year for 2010. EarthSky visited Wilson in Boston in late 2010 and captured him on video.

Studying violence in America with science

With Saturday's shooting of Arizona Representative Gabrielle Giffords, many are thinking about violence in America. What do recent scientific studies show about violence?

Hubble Space Telescope finds star formation in crazy green cloud in space

Here's the latest Hubble Space Telescope on the green cloud of gas known as Hanny’s Voorwerp. The cloud now appears to be lit up by the bright light of a nearby quasar, and shows signs of ongoing star formation.