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Feb 28, 2014

What Happened to Malaysia Flight MH370? 5 Likeliest Possibilities

Updated on Tuesday, March 18, at 7:59 a.m. ET. Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has been missing since Saturday, March 8, and every new piece of information seems to shroud the flight's disappearance in more mystery. Malaysian investigators now say deliberate action was taken to turn off communications systems and steer...

Feb 28, 2014

Ride the Rapids on Google's New Colorado River View

Anyone with an Internet connection can now raft through rivers traversing the Grand Canyon, without getting wet: Google Maps and the nonprofit group American Rivers have launched a Street View of the Colorado River. Colorado River View, as it is called, takes users through 286 miles (460 kilometers) of river....

Dec 31, 2013

'No Pants Subway Ride': Sure It's Fun, But Is It Healthy?

Some daring New Yorkers will be pantless in public this Sunday (Jan. 12) as part of the annual No Pants Subway Ride organized by the performance art group Improv Everywhere. Given the stereotype of public transportation as teeming with germs, could showing some extra skin on the subway increase a...

Dec 31, 2013

Saying Goodbye to Inefficient 60-Watt Incandescent Bulbs (Op-Ed)

Noah Horowitz is a senior scientist and director of the Center for Energy Efficiency at the NRDC. This Op-Ed is adapted from a post to the NRDC blog Switchboard. He contributed this article to LiveScience's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. Six years ago, U.S. President George W. Bush signed a...

Dec 31, 2013

Humanity's Journey, from the Big Bang to the Present (Op-Ed)

Roger Briggs is the author of Journey to Civilization: The Science of How We Got Here (Collins Foundation Press, 2013). In his book, he presents a new creation story of the universe, the Earth, life and humanity based on the evidence and skepticism of science. This Op-Ed is adapted from...

Dec 31, 2013

Why Is It So Hot in Australia?

Record-high heat has scorched Australia this week, with temperatures exceeding 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius) for several days in a row in some areas. Relief is expected for this weekend, however. Blazing temperatures have hit athletes and fans at the Australian Open in Melbourne, in what forecasters said could...

Dec 31, 2013

Soil-Free Farming Grows Vegetables in the Desert

With average summer precipitation of about 1 inch (2.5 centimeters), temperatures higher than 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) and nutrient-poor sandy soil, it's easy to see why agriculture hasn't taken off for the nations of the Persian Gulf. But an innovative technology used to grow plants on specialized films...

Nov 30, 2015

The 10 Strangest Animal Discoveries of 2015

Every year, scientists wade into jungles, deserts and museum collections to examine animals and, if they're lucky, discover a new species. For instance, in 2015 researchers identified a ruby-red sea dragon off the coast of Australia, a new species of giant tortoise in the Galápagos Islands and an ancient spikey...

Nov 30, 2015

Trail from Ship Exhaust Leaves 'A' in the Sky

You may not have seen it, but in July there was a large A written in the sky over the ocean near the Kamchatka Peninsula, in far-eastern Russia. In an image of this A that was snapped from space, the letter looks like it could have been made by an...

Nov 30, 2015

5 Facts to Know About the California Methane Leak

A methane leak in Southern California has forced thousands of people from their homes. Although the gas first began spewing from a leaky underground well in October, the gas company only recently identified the source of the leak. Now, officials with the company say it could be months before the...

Oct 31, 2015

Why Do Sand Dune Avalanches Boom, Burp and Sing?

Avalanching dunes can create their own music, when toppling sand erupts first with staccato burps and then with monotone singing booms. These tunes have long intrigued scientists, and now a team of physicists has deciphered why they occur. The booming and burping sounds each correspond to different classes of waves...

Oct 31, 2015

U.S. Agencies Agree: October Was Crazy Warm

On the heels of the news from NASA that October’s global temperature this year spiked more than any other month in 135 years, virtually assuring that 2015 will be the warmest year on record, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Wednesday that their data showed similarly remarkable numbers. The...

Oct 31, 2015

Ancient 'Mud Dragon' Worm Had Spiky Coat of Armor

Like the fictional, fearsome sandworms from the Dune sci-fi novels, a recently discovered worm that lived 535 million years ago had an armored body, a mouth ringed with teeth and rows of thornlike spines on its flanks. But while the Dune sandworms were big enough to carry people on their...

Sep 30, 2015

Epic South Carolina Storm: A '1,000-Year Level of Rain'

South Carolina is still struggling after massive rainstorm that dumped up to forty percent of the average yearly rainfall in just a few days in some places. We are at a 1,000-year level of rain, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley said at a news briefing on Sunday (Oct. 4). That's...

Sep 30, 2015

This Pig-Nosed Rat with Vampire Teeth Will Haunt Your Dreams

It has a nose like a cute little piglet's, ears that only a mother could love and teeth that would make Dracula run in fear: This odd-looking rodent captured researchers' attention when they discovered it back in 2013, but now they've described it as a new species. The elusive animal,...