The Bacterial Cloud We All Carry Could Be As Unique As A Fingerprint
Scientists have discovered that everyone emits their own "microbiome cloud," a plume of the microbes we all carry around in and on our bodies.
Science
Abandoned, But No Wasteland: Chernobyl Offers Animals Room To Thrive
Nearly 30 years after a catastrophic nuclear meltdown, something interesting is happening in Chernobyl: In an environment long abandoned — and deemed unsafe — by humans, wildlife is flourishing.
'Buckyballs' Solve Century-Old Mystery About Interstellar Space
Scientists have long wondered what's in the wispy cloud of gas floating in the space between the stars, absorbing starlight. Turns out it's a form of carbon named after architect Buckminster Fuller.
Why Is The Sky Blue? (On Pluto, That Is)
Pluto's atmosphere has a blue haze, in a new photo from the New Horizons probe. But the particles causing that color are probably gray or red — and the planet's surface has red ice.
Could A Mushroom Save The Honeybee?
The bees that pollinate crops are on the brink of collapse. One big reason why: a virus-carrying mite. Now, researchers think a rare fungi could boost bees' immune system and attack the mite itself.
Why Do We Continue To Care About Dinosaurs?
Paleontologist Jack Horner explains what dinosaurs tell us about our own origins and what we can learn by attempting to revive a piece of the past.
Are We Evolving Into A Different Species?
Juan Enriquez argues that human evolution is far from over — Homo sapiens are becoming a new species right before our eyes.
What Are The Origins Of The Universe?
David Christian explains the history of the universe from the big bang, and how humans occupy little more than a millisecond on that cosmic timeline.
Where Did Human Beings Originate?
Louise Leakey describes her family's long search for early human remains in Africa, and how unlocking that mystery is the key to understanding our past and our future.
Are All Human Beings Related?
Geneticist Spencer Wells describes how he uses DNA samples to trace our individual origins going back 2,000 generations.