Power outages hit some communities harder and more often, study says

Power outages cluster in the Northeast, South and Appalachia, and have significant potential health effects in vulnerable communities, an analysis finds.

By Erin BlakemoreMay 14, 2023

Officers rushed to help a crying ‘damsel in distress.’ It was a goat.

What seemed like a person in distress prompted a police response in Enid, Okla. But it wasn’t a human crying out for help — it was a goat.

By María Luisa PaúlMay 12, 2023

Supreme Court upholds California law on humane pork sales

Proposition 12 bans selling products derived from sows that don't have at least 24 square feet of space and the ability to stand up and turn around in their pens.

By Robert BarnesMay 11, 2023

Scientists sent balloons into the stratosphere — and found a mystery

Researchers sent solar-powered balloons up 70,000 feet and detected a hidden acoustic world – including staticky, whispering noises without a known origin.

By Carolyn Y. JohnsonMay 11, 2023

Is the sun white or yellow? It’s a hot debate, and everyone’s wrong.

A Twitter post left people divided over the sun's color. We asked scientists to weigh in.

By María Luisa PaúlMay 11, 2023

A new, more diverse human genome offers hope for rare genetic diseases

The first pangenome is based on the full genetic blueprints of 47 people from around the world.

By Mark JohnsonMay 10, 2023

How do Yellowstone’s seismic vibrations sound on the flute? Oddly beautiful.

Physicist Domenico Vicinanza used software to convert Yellowstone's seismic data into sheet music. The sharper the shake, the more dramatic the melody.

By Leo SandsMay 10, 2023

One butterfly to rule them all? Scientists introduce the world to Saurona.

The Saurona butterflies have dark eye-like patches on their orange wings. Scientists named them after the Lord of the Rings villain to raise awareness about endangered species.

By Annabelle TimsitMay 9, 2023

Doctors found the world’s smallest skin cancer spot: A woman’s tiny mole

Alexander Witkowski, an Oregon dermatologist, found a 0.65 millimeter mole – the world's smallest skin cancer spot – under Christy Staats’s eye.

By Kyle MelnickMay 9, 2023

Songbirds, dusk and clear skies: Scientists explore migratory flights

Two studies used radio tracking devices on nearly 400 songbirds, including the yellow-rumped warbler, American redstart and Bicknell’s thrush.

By Erin BlakemoreMay 6, 2023

NASA goes full throttle on Mars, but hits speed bumps on road to Venus

At the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, leadership is steering this storied institution through an unusually rocky period

By Joel AchenbachMay 2, 2023

Scientists discover ‘spectacular’ undersea hydrothermal vents

The expedition used a variety of mapping techniques to find the vents, along with a remotely operated vehicle called SuBastian.

By Erin BlakemoreApril 30, 2023

A new era for treating sickle cell disease could spark a health-care revolution

The first gene therapies for this debilitating disease will be reviewed by regulators this year.

By Carolyn Y. JohnsonApril 28, 2023

Gene-edited cells move science closer to repairing damaged hearts

New research offers a path toward transplants that can fix damage from a heart attack without causing life-threatening arrhythmias.

By Mark JohnsonApril 28, 2023

Video calls can spark joy. That’s true for parrots, too, study finds.

A new study found that pet parrots enjoy video calling each other, providing them a sense of community.

By Kyle MelnickApril 27, 2023

Want to listen to space noise? NASA wants to hear from you.

When the solar wind and plasma from coronal ejections strike Earth’s magnetic field lines, our invisible shield vibrates like the strings of a harp.

By Erin BlakemoreApril 23, 2023

Microscopic worms also get the munchies from weed, study finds

University of Oregon researchers found that C. elegan worms swarm to high-calorie foods when exposed to a cannabinoid molecule.

By Kyle MelnickApril 21, 2023

Virginia expects largest oyster harvest in three decades

After years of careful management of harvests to allow for spawning, Virginia officials expect the largest commercial harvest of oysters in 30 years.

By Dana HedgpethApril 21, 2023

Scientists crack the mystery of elephant seals’ extreme sleep habits

Scientists fastened neoprene caps wired with sensors to seals' heads and discovered that they catch 20-minute catnaps underwater when foraging for food.

By Carolyn Y. JohnsonApril 20, 2023

Dead birds are flying again — this time, as drones

Mostafa Hassanalian, an engineering professor at a New Mexico college, is using drone technology to enable taxidermied birds to fly.

By Kyle MelnickApril 20, 2023