Watching a continental split

Seismic study shows crust thinning as continent divides, giving another view of our restless planet. More »

Running out of space

With space shuttles in museums, the near-term American plan to return to space relies on other countries or private firms. More »

Does climate affect war? A study shows increases in conflict during el Niño periods — but only during the warm, dry part of the cycle. More »

Hitting the road? What could be more enlightening than gawking at a cave, exploring a desert, or eyeballing the largest telescope in More »

New instruments are giving a better view of how those astonishingly strong lightning bolts form inside clouds. More »

A new report on the ancient universe shows that most galaxies – even all of them – had a black hole at the center, much like modern More »

Three essential elements drive a tornado: Wet air, dry air, and wind shear. What explains the big improvement in tornado prediction? More »

Experiment: Earth “drags” spacetime, as Einstein predicted. What else did Einstein get right? (Hint: Lots and lots!) More »

Earth’s orbit subtly changes over thousands of years, in complex cycles that affect the timing and delivery of sunlight to various More »

How do rocks move? What governs how long and violent an earthquake will be? Should we worry about a powder between the grinding rocks? More »

Aftershocks and triggered earthquakes both follow a large earthquake, and they don’t happen at random. Can lessons about the sequence More »

Titanic explosion shows one of the biggest bangs since the Biggest Bang, spreads useful elements through the universe. Finally More »

How is flu vaccine is made in eggs and animal cells? What is being done to protect us against a fast-changing, deadly virus? Is a More »

The ozone layer protects Earth from UV rays: Twenty-two years after a treaty to protect ozone, how is the layer doing? What has More »

A planet newly found in the southern sky is perilously close to its star, orbiting in less than 1 Earth day. Within 10 years, this More »