Why the Milky Way is shaped like a spiral
A team of astronomers reconstructed a 3-part history of the Milky Way Galaxy by comparing the physics and chemistry of 10 million red giant…
Category: Big Questions
When did the Galápagos tortoises become giant?
Researchers analyzed new fossils from Ecuador that suggested the ancestors of Galápagos giant tortoises inhabited northern South America…
Exercise boosts tumor-killing immune cells
Scientists showed that breast cancer patients who exercised for 30 minutes had more tumor-killing immune cells in their bloodstreams.
Exoplanets with weird orbits might be more habitable
Astronomers modeled the ideal climatic and atmospheric conditions for exoplanets and found that planets with non-circular orbits had more…
Could life survive in the plumes of Enceladus?
Researchers showed that simple microorganisms could survive rapid boiling in conditions mimicking the geysers of water shooting out of…
How will the melting Greenland Ice Sheet affect ocean currents?
Researchers found the melting Greenland Ice Sheet is releasing tons of icebergs into the North Atlantic Ocean that could further disrupt…
This new adrenal cell makes mice better parents
Scientists found a new type of cell in the adrenal glands of monogamous mice that promotes parenting behaviors.
Astronomers discover new rare hot Neptunes
Scientists discovered 2 new examples of medium-sized, closely-orbiting exoplanets whose characteristics shed light on how planetary systems…
Spinal stimulation helps stroke patients hit their stride
Researchers combined spinal cord stimulation with walking exercises to improve stroke survivors’ balance, walking symmetry, speed, and…
How complex life arose under extreme stress
Scientists discovered molecules that helped the first complex life forms build strong cell membranes to withstand extreme environments.