Predicting Fingerprints
A mathematical model predicts fingerprint patterns based on biological factors.
Twinkling Stars
Why do stars twinkle? (Atmospheric turbulence bends the light, and our pupils are small.)
Thought-Controlled Robots
A robotic arm moves in response to human brain signals captured earlier.
Kid Psych Roundup
Violent images increase aggressive behavior in children, and antidepressant use is up among preschoolers.
Engineers Without Borders
Engineers are volunteering their technical expertise to solve problems around the world.
Technology and Poverty
Technology may be the key to lifting developing nations out of poverty.
Baby Armadillos
Do armadillos always have identical quadruplets? (Yes, indeed, but no one knows why.)
Dogs and their Owners
People pick purebred dogs based on their traits, so dogs really do look like their owners.
Cognition Roundup
Emotions affect how we buy and sell, and exercising to music improves verbal fluency.
Blind Navigator
A portable computer system allows blind people to navigate, read, and recognize faces.
Squeezing Iron
Squeezing iron under high pressure and temperature to learn about Earth's core
Anti-Wrinkle Creams
How do anti-wrinkle creams work? (Retinoids and antioxidants increase collagen in skin.)
Lie Detection
People are equally bad at detecting a lie when it's told face-to-face or by instant messaging.
Kid Health Roundup
A ban on two insecticides has helped improve the health of babies, and video games are violent.
Hard Diamonds
Diamonds made by chemical vapor deposition are harder than natural ones.
Helpful Infections
Infection with harmless GBV-C virus has some protective effect against HIV.
Colorful Sunsets
Why are sunsets so colorful? (Light is scattered by the atmosphere and by particles.)
Quake-Resistant Homes
Using masonry skills to teach developing nations how to build earthquake-resistant houses
Science of Sex
Boosting the number of vasopressin receptors in male voles increases bonding behavior, and sexual imagery activates the amygdala in men more than in …
Phone Fibbing
People are more likely to lie over the phone than in e-mail, instant messaging, or face-to-face.
Smell Loss
Loss of the sense of smell could be a warning sign of Parkinson's or Alzheimer's diseases.
Hospital Noise
The noise level in a hospital can reach the intensity of a jackhammer during the night.
Plant Roundup
Purple tomatoes have more powerful antioxidants, and how plants warn others of insect attacks.