A woman clutches at a tissue and her sinuses

The Mystery of Super-Spreaders

It’s estimated that roughly 20% of the population are so-called "super-spreaders" who cause 80% of infectious disease cases.
A bear looks out of its cave over the snow covered terrain

The Mysteries of Hibernation

Bears in hibernation have a lot of physiological issues to solve.
The planet Mars

Is There Life on Mars?

Is there life on Mars? Probably not, but it's likely that there used to be.
Bohemian Waxwing 
Bombycilla garrulus
(Hilversum, The Netherlands)

When Birds Drink Too Much

In case you think a few drinks makes your singing better, it doesn’t—and the same goes for drunk birds.
Neon vortex

A Universe Where Time Runs Backwards

Running out of time? Not in a universe where time runs backwards.
Illustration of the Kepler spacecraft

Kepler: The Little Telescope That Could

A year after a potentially fatal setback, a rejuvenated Kepler telescope discovered the first exoplanet (outside the solar system) of its new mission.
Ice floes float in icy water

Hidden Ecosystems Under Arctic Ice Reveal Themselves

Thanks to remotely operated vehicles scientists are able to peek at one of the coldest, darkest environments of all: ecosystems deep underneath arctic ice.
Mahogany Valley near Borah Peak Idaho

Can Soil Microbes Help End World Hunger?

Bacteria and genetic research - including soil microbes - may fuel the future of agriculture
A maroon and cream striped octopus on the seafloor

Mimics of the Animal Kingdom

Art Imitates Life? Try Bird Imitates Caterpillar. Animals that mimic to survive
A scale pauses at 190 pounds

Where Does Lost Weight Go? Into Thin Air.

If your resolution is to lose weight this year, have you thought about where exactly that lost fat goes?