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Some video games offer mental-health benefits

Playing some video games can be healthy, a new study finds — if they are designed to support mental well-being. Consider this scenario in PlaySmart. “Taylor was one of my…

Can focusing on music make hard exercise feel better?

Abstract Exercise is an important way to keep our bodies and brains healthy. Exercise is sometimes hard, but we have ways to make it more enjoyable. We know that music…

Four T. rex footprints hint at how fast it traveled

Four fossilized footprints are helping scientists step into a dinosaur’s shoes. The prints form the first known set of tracks likely left by an adult Tyrannosaurus rex. A trackway is three or more consecutive footprints…

This teen piloted an underwater robot to study kelp forests

Linden Hunter-Pinsky, 14, lives by the ocean in Santa Cruz, Calif. There, he sees kelp beds off the coast on his way to school. California’s kelp severely declined in the…

Seals long ago evolved to hear above the water — and below

On land, a mother seal can pick out her pup’s cry on a noisy beach. Underwater, seals listen for songs of potential mates or calls warning of predators. This ability…

Scientists Say: Occultation

Occultation (noun, “uh-kuhl-TAY-shion”) An occultation is when one celestial object passes in front of another that looks smaller in the sky. For instance, the moon or an asteroid might block…

Mystery solved? Why ‘sleeping’ ants suddenly explode with activity

A behavior seen among colonies of some ants has mystified scientists for more than 30 years. It’s their ability to suddenly burst into action, despite no leader telling the others…

Static electricity remains shockingly mysterious

Like most cats, Cooper used to love climbing into cardboard boxes. But one day, a box full of foam packing peanuts caught this tabby by surprise. Her owner, Sean McGrath,…

Analyze This: Microbes can make valuable chemicals more sustainable

The secret to making some household products more eco-friendly may lurk in our own guts. Many medicines, cosmetics and cleaning products are made with medium-chain carboxylic acids, or MCCAs. These…

Would growing a big heart make the Grinch strong?

In the classic Dr. Seuss tale, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the Grinch starts out with a heart “two sizes too small.” This grump lives alone on a mountain with…