Cows belch a lot of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. But it’s not their fault. Scientists have identified a new trigger for the process. It resides in some microbes that…

Event horizon (noun, “Ee-VENT hur-AYE-zon”) An event horizon is a boundary surrounding a black hole. Beyond this boundary, nothing — not matter, energy or any kind of information — can…

When it comes to making a mess, not even the world’s crumbliest cookie would compare to a photon. Photons are fundamental particles of light. As fundamental particles, they cannot really…

Disney’s Cinderella is not the only place you can hear mice “sing.” Some real-world rodents also serenade each other. And now, scientists know how. The mice inflate tiny, balloon-like sacs…

Sometimes, pieces of Earth’s outer layer pull apart like taffy. Right now, part of Africa is being stretched to nearly the breaking point. The giant jigsaw pieces of Earth’s outer…

In X-Men, Warren Worthington III sprouts huge white wings from his back and shoots into the sky. Scientists have yet to fully turn that comic-book trick from fiction to fact.…

Corn sweat (noun, “KORN SWET”) Corn sweat is moisture released by cornfields during summer heat, particularly in the central United States. The scientific term for corn sweat is evapotranspiration. This…

The kraken — a giant, tentacled sea monster that dragged ships into the depths — is a creature of Norwegian myth. But millions of years ago, a similar, real-life animal…

Pesky mosquitoes on the hunt for blood may find the smell of a common repellent attractive, not repulsive. That’s the finding of new lab tests. The chemical is known as…

Abstract The Salmon River in Alaska’s Kobuk Valley National Park is wild and scenic. Recently, scientists were surprised to find many of the streams in the park turning a bright,…