Curtains for OOL: Oxygen Was Present from the Start
October 10, 2014
Free oxygen is death to life trying to evolve, but it was present early on, being formed naturally from atmospheric carbon dioxide.
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Lunar Impact: Major Moon Basin Was Not a Big Hit
October 8, 2014
The theory of how the largest impact basin on the moon was formed has been turned upside down.
Monarch Butterflies Do Not Have to Migrate
October 7, 2014
When 101 butterfly genomes were compared, there were surprises.
China Celebrates Non-Discovery of Dark Matter
October 6, 2014
A huge dark matter detector in China celebrated the publication of its first results: nothing.
Canyons on Earth, Mars Reinterpreted as Flood-Caused
October 4, 2014
Catastrophic floods formed canyons long thought to have been formed by slow, gradual processes.
Left-Handed Life: Is the Chirality Problem Near Solution?
October 2, 2014
Cells use only left-handed amino acids and right-handed sugars. A new hypothesis involving the weak nuclear force tries to address this asymmetry.
Of Stars and Significance
September 30, 2014
The farther out we look, the more questions we have. But does secular astronomy ask the right questions?
Earth as a Habitable Planet
September 29, 2014
When viewed as a planet among planets, Earth is surprisingly surprising, considering how close it is to scientists' investigating eyes.
Of Planets and People
September 29, 2014
Here's a quick tour of the planets to see what's newsworthy.
Of Molecules and Men
September 27, 2014
Atoms and molecules are tiny but can have a big influence on the habitability of planets and astrobiologists' theories about them.
Inflation Claim Crumbles into Dust
September 25, 2014
The much-hyped proof of cosmic inflation a few months ago has been discredited, revealing more about how science is done in the media age than about reality.
Navajo Sandstone Dates Are Incoherent
September 24, 2014
Can concretions really be 190 million years younger than the rock in which they are embedded?
Big Bang's Lithium Problem Gets More Problematic
September 15, 2014
There's no escape; new measurements show far less lithium than predicted by the big bang, and more fine tuning than would be expected by chance.
How Did the Archer Fish Learn Physics?
September 14, 2014
A little fish that shoots down bugs out of the air learned some tricks of optics and propulsion that impress scientists.
The Miller Experiment Is Dead; Long Live the Miller Experiment
September 12, 2014
The image of Stanley Miller pondering his spark-discharge apparatus is too valuable an icon to toss on the trash heap of history.