In the public’s mind, Benjamin Franklin’s scientific work has largely been reduced to this one experiment, in which Franklin demonstrated that discharges from thunderstorms are electric in nature (SN: ...

Orcas’ physiology should hamper their ability to catch whale sharks. “They have lungs,” says Pancaldi. The whale shark, with gills, can do infinite lurks and dive 2,000 meters deep, while its mammal ...

A new study shows a steep drop in cervical cancer deaths among the first cohort of women who were eligible for the HPV vaccine.

In the new study, researchers compared digital 3-D models of ancient hominid footprints and trackways to those made by people today — including Kenyan herders who rarely or never wear shoes — ...

Margaret S. Collins, the first Black American female entomologist to earn a Ph.D., overcame sexism and racism to become a termite expert.

In How to Kill an Asteroid, Robin George Andrews looks at the successes and shortcomings of planetary defense.

Kidney cells can make memories too. At least, in a molecular sense. Neurons have historically been the cell most associated with memory. But far outside the brain, kidney cells can also store ...

Molecular stress brought on by diabetes, fatty liver disease and other chronic conditions can all cause proteins to put on the brakes. Instead of zipping around the cell and bumping into each other to ...

Trump’s first term, campaign pledges and nominees point to how efforts to address climate change and environmental issues may fare.

A multiyear study of dozens of wild, adult chimps suggests that play helps reduce tension and boost cooperation among individuals.

Phobos and Deimos could have formed from asteroid debris, a new study suggests. An upcoming sample return mission will help test the idea.

Hundreds of defunct satellites plunge toward Earth every year. Scientists are studying how the chemical stew left in their wake impacts the atmosphere.