Science

In 2006 the International Astronomical Union defined the term “planet” for the first time. Pluto did not meet the qualifications and was downgraded to a “dwarf planet,” or object #134340.

Saturn is one of the most recognizable planets in our solar system, yet much about the gaseous planet and its beautiful rings remains a mystery.

In the wild, some female animals are able to create offspring without the help of a mate, a process known as parthenogenesis.

A federal survey found that bees are threatened more than ever after a winter of severe die-off, having serious implications for the human food supply.

When Galileo first saw Jupiter's four largest moons, he realized that Earth was not the center of the universe. Since then, we've discovered many exciting things about Jupiter's moons.

Our neighboring planet Mars has long been subject to Earthly questions and speculations; how much do we really know about the fourth planet from the Sun?

Nicknamed the “human iPod,” pianist Derek Paravicini is wowing audiences with his extraordinary repertoire of thousands of songs he can play entirely by memory.

With the Large Hadron Collider once again operational, researchers and cautiously optimistic observers look toward future discoveries, hoping for insight into the origins of the universe.

The WASP-12b, a planet just discovered in 2008, orbits so close to its sun that it’s slowly being evaporated.

New findings indicate that King Tutankhamen may have suffered from malaria, a promising revelation for scientists hoping to learn more about the disease.

A new study found that the hormone oxytocin, which fosters mother-infant bonding and trust, helped people with Asperger’s syndrome improve their social learning skills.

Launched in 2001, the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) has found that the universe is about 20 million years older than previously thought.

Bringing an end to a 5,000-year mystery, scientists have discovered three genetic mutations in the brains of people who stutter.

Research shows that teens' natural sleep cycle is to sleep later in the morning. Some schools are responding by pushing back start times.

Darwin’s great-great-grandson submitted a cheek swab sample to the Genographic Project in order to discover his—and his great-great-grandfather’s—“human deep ancestry.”

Researchers can’t figure out why blue whales, the largest animals on Earth, are singing in deeper voices every year.

A new movement wants to designate items left on the moon by the Apollo 11 crew as protected artifacts. Is space under mankind’s jurisdiction, and is it time to create some rules?

Five errors in a U.N. climate panel report have called into question the credibility of the panel, prompting climate change skeptics to cry foul.

What could save animals, end world hunger and protect the environment? Scientists are hoping that meat engineered in the lab might do the trick.

Images of destruction emerging from Haiti in the wake of Tuesday’s earthquake have many wondering if California is vulnerable to a comparable disaster.

As NASA begins testing on three prototype space suits at the Johnson Space Center, findingDulcinea looks at the evolution of space suits and the future of space suit design.

Could rude drivers, roads without signs, and closed roadways improve traffic flow and driving safety? Studies show that these seemingly counter-intuitive measures may be the answer to our traffic problems.

Never before have astronomers been closer to answering the question: “Are we alone?”

NASA’s Kepler Mission has discovered five new extrasolar planets, and program leaders are optimistic about finding Earth-like planets in the misson’s future.

The prevalence of nearsightedness among people in the U.S. has increased dramatically in recent decades. What role have computers, cell phones and other “nearwork” played in this change?

Using laser-fusion technology, experts hope to add “clean, inexhaustible energy source” to the laser’s distinguished resume.

Researchers observed octopi off the Indonesian coast using coconut halves as shields and armor, making them the first invertebrates to be classified as tool-using animals.

The experimental device sends signals to the brain via the tongue, creating a new mode of optical sensation.

The Geminid meteor shower, the strongest annual meteor shower, reaches its peak tonight, with up to 140 meteors per hour shortly after midnight.

Virgin Galactic has unveiled SpaceShipTwo, the latest in a long series of efforts to commercialize space travel.