Science

Better knowledge of which test-tube embryos are more likely to develop into healthy babies could lead to fewer multiple births, and safer fertility treatments.

The belief that extraterrestrial life exists in the universe does not contradict faith in God, according to the Vatican’s head astronomer.

Scientists announce they have genetically altered a human embryo for the first time, prompting worry that “designer babies” with preselected traits could be next.

In the letter, Albert Einstein refers to religion as “childish superstition,” adding fuel to the debate over the scientist’s beliefs.

by Isabel Cowles
A recently published mapping of the platypus genome will help scientists bridge the gap between reptile and mammalian evolution.

by Josh Katz
Adults who were vaccinated as children against deadly diseases such as whooping cough and mumps may now be susceptible to such illnesses, calling into question the durability of immunizations.

by Matthew R. Bald
A new survey shows that 36.1 percent of America’s commercial beehives have been lost since last year, a devastating figure that may affect food supplies.

by Lindsey Chapman
The levels of DDT in Antarctic Adélie penguins have remained constant despite the fact the pesticide was banned in the Northern Hemisphere in the 1970s.

by Chris Coats
President Michelle Bachelet pledges support and aid after visit, as the Chaiten Volcano continues to spew lava and ash.

by Josh Katz
Parents with mental illnesses are almost twice as likely to have an autistic child as those without mental disorders, suggesting that genetics contribute to autism.

by Emily Coakley
An Australian doctor has ignited controversy by suggesting the government pay up to $47,000 for kidney donations to combat the country’s low donation rate.

The number of fatal shark attacks is rising, and researchers say global warming may be partly to blame.

An Ohio study shows some dog lovers are more attached to dogs than to family. But do our dogs love us back?

Researchers long assumed that men and women respond similarly to treatments derived from clinical trials. Now they’re finding that’s not always the case.

The study’s findings are no surprise to many, raising questions about the value of such research.

Limb regeneration is looking more feasible, as scientists say that they have developed a powder that can help to regrow severed fingers.

Albert Hofmann, the chemist who synthesized the hallucinogenic drug LSD in 1938, died of a heart attack Tuesday at his home in Basel, Switzerland.

A Pew Commission report finds that factory farming is economically detrimental, a threat to public health and in serious need of reform.

A team of scientists has found nine young, ultradense galaxies of the type that form the building blocks of today’s largest star systems.

A genetics research pioneer wants to create synthetic fuel using artificial DNA, claiming it could help save the environment.

A Swiss daredevil successfully completed a jump with a parachute based on the 523-year-old sketches of Leonardo Da Vinci.

A team of researchers succeeded in turning embryonic stem cells into key heart cells. Such cells could eventually be used to help treat heart conditions in humans.

New research suggests that two early human populations lived in isolation of one another for up to 100,000 years, perhaps nearly evolving into two species.

PETA has offered $1 million to the first person who can create chicken meat from animal stem cells, and have it ready to sell by 2012.

Some prominent environmentalists have reversed previous convictions and now endorse nuclear power. They face resistance from a skeptical public.

A study suggesting that a mother’s diet can help determine the sex of her baby meets skepticism, and raises ethical concerns.

A review of 67 health studies found that taking supplements of vitamin A, vitamin E and beta-carotene may increase the risk of premature death.

John A. Wheeler, the physicist who invented the term “black hole,” died on April 13, 2008, at the age of 96.

New fossil evidence suggests that the first humans came to North America 14,000 years ago, more than 1,000 years before previously estimated.

Exploratory spacecraft Cassini found carbon-based molecules in water vapor over Saturn’s moon Enceladus, raising the possibility that life could exist there.