Study examines how diseases really spread during air travel

Study begins to reveal genetic ties behind a neurological phenomenon

New study sheds light on the debate over the origins of flamingos in Florida

The ozone hole over the Antarctic is beginning to fill up. Here’s the bad news.

Recent discovery on Strava heat map points out the ease of leaking data through social media platforms

Even when it’s not the holiday season, outdoor lighting is on the rise

Another way to look at the fossil record? By examining coal.

New research finds that heading the soccer ball may be riskier for women than men

Keeping tabs on the elusive Florida panther

CAPTCHAs are supposed to separate humans from robots online, but now AI can crack them

In a long-ago neutron star collision, scientists find a cosmic goldmine

The Trump administration wants to put Americans back on the moon

Hunting sea monsters in Kansas is easier than you might think

The lab where aging aircraft are dissected for science — and safety

An entirely renewable energy future is possible, a new study says

Slowing the symptoms of Alzheimer’s by helping patients relearn lost skills

Seawater in the pores? It’s what made Roman concrete great.

Scientists have developed a bandagelike patch that could painlessly replace the flu shot

Kepler turns up a trove of new exoplanets

Tired of jogging? There’s an exosuit for that.

Take a dazzling new peek at Jupiter

Check out this strange ‘glitter bomb’ sky phenomenon that scientists call ‘Steve’

A new law rolls back certain internet privacy measures. How can you shield your browsing data?

How criminals could ‘eavesdrop’ on your phone’s motion sensors, and steal your PIN

How to hunt for extraterrestrial intelligence

The dinosaur family tree isn’t quite what we thought it was

It’s a buoy, it’s a life raft, it’s Emily — the robotic craft that’s saving refugees off the coast of Greece

Does the idea of a self-driving ambulance freak you out?

Before plate tectonics, the Earth may have been covered by one giant shell

New report gives cautious support for embryonic gene editing in humans

Almost half of what we do at work could be automated by 2055

Three ways to die on Venus, and other space facts

What’s the role of social media in the news media?

Automakers are betting that in the near future, we’ll be willing to rent our cars to strangers

How close are we to sending humans to Mars?

Is ‘last-chance tourism’ good or bad for endangered places?

Need to be in two places at once? Try a telepresence robot.

There’s work to be done to make US elections secure — and it has nothing to do with voter ID

The end of summer is coming. Have you been mothing yet?

This is how radically unrecognizable life might be on other planets

What we know about how war wounds the brain

That emoji you sent might not mean what you think

Could malnutrition be caused by more than a lack of access to quality food?

Is there such a thing as octopus sign language?

Why scientists think they’ve found a new planet in our solar system

How important is breast milk and delivery method to a newborn’s health?

Can we recycle light? And can it help us fight global warming?

Wow! Look at the supermoon from last night.

What happens to objects that enter black holes?

This octopus preys — and mates — a little differently

Don’t forget, wear sunscreen. Why SPF is more important than ever

NASA’s Dawn spacecraft is already historic, and it’s just getting started

A new home for honeybees, just off the tarmac

Scientists discover a potent new antibiotic

Our unique ‘microbial aura’ travels with us wherever we go

Harvard researchers went undercover to reveal Chinese censorship tactics on the Internet

#ObserveEverything: Staff Picks, Week #2

#ObserveEverything: Staff Picks, Week #1

The firefly’s blink is everyone’s favorite summer mating dance

Should the last samples of smallpox virus be saved?