NASA’s Kepler spacecraft has scouted out thousands of potential new planets. A malfunction may have halted space operations, but new discoveries will keep flowing from the project’s ocean of data
An Ancient Mammal Paves the Way for Modern Rodents
Paleontologists identify an ancient mammal species and ancestor to modern animals like rats and mice
21st Century Sloths and Other New Mammals
The recently discovered Olinguito is in good company—meet a leopard, a dolphin, a woolly rat and some warm-blooded creatures who debuted in the last few years.
EcocentricWildlife
Hola, Olinguito! The Smithsonian Discovers a New Mammal
In an age where extinction is the norm, a team of scientists from the Smithsonian discover a new species of mammal in the threatened cloud forests of South America
EcocentricClimate Science
As Northeast Asia Bakes, Climate Scientists Predict More Extreme Heat Waves on the Horizon
Cities like Shanghai and Seoul are enduring a brutal heat wave. But climate change will make this year’s summer feel like nothing in the decades to come
EcocentricEnergy
The Surprisingly Large Energy Footprint of the Digital Economy [UPDATE]
Our computers and smartphones might seem clean, but the digital economy uses a tenth of the world’s electricity — and that share will only increase, with serious consequences for the economy and the environment
Star Wars: Images of the Perseid Meteor Shower
Every summer about this time of year, the Earth passes through the orbital path of the Swift-Tuttle comet, creating one of the most reliable and spectacular star shows of the year: the Perseid meteor shower.
EcocentricDisasters
10 Years After the Great Blackout, the Grid Is Stronger — but Vulnerable to Extreme Weather
More than 50 million people throughout the Northeast lost power in the great blackout of 2003. Could it happen again to the grid?
EcocentricDisasters
How Shoddily Constructed Buildings Become Weapons of Mass Destruction
We tend to focus on the size of an earthquake, but death toll has more to do with the quality of buildings. A new study shows that countries in south-central Asia are on the wrong side of the disaster divide — and the costs …
Twins in Space: An Unlikely Cosmic Experiment
NASA’s Kelly brothers offer science a rare chance to study how space affects the body