A new study — and a new book — herald a whole new chapter of exoplanet research
Could Martian Bacteria Have Seeded Earth?
A new study of an ancient meteorite yields new clues to the origins of life
Einstein and the Suicide Star
A star doomed to be swallowed by a black hole provides a neat test for relativity theory
EcocentricOil
How Countries Like Iraq—Not the U.S.—Will Help Determine Gas Prices to Come
The Presidential candidates love to talk about increasing oil production here in the U.S. But a new report from the International Energy Agency underscores the fact that it will be foreign countries like Iraq that will continue …
Cosmic Old Faithful: Are There Geysers on Mars?
Dramatic images going wide for the first time tell a surprising tale of Martian eruptions
EcocentricEcocentric
SXSW Eco: Searching for a New Environmentalism
At SXSW Eco in Austin, Bill McKibben and other top environmentalists debate the direction of the green movement. Will old ways work, or is change needed to come to grips with the scale of climate change?
How to Escape from a Black Hole
There are ways out of the gravitational death grip of a black hole — but it’s not easy
Found: A Parrot-Headed, Big-Fanged, Porcupine Dinosaur. Really.
A hodge-podge fossil that was ignored for decades shows how creative —and even whimsical — evolution can be
EcocentricGoing Green
A Dark Cloud and a Silver Lining for the World’s Fisheries
A new study reveals that small, unassessed fisheries are in even worse shape than we thought. But the research also provides hope that smarter management could stop the bleeding—and provide more sustainable seafood.
Window on Infinity: Pictures from Space
From the retirement of Space Shuttle Endeavour to the rings of Saturn, view our monthly roundup of cosmic highlights from September 2012.