Articles by James Maynard
Octopus Skin For Robots Also Glows In The Dark
Robots with artificial skin could, one day, dart around sharp corners, change color and glow in the dark. How does this new material, inspired by octopus, work?
Astronaut Scott Kelly Is Two Inches Taller After One-Year Mission In Space
Following a stay in space that lasted for almost a year, Scott Kelly returns from the International Space Station (ISS) nearly two inches taller than when he left. How else is the human body affected by living in space?
Arecibo Radio Telescope Discovers First-Known Repeating Fast Radio Burst
Fast Radio Bursts are one of the least-witnessed events in astronomy. Now, they are seen repeating for the first time, ending one mystery while asking another.
Yearlong Space Mission Continues To Blaze Way For Long Duration Missions
Scott Kelly has set a record for the longest time ever spent in space by an American. Who are the other record holders?
Exquisitely Preserved Cambrian Fossil Sheds Light On Early Animals And Nervous System
The evolution of nervous systems may be revealed by studying an ancient fossil from more than 500 million years before our own time. What is so special about this ancient artifact?
SpaceX Aborts Sunday Launch Of Falcon 9 Rocket
SpaceX cancelled the Sunday launch of a Falcon 9 rocket to bring a communications satellite into orbit. What is the importance of this space mission?
Does Planet Nine Exist? These Are The Tools Astronomers Are Using To Find It
Observations of bodies deep in the solar system suggest an unseen ninth planet sits beyond the orbit of Neptune. Here are some of the tools astronomers are using to find the distant world.
Flying To Mars In Just 30 Minutes May Be Possible Using Laser Propulsion System
Mars is the most likely planet to be visited by humans in the near future. A newly proposed propulsion system could deliver cargo to the red planet in just 30 minutes.
Obesity May Lead To Memory Problems In Young Adults, Study Suggests
People with a body-mass index higher than average could be harming their memory. How did researchers reach this conclusion?
Will Quantum Dot Solids Become The New Silicon Wafer?
Quantum dot solids hold the potential to become the next great development in the manufacture and design of semiconductors. Now, a research team at Cornell University believe they have overcome a major technological hurdle in that quest.
Mouse Sperm From Stem Cells May Pave Way For Infertility Treatment
Artificially-grown mouse sperm has been created and used to impregnate female mice, Chinese researchers report. Why do some scientists doubt the reports?
Milky Way Pictured Like Never Before In Stunning New Image From Apex
Astronomers using the Apex telescope in Chile have recorded a new image of the Milky Way galaxy unlike any other study ever compiled. What is so special about this striking new composite image?
Fast Radio Bursts From Six Billion Light Years Away Solves Pair Of Cosmic Mysteries
For the first time ever, astronomers have measured the distance to a fast radio burst (FRB). How did this answer a pair of mysteries about the universe around us?
Earth Bombarded By Multiple Meteors 790,000 Years Ago, Researchers Find
Tektites tell the tale of a series of impacts that struck Earth 790,000 years before our own time. A new dating technique answers questions on their source, but also asks a vital question.
Researchers Scare Raccoons To Test If Fear Could Help Balance Ecosystems
Top predators could serve a valuable service in ecosystems by altering the behavior of their prey, a new study finds. How could this finding help protect ecosystems?
Could New Khatri Blood Test Revolutionize Testing For Tuberculosis?
Tuberculosis affects a significant portion of the world's population. Now, a new blood test could revolutionize the way doctors test for the often-fatal disease in the developing world.
Tweet Your Art To NASA And OSIRIS-REx Will Carry It To An Asteroid
The asteroid Bennu will soon be visited by the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft in an effort to understand the origins of the solar system and life on Earth. Now, NASA wants artists to send in artwork for the historic mission.
Introducing The Next Generation Of Space Telescopes From NASA
Following 25 years of images from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), NASA officials are gearing up for the next generation of space-borne observatories. Here are some of the upcoming missions that will help unwrap the mysteries of the universe.
Brazil, US Probe Potential Link Between Zika Virus And Microcephaly
Has the Zika virus been proven to be responsible for a rash of birth defects in Brazil? Teams of medical researchers from that nation and the United States are striving to find the answer to that question.
Batplane Made Real With New Shape-Shifting Drone
Bats are the only mammal that can carry out true flight. Now, engineers have developed a new shape-shifting wing for drones based on the body design of these creatures of the dark.
Tiny Snails Fly Through Water On Insect-like Wings
Sea butterflies have more in common with insects than just their common name. Researchers now know the method these creatures use to 'fly' through water.
Mysterious Case Of Missing Asteroids Uncovered - Murder Most Solar!
Astronomers are puzzled why the number of asteroids passing near Earth is surprisingly low, fortunately. Now, a new discovery revealed where the missing objects went.
Poisonous Flower Trapped In Amber May Have Been Prehistoric Relative Of Potatoes, Coffee Beans
An ancient poisonous plant found fossilized in amber may have been an ancestor of some of our staple foods. What do we know about this unique asterid?
Could LIGO Discovery Of Gravitational Waves Unlock Secrets Of Quantum Gravity?
Quantum gravity theory has been predicted for decades. What else could the discovery of gravitational waves by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory uncover and reveal about this theory?
Hubble Telescope Sniffs At Atmosphere Surrounding Super-Earth For First Time
The atmosphere of exoplanet 55 Cancri E has been analyzed by spectral analysis. This provides the first 'sniff' at the atmosphere of a super-Earth for the first time.
Beluga Whales Tracked During Hunt Reveal Patterns Of Foraging
Beluga whales dive deep under water in the hunt for food, a new study reveals. During the hunt, a tag is attached to a whale in the wild.
Iceberg Kills 150,000 Penguins In Antarctica, But How?
Nearly 150,000 peguins are dead after an iceberg slammed into Antarctica. What happened to doom the birds?
Flightless Bird Roamed The Arctic 50 Million Years Ago
Around 50 million years ago, a giant flightless bird roamed around the Arctic, then a temperate area. New research provides a surprising look at the giant bird.
Cryogenically Frozen Rabbit Brain Thawed Without Damage: Can Breakthrough Technique Preserve Memory In Human Brain?
The brain of a rabbit has been frozen and thawed without damage for the first time. This could lead to a form of immortality sooner than you think.
Einstein Was Right: Gravitational Waves Finally Detected 100 Years After Existence Was Proposed
Gravitational waves were first proposed a century ago, but they have never been seen - until now. However, it was not from a lack of trying, as this history of the search for gravitational waves goes to show.
