Articles by Rebecca Kaplan
Passenger pigeons, slaughtered to extinction 100 years ago, still inspire
Today is the hundredth anniversary of the death of the last passenger pigeon. Hunted for food and game, the species became extinct exactly 100 years ago.
Killer whales of Puget Sound are acting strange, population declining fast
The killer whale population in the Puget Sound in Washington state has been dropping quickly, worrying environmentalists. Only about 78 orcas now live in the sound, a level not seen since 1985, and the social pods they live in are splintering.
Antarctic sea levels rise too fast as ice melts, freshwater increases in oceans
Sea levels in Antarctica are rising rapidly due to the decreased salinity of the sea as freshwater ice melts, a new study shows.
Your face is precious realty for mites
Your face is covered with mites, a new scientific study reveals. Dust mites are tiny organisms that live in piles of dust, and feed on human skin flakes.
Forget bedbugs: More than 5000 wasps turn this bed into giant nest
An English family was startled to find a 3-foot wasps' nest inside of its guest room. We've all heard of a wasp's nest. But a wasp's bed? Ridiculous.
Think mountain air is always clean? Study in Colorado says otherwise
Colorado mountain air, considered clean and pure, is actually polluted with ozone, a new study says.
Ancient Arctic Eskimos suddenly vanished, DNA study brings them back to life
A new study explores the genetics behind an ancient group of eskimos that disappeared suddenly hundreds of years ago.
When science gets delicious: Mozzarella cheese is the best for pizza, study says
Mozzarella cheese is the best cheese for pizza -- scientists and Americans agree. Americans love eating pizza covered in browned, bubbly, juicy mozzarella cheese.
20 new types of coral need federal protection
20 new species of coral have just been added to the Endangered Species Act. This is some very bad news for the health of our ocean. Twenty types of coral were listed for protection under the Endangered Species Act.
Oldest known wine cellar shows Canaanites partied in style
A new study has been published about wine from a Canaanite wine cellar discovered last year. New research has shown that about 4,000 years ago, the region of Canaan was making wine.
2700-year-old shipwreck found in ‘fantastic state of preservation’
Researchers have discovered a really well preserved shipwreck in Malta. The ship likely dates back to 700 BCE.
Could our world be a 2D hologram?
A new study from the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory explores whether three dimensional reality is just an illusion.
Climate change damage, a warming ‘hiatus,’ and carbon cuts: So much to do, so little time
The U.N. is in the process of drafting a report urging nations to start cutting carbon dioxide emissions before more damage to the climate from global warming becomes inevitable. A report by the IPCC debunks the idea that there has been a 'hiatus' on climate change in the past few years.
A mammoth discovery changes ranch life for Texas family
A Texas family discovered a mostly complete, well-preserved mammoth skeleton on their ranch. A family in Ellis County, a North Texas locale, recently discovered a skeleton of a mammoth on its small ranch.
Should robots take control? MIT scientists say yes
Humans tend to prefer having tasks given to them by a robot than by another human, new research from MIT shows.
New Horizons crosses Neptune’s orbit exactly 25 yrs after Voyager 2
NASA's New Horizons spacecraft crossed Neptune's orbit today on August 25, the 25th anniversary of Voyager 2's crossing of Neptune in 1989.
The origin of honeybees, adaptation to climate change, revealed from genome
A new study shows that the species of honeybees likely originated in Asia, not Africa, as was originally thought. The study also shows that bees adapt to climate change over time.
Methane spewing up from surprisingly gassy seafloor off East Coast
New research suggests a large amount of previously undiscovered methane is being released beneath the sea floor on the East Coast.
Florida mom forced tapeworms down daughter's throat ahead of beauty pageant
In an episode of "Untold Stories of the E.R. that aired August 22, a nurse recounts a story of a mother who fed her daughter tapeworms in an effort to make her daughter thinner for a beauty pageant.
Sierra Leone criminalizes act of harboring Ebola victims
Sierra Leone passed a law on Friday declaring that anyone hiding people infected with Ebola would face up to two years of jail time.
Maintaining healthy weight may help type 2 diabetes patients lower health care cost
Increased physical activity and improved diet can save type 2 diabetes patients about $500 per year on average in medical bills, a new study says.
Sunlight controls Arctic carbon, not just bacteria: Huge change in climate thinking
New research suggests that the sun's light can convert organic carbon from Arctic permafrost into carbon dioxide faster than bacteria. The find sheds new light on how greenhouse gases form.
‘Theory of Everything’ looks like everything a Stephen Hawking biopic should be
A new poster has been released for "Theory of Everything," the Stephen Hawking biopic due to be released November 7.
Galileo navigation satellites launched, promise life-changing accuracy
Two components of an ESA global positioning system called Galileo were launched today, August 22, from French Guiana on a Soyuz rocket.
For hummingbirds, a sweet tooth is advantageous
Hummingbirds choose food because of its molecular makeup, a new study suggests. The birds seem to be able to tell which foods are true sugar and which are artificially sweetened by the carbohydrate makeup of the food.
Ice sheets thinning at highest rates ever observed
The ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica are thinning at the highest recorded rate in 20 years, a new research study shows.
Stone age people had gourmet diets: Escargot on the menu 30000 years ago
New evidence published on August 20 in a research study suggests that humans have been eating snails for at least 30,000 years. Something new to add to the Paleo diet?
Spectacular starry worlds uncovered in new image
The ESO took a beautiful new picture of two star clusters in the Milky Way on August 20. A telescope from the European Southern Observatory took a beautiful photo of two star clusters in the Milky Way galaxy, NGC 3603 and NGC 3576.
Iceland's Bardarbunga volcano brews trouble as evacuation begins
The Police Commissioner in Iceland has decided to evacuate the area immediately north of the Bardarbunga volcano, preparing for its possible eruption. It is very likely that the volcano will erupt, seismologists say.
Arctic grayling no longer critically endangered, thanks to conservation efforts
The Arctic grayling population has been removed from the list of endangered species protected by the ESA, the US Fish and Wildlife Service said today. Thanks to community efforts, the population no longer needs federal protection, the agency says.
