Genetic Clues May Help Unravel Cause of Crohn’s
Better treatment options are being developed, but the cause of Crohn’s disease is still unknown.
Medusa’s Gaze and Vampire’s Bite
Think monsters are make-believe? In his new book, science journalist Matt Kaplan writes of real-life zombies in Haiti, and how rabies infection could explain the vampire’s aversion to garlic and sunlight.
When Infections ‘Spillover’
Will the next human pandemic start in an animal? Writer David Quammen talks about Ebola, HIV and other diseases that ‘spillover’ from animals to humans.
Curiosity Rover Gets the ‘Scoop’ on Mars
Did the rover shed a piece of plastic while collecting its first scoop of Martian soil?
Starfish Blamed For Great Barrier Reef Coral Loss
Crown-of-thorns starfish are partly to blame for the Great Barrier Reef’s alarming loss of coral cover.
From Stem Cells to Eggs (and Beyond)
Stem cells can be turned into heart, liver, and brain cells—but what about a whole new organism? A study in Science explains the transformation from stem cell to egg to mouse pup.
Analyzing the Evidence on DNA
“All DNA evidence is not created equal,” says Greg Hampikian, Director of the Idaho Innocence Project. He’ll tell us why DNA ‘evidence’ sometimes leads to the wrong conclusion.
Fires and Invasive Grass Threaten American West
Cheatgrass, an invasive weed, chokes out native sagebrush—and sets the stage for massive blazes.
Ice Age Co-Stars: Horses, Camels, and Cheetahs
Move over mammoths—many lesser-known beasts roamed North America during the Ice Age too.