Scientists answer whale of a mystery

Seth Borenstein|Published

Scientists think they have answered a whale of a mystery: How the ocean creatures got so big so fast.

Antarctic ice sheet melting rapidly

Seth Borenstein|Published

A physics-based simulation detected that due to the melting ice sheet, it can contribute to high sea levels by 2100.

Gravitational waves electrify astronomers

Seth Borenstein|Published

Scientists say they have finally detected gravitational waves, the ripples in the fabric of space-time that Einstein predicted a century ago.

Anthropocene, the age of humans

Seth Borenstein|Published

People are changing Earth so much, that scientists are turning to a new way to describe the time we live in.

'The polar bear is us'

Seth Borenstein|Published

If you think climate change is only faced by some far-off polar bear decades from now, well, you're mistaken.

Galaxies from 13. 2 bn years ago snapped

Seth Borenstein|Published

The Hubble Space Telescope has captured snapshots of never-before seen galaxies far away. Try 13. 2 billion years ago.

Violent, sicker, poorer future - leaked report

Seth Borenstein|Published

Throughout the 21st century, climate change impacts will slow down economic growth and poverty reduction, says report on warming.

Warm air ‘keeping ozone hole small’

Seth Borenstein|Published

Warm air at high altitudes helped shrink the man-made ozone hole near the South Pole ever so slightly, scientists say.

‘Temperatures go off the charts in 2047’

Seth Borenstein|Published

Researchers calculated when cities and ecosystem across the world would regularly experience never-before-seen hotter environments.

‘It's not certain, but it's close’

Seth Borenstein|Published

Scientists from a variety of fields say they are about as certain that global warming is a real, man-made threat as they are that cigarettes kill.

Star Trek premieres in space

Seth Borenstein|Published

The crew of the International Space Station is boldly going where no one has gone before - to see the new Star Trek film.

ISS outage: Houston, we have a problem

Seth Borenstein|Published

The International Space Station regained contact with Nasa controllers in Houston after nearly three hours of accidental quiet.

Tragedy of dinosaurs, opportunity for mammals

Seth Borenstein|Published

The cosmic crash that seemed to end the reign of the dinosaurs probably gave way to the age of mammals, researchers say.

Big asteroid no longer a threat to Earth

Seth Borenstein|Published

About nine years ago, when astronomers first saw Apophis, they thought there was a 2. 7 percent chance that it would smack into our planet.

Mock Mars trek finds down-to-Earth problems

Seth Borenstein|Published

In a novel experiment, six volunteers were confined in a cramped mock spaceship in Moscow to simulate a 17-month voyage.

Fly me to the moon!

Seth Borenstein|Published

For a mere $1. 5 billion, a US firm is offering countries the chance to send two people to the moon and back.

Experts predicted NY superstorm - report

Seth Borenstein|Published

A US professor reported that what used to be once-in-a-century devastating floods in New York City would soon happen every three to 20 years.

Fraud growing in research papers - study

Seth Borenstein|Published

A new study finds that fraud in scientific research is growing at a troubling rate.

Blue moon tribute to Neil Armstrong

Seth Borenstein|Published

There's a rare 'blue moon' on Friday, a fitting wink to Neil Armstrong by the cosmic calendar.

Greenland’s freakish meltdown

Seth Borenstein|Published

Greenland's coldest place is melting. Records show that last happened in 1889 and occurs about once every 150 years.

Rise of the planet of the apes?

Seth Borenstein|Published

Scientists wonder if apes are capable of thinking about what other apes are thinking.

Miami, Mumbai on list for big weather disasters

Seth Borenstein|Published

Nations should prepare for an unprecedented onslaught of deadly and costly weather disasters, say climate scientists.

Biggest jump seen in global warming gases

Seth Borenstein|Published

New figures for 2010 mean that levels of greenhouse gases are higher than the worst case scenario outlined by climate experts just four years ago.

Too much space junk orbiting Earth

Seth Borenstein|Published

Since the space age began, the area just above Earth's atmosphere has been littered with leftover boosters and old satellites.

Shuttle science bought payoffs to Earth

Seth Borenstein|Published

Thanks to the space shuttle, we have healthier baby formula and cooling socks to wear in hot weather.