The hypothesis that Mercury has abundant water ice and other frozen volatile materials in its shadowed polar craters appears to have been confirmed. NASA announced today that new measurements from its Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft …

Clearly, TED Talks have become really popular. In fact, earlier this month, TED announced that it has surpassed a billion video views, and that likely doesn’t even take into account the talks watched on Netflix or television. In fact, they’ve …

Astronomers have measured the mass of what could be the most massive black hole yet discovered. The object, located at the center of the galaxy NGC 1277, is the equivalent of 17 billion Suns and makes up 14% of it’s …

A new NASA study shows that hurricane forecasters may soon be able to better predict hurricane and tropical storm strength by analyzing their relative-humidity levels. The study, published recently in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, looked at relative humidity data …

A new study has discovered a cognitive biomarker in teens that could identify those who are at high risk for future depression and anxiety. The marker may appear prior to the symptoms of depression and anxiety, and researchers believe a …

NASA today released photos taken by the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn and its moons. The images reveal a “swirling vortex” that covers part of Saturn’s north polar hexagon. NASA stated that Cassini has been traversing Saturn’s system in tilted orbits, …

A couple of weeks ago, a quirky little ad campaign for train safety went viral, generating nearly 30 million pageviews to date. Produced for Melbourne, Australia’s Metro Trains, “Dumb Ways to Die” featured cute little creatures finding unique ways to …

New data from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft shows that a shift in seasonal sunlight has resulted in an abrupt, wholesale reversal in the circulation of the atmosphere of Saturn’s moon Titan. According to researchers, the data shows “definitive” evidence for sinking …

A new study shows that cholesterol-lowering drugs have a more significant effect when combined with exercise. Though both the drugs and exercise lower the chances of premature death for people with high colesterol, their combined use staved off death better …

Though the budget for NASA has been declining since the early 90s, the discoveries and technological advances coming out of the agency continue to stimulate the economy and improve the lives of all Americans. This makes NASA arguably the best …

NASA this week announced that a dust storm on Mars appears to be dissipating, instead of growing into a global storm. The dust storm has been tracked since November 10 using the Mars Color Imager camera on the Mars Reconnaissance …

A review published this week in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) warns that while the number of prescription drugs that have adverse effects from interactions with grapefruit are increasing, many doctors may be unaware of the effects. The review …

Astronomers have discovered a quasar with the most massive outflow ever seen. Quasars are bright galactic centers powered by supermassive black holes, and many of them accelerate the material around them, throwing it out a high speed in a process …

This week marks one year since Mars rover Curiosity launched on the Mars Science Laboratory from Cape Canaveral on Earth. Today, NASA provided a few statistics on the “new” rover to celebrate the occasion. Though Curiosity has only been on …

Astronomers using the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Herschel space observatory have discovered massive comet belts orbiting two nearby planetary systems. The systems, named GJ 581 and 61 Vir, are known to host planets that range in mass from Earth-sized to …

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recently recommended that oral contraceptives be sold over the counter in drugstores, without the need for a doctor’s prescription. The group’s recommendation will be published in the December 2012 issue of the …

I think we can all agree that getting the flu is about the worst possible thing that can happen during winter. That’s why we take vaccines, but it only lasts for a season. Even then, the vaccine may not work …

A new study shows that smoking, high blood pressure, and other cardiovascular risk factors are associated with accelerated declines in memory, learning, attention, and reasoning. Smoking was linked most clearly with low cognitive performance in older people. The study, published …

Scientists working on NASA‘s Cassini mission have spotted a second feature shaped like Pac-Man on one of Saturn’s Moon. The pattern appears in thermal data from the moon Tethys, taken using Cassini’s composite infrared spectrometer. A similar thermal pattern was …

A new study has shown that mice bred for Alzheimer’s testing that were given an antibody that blocked the immune molecule p40 showed “substantial” improvements in behavioral testing. The effects were seen even when the mice had already begun showing …

A recent regional Martian dust storm has grown large enough for both of the functioning NASA Mars rovers, Curiosity and Opportunity, to detect atmospheric changes on opposite sides of the red planet. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has been tracking the …