The second SpaceX mission to resupply the International Space Station (ISS) began early this morning as a Falcon 9 rocket lifted the Dragon capsule into orbit. Though the launch was successful, a problem with three of the capsule’s four thruster …

NASA this week revealed that its Van Allen Probes have discovered a third radiation belt around the Earth. Before now, the Earth’s Van Allen belts were thought to be two belts of radiation surrounding the planet. The newly discovered belt …

What is the difference between butter and margarine, and which one should I spread on my toast? Which one is healthier for me? Which one is better for sculpting giant busts of Paula Deen? Most of these questions, and more …

Astronomers have found what could be the first-ever sighting of a planet forming while still in the midst of a dust cloud surrounding a star. The object, which orbits the star HD 100546, is only 335 light-years from Earth and …

NASA today revealed that it has teamed up with the European Space Agency (ESA) to, for the first time, measure the spin rate of a supermassive black hole. Using NASA’s Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) and the ESA’s XMM-Newton, astronomers …

On February 15, when the world’s astronomers were busy watching Asteroid 2012 DA14 make a close flyby of Earth, a different space rock entered Earth’s atmosphere and broke up over Chelyabinsk, Russia. The shockwave following the meteor’s destruction shattered windows …

A new study has shown that patients infected with carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) could take over one year to be rid of CRE bacteria. CRE, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are potentially deadly infections that …

NASA just released this new video looking at sea surface salinity around the globe. The visualization comes from NASA’s Aquarius instrument aboard the Aquarius/SAC-D spacecraft, from December 2011 through December 2012. NASA says Aquarius will provide the global view of …

A new study has shown that a Mediterranean diet could significantly reduce heart risks. The Mediterranean diet is generally associated with diets that are prevalent in Italy, Greece, and Spain. It includes large amounts of fruits, vegetables, olive oil, cereals, …

NASA this week announced that Mars rover Curiosity has successfully placed two small samples of rock powder into its “compact laboratories” for analysis. “Data from the instruments have confirmed the deliveries,” said Jennifer Trosper, Curiosity Mission Manager oat NASA’s Jet …

Researchers at Brown University have built a robotic bat wing, which they believe can serve as as stepping stone toward some interesting new flying vehicles. Hopefully it won’t serve as a stepping stone to some giant bat-like Terminator. Brown University …

It’s the most tragic and heartbreaking thing a mother can imagine: learning there’s something wrong with her baby in utero. When Claire Ives was seven months pregnant, she got the terrible news that her son’s heartbeat was going at a …

NASA this week released an eight-page report detailing all its engineers have learned about a failed satellite launch that took place on March 4, 2011. The launch of a Taurus XL T9 rocket, designed by Orbital Science Corporation, was meant …

Pi has currently been calculated to over 10 trillion (10^13) digits. But really, 39 is all you need, as the following video demonstrates. “You only need 39 digits of pi to be able to measure the circumference of the observable …

Last week, Mars rover Curiosity, after months of meticulous planning, finally used its hammering drill to collect a sample of Martian rock dust. Today, NASA scientists have released images confirming that the first-ever sample of drilled rock dust is safely …

Over the past year, NASA’s Kepler mission has found hundreds of possible planets outside of our solar system, and even a few candidates for Earth-like planets. This week, astronomers revealed that a new system has been found that contains planets …

Today, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, his wife Priscilla Chan, Google co-founder Sergey Brin, Biologist and businesswoman Anne Wojcicki (Brin’s wife), and investor Yuri Milner have announced a brand new yearly prize that rewards “excellence in research aimed at curing intractable …

NASA this week revealed that a “chance encounter” with solar wind around Saturn has allowed the Cassini probe to detect particles being accelerated to high energy states. The phenomenon is similar to the acceleration of high-energy cosmic rays found coming …

Here’s Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield giving us a tour of his space kitchen and showing off his zero-gravity culinary prowess. When you’re done with this, make sure you catch his recent reddit AMA. It’s out of this world! (I’ll show …

Last week, as astronomers around the world turned their attention toward the passing asteroid 2012 DA14, a meteorite entered Earth’s atmosphere and broke up over Chelyabinsk, Russia. The blast shattered windows and injured hundreds in the small town. The European …

A new study has found that excessive TV watching in childhood could portend antisocial or criminal behavior later in life. The study, published in the journal Pediatrics, followed 1,000 children between the ages of 5 and 15. Every two years …