Research and development

Something unknown is warping the average orbital plane of the outer solar system, report researchers. It's far beyond Pluto, but closer than Planet 9.

Certain sea sponges stay put with thin, hair-like anchors. How they bend without breaking is "surprising since they are essentially made of glass."

"We've produced a detailed snapshot—at atomic-level resolution—of the membrane of bacterial organelles."

Genes that aid in reproductive success also make people more prone to heart attacks, say scientists — a finding that will surprise few parents.

The research of Mary Caswell Stoddard, an assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at Princeton University, suggests that the shape of an egg for a bird of a given species may be driven in part by features of a bird's physiology related to its capability for flight.

In marine bacteria, evolution of new specialized molecules follows a previously unknown path.

At least 1.4 million seagulls feed at landfills across North America—and then dump 240 tons of nitrogen and 39 tons of phosphorus into nearby waters.

Researchers have found a way to pierce the biofilm that protects microbes from the body's immune system and antibiotics: using their own tools against them.

"Social jet lag," or having different sleep patterns on the weekends and weekdays, may have health consequences.

The Friendship Paradox says people on a social network tend to have fewer connections than their friends. New research extends this to happiness, too.

After tagging certain malaria parasite genes with bright colors, scientists could follow them through parasite's lifecycle. One was particularly vulnerable.

The research also found that women who had gonorrhea when they gave birth were nearly 20 times more likely to pass on CMV to their babies.

A new look at decades of data shows that states with right-to-carry concealed handgun laws have higher rates of violent crime.

Stalagmites suggest California had a long stretch of wet weather 8,200 years ago. The findings hint at what could happen if today's glaciers melt rapidly.