Educational Science

The Human Race: Will We Keep Breaking Running Records?

Just over a month ago, Dennis Kimetto of Kenya ran the fastest marathon ever, finishing the Berlin Marathon with a record-setting time of 2 hours, 2 minutes and 57 seconds. This means that for more than 26 miles (42 kilometers), Kimetto kept up a blisteringly fast average pace of 4...

US Cancer Death Rates Fall, Saving 1.5 Million Lives

The death rates from most cancers have dropped across the United States, sparing the lives of 1.5 million Americans over two decades, a new report found. There was a 22 percent decline in the average rate of all cancer deaths from 1991 (the year it peaked) to 2011, according to...

An F-35C Lightning II fighter jet conducted its first landing aboard an aircraft carrier on Nov. 3. The successful touchdown was considered a landmark moment for the U.S. Navy, which plans to begin operating the carrier version of the Lockheed Martin-built fighter jet at sea, beginning in 2018. Here's a...

Giant Armored Dinosaurs Breathed Through 'Krazy Straw' Airways

Carrying around an exoskeleton of bony armor is hard work. But armored ankylosaurs figured out a way to shoulder the load and stay cool. These Cretaceous dinosaurs had Krazy Straw nasal passages that helped them air-condition their brains, according to a new study. These heads are just covered with bone...

New Amazon Carbon Maps May Help Limit Deforestation

The vast jungle canopy of the Amazon looks like a solid wall of green from space to the human eye. But satellites and other high tech instruments can provide a much more nuanced view right down to the household level. That might sound like something the CIA would be interested...

'Smart Drug' Modafinil Does Not Make You Smarter

It's reported that 1 in 5 students take the drug Modafinil in hopes of boosting their academic performance, but this so-called smart drug may actually impair their ability to answer questions quickly and correctly, a new study finds. The drug, also known by the brand name Provigil, is approved the...

Largest Sunspot in 24 Years Wows Scientists, But Also Mystifies

The biggest sunspot to grace the face of the sun in more than two decades just rotated out of Earth's view, but it was responsible for kicking up some truly amazing solar activity this week. The sunspot (called Active Region 12192 or AR 2192) shot off four powerful flares in...

Feel the Heat: Fourth-Warmest October for U.S.

It might be chilly (OK, downright Arctic) in the middle third of the U.S. these days, but if you live there, you can warm yourself with memories of October. According to new data released Thursday, October wasn’t just a little warm, it was the fourth-warmest October for the lower 48...

Vitamin B Supplements Don't Benefit Memory, Study Finds

Taking vitamin B12 and folic acid supplements may not reduce the risk of developing memory and thinking problems in older people, a new study finds. Some previous studies had suggested a link between low levels of certainB vitamins and poor thinking skills, but other studies found mixed results about whether...

Hottest Year Ever: 5 Places Where 2014 Temps Really Cooked

Though the official numbers aren't in for December, it's likely that 2014 will go down as the planet's hottest year on record, at least since scientists started keeping tabs on global temperature. Data from three major climate-tracking groups agree: The combined land and ocean surface temperatures hit new highs this...