Nature : Science World Report

May 16, 2014 11:54 PM EDT

A Spider's Spinning Technique Could Provide New Insight on Biomedical Adhesive

Ever wonder how spiders craft their webs? A group of scientists from the University of Akron have deciphered this art in the hopes of creating a more efficient and stronger commercial and biomedical adhesive.

May 16, 2014 01:45 PM EDT

Environmental Tipping Point Near? Scientists Call for Methane Controls

Methane continues to seep into the atmosphere and exacerbates Earth's greenhouse gas problem. Now, scientists believe that we may not be many years away from an environmental tipping point that could result in runaway warming.

May 16, 2014 01:38 PM EDT

Solar Winds Increase Lightning-Generated Thunderstorms

A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Reading in England looks at higher-energy solar winds and its influence on lightning. As previous theories have suggested that lightning on Earth is triggered by cosmic rays, new evidence shows that thunderstorms may be influenced by other...

May 16, 2014 12:36 PM EDT

Lab Explosion in Earth and Space Science Building Blasts Stony Brook University

An explosion blasted the Earth and Space Science building on Thursday at Stony Brook University in New York.

May 16, 2014 10:38 AM EDT

Caught in the Act of Evolution: California Stick Insect Evolves in a Similar Fashion

A certain insect in California has been caught in the act of evolving into two separate species. Scientists have taken a closer look at the genome of a Southern California stick bug and have found a bit more about the process of evolution.

May 16, 2014 10:04 AM EDT

Forests Influence First Stage of Cloud Formation: How Trees Impact Our Climate

Clouds are crucial to determining what Earth's climate will be like in the future, but they're a major uncertainty in climate models. Now, scientists are taking a closer look at cloud formation, and have found that a lot of it has to do with trees.

May 15, 2014 07:12 PM EDT

Octopus Engineering: Cephalopod's Squishy Tentacles Never get Tied Up

It might seem inevitable that an octopus would get tangled up in its squishy suction-like tentacles. Yet scientists know. There's a bit of engineering magic that prevents this cephalopod from getting bent out of shape.

May 15, 2014 08:42 AM EDT

Antarctic Ice Sheet is Collapsing: Melting Speed to Increase in the Future

It looks like the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is collapsing, and there's very little we can do about it. The ice sheet, which holds enough water to raise global seas by several feet, is now estimated to disappear entirely in just a matter of centuries.

May 15, 2014 08:05 AM EDT

New 'Alien' Catfish Species Confuses Scientists with Monster-like Features

It looks like something out of a monster movie. Scientists have discovered a strange, subterranean catfish called Kryptoglanis shajii, and the more researches look at it, the stranger it gets.

May 15, 2014 07:42 AM EDT

Wind Speeds Predict How Successful Birds are in Massive Spring Migrations

Each year, flocks of birds travel hundreds or even thousands of miles during migration. Now, scientists have found that there may be a way to predict how successful these birds will be in the spring.

May 14, 2014 02:14 PM EDT

No Signs of Ocean-Borne Radiation from Japan in California Kelp Forests--Yet

There's some good news for the U.S. West Coast. It turns out that there are no signs of ocean-borne radiation from Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster in kelp samples, which may mean that officials can finally put fears to rest.

May 14, 2014 01:54 PM EDT

Powerful and Dangerous Hurricanes Peak Further North Than in the Past

Powerful and dangerous storms are peaking further north and south than in the past. It turns out that hurricanes have been migrating away from the tropics and further afield in recent decades.