Science News
Developers look to widen repertoire of Pepper, Japan's laughing robot
TOKYO Japanese developers of a robot are asking the public to come up with ideas for what their waist-high humanoid can do and they are offering a software development kit for programmers to get creative.
Skywatchers can see close, bright Mars looming large this month
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. Mars makes its closest approach to Earth in a decade this month, providing sky-watchers with a celestial show from dusk to dawn starting this week, NASA said on Thursday.
Dinosaur duo sported exotic spikes and horns
WASHINGTON Two newly discovered dinosaurs unearthed in the western U.S. states of Montana and Utah are illustrating the exotic appearance some of these beasts developed, with fanciful horns and spikes, toward the end of their reign on Earth.
German to take command of International Space Station in 2018
COLOGNE, Germany Astronaut Alexander Gerst will become the first German and only the second European to take command of the International Space Station, the European Space Agency said on Wednesday.
NASA fuel tank arrives at port ahead of trip through Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES A NASA fuel tank arrived at a port on Wednesday ahead of a planned mission this weekend to tow the giant apparatus through the streets of Los Angeles and display it with the space shuttle Endeavour at a science center.
Over a third of North American bird species in danger: scientists
OTTAWA More than a third of all North American bird species are at risk of becoming extinct unless significant action is taken, scientists who are part of a tri-nation initiative said on Wednesday, adding that ocean and tropical birds were in particular danger.
Livestock firm Genus ramps up R&D spend in gene editing race
LONDON British animal genetics firm Genus is diving deeper into the hot area of gene editing, in a move Chief Executive Karim Bitar says will bring long-term gains at the cost of a hefty hike in research spending.
Blazing meteor creates light show across New England sky
BOSTON A meteor lit up the night sky over New England and eastern Canada early on Tuesday, startling people who saw it including police officers who captured the show on a dashcam.
Genes tell how the giraffe got its long neck
LONDON Scientists have sequenced the genome of the giraffe for the first time, uncovering DNA quirks that help explain how the tallest animals on earth developed their remarkably long necks.
NASA launches near-space monitoring balloon from New Zealand
WELLINGTON NASA successfully launched a super pressure balloon from New Zealand's South Island Wanaka Airport Tuesday to conduct near-space scientific investigations. | Video
U.S. reports 279 Zika cases in pregnant women, Obama pushes Congress on funds
NEW YORK/WASHINGTON Health officials said 279 pregnant women in the United States and U.S. territories have tested positive for Zika infection, prompting a new call from President Barack Obama for more funding to fight the outbreak spreading through the Americas. | Video