Christian Science Monitor | Science

Gerbil, mouse astronauts perish on Russian spaceflight

After a month in orbit, Russia's Bios-M space biology craft touched down in Russia, with most of its crew dead as a result of technical malfunctions.

Moon explosion as humongous rock strikes lunar surface

Moon explosion: An explosion on the moon could be seen on Earth in March as a boulder-sized object smashed into the lunar surface at 56,000 miles per hour.

Kepler epitaph? Eight most intriguing finds of troubled telescope.

Kepler, the space telescope designed to help us find other Earth-like planets, is on the fritz. Scientists hope they will be able to fix it remotely, but if they can't, its brief, brilliant career could be over. Since it began operations in 2009, peering continuously at the same field of 145,000 stars in the constellations Cygnus and Lyra, it has found more than 2,700 planet-candidates. Here are eight of its most remarkable discoveries.

Moon hit by boulder-size meteoroid, causing 'explosion' visible from Earth (+video)

If you had been looking up at the moon at the right moment on March 17, you could have seen a one-second burst of heat caused by the impact of a large meteoroid.

Crazy ants vs. Fire ants: Who's winning? (+video)

Crazy ants are taking over areas once occupied by fire ants in the South. The sting of Crazy ants isn't as painful and migrate slowly. But Crazy ants multiply faster.

Why do planets farthest from sun have highest winds? Team closes in on answer

The planets beyond Mars exhibit the highest winds speeds of any other planets in the solar system. It's a puzzle, because less energy from the sun is available there to drive higher winds.

Blue crabs in Maine? Something fishy about global warming.

Warming oceans are changing the mix of species in the world's fisheries, according to a new study. Marine-ecosystem models have indicated that this could be an effect from global warming.

Charles Darwin wrong about coral reef formation?

Though deep drilling on reefs finally confirmed Darwin's model in 1953, the reality of reef-building may be more complex.

Kepler, a prolific hunter for other Earths, is suddenly in trouble (+video)

Kepler's quest for an Earth-like planet orbiting a sun-like star has been put on hold, NASA said, after the spacecraft sensed it was facing in the wrong direction and put itself in 'safe mode.'

Angelina Jolie's op-ed prompts strong reactions

Angelina Jolie revealed today that she has spent the past several months fighting her risk of breast cancer by undergoing a double mastectomy. Responses have been varied.

New salt study: We're still drowning in salt

New salt study: Despite warnings from the CDC, most producers of fast foods and processed foods didn't lower the salt content in their foods between 2005 and 2001, say researchers.

How Einstein's theory of special relativity helped find a new planet (+video)

To find the planet, astronomers used Einstein's theory as it pertains to the intensity of a beam of light. The method could add more exoplanets to a growing list, no 'wobble' or 'transit' required.

Chris Hadfield, space music video star, back on Earth

Chris Hadfield, the first Canadian to command the International Space Station, landed on Earth. But Chris Hadfield made a bigger splash with his music video.

Can your iPhone's digital footprints reveal your physical location?

Users of iPhones may be uniquely vulnerable to a new kind of cyberstalking that can reveal their real-life whereabouts, if they leave GPS and Wi-Fi activated.

'Space Oddity'? First rock video sung and shot in space wows David Bowie. (+video)

Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield performed and recorded the David Bowie classic 'Space Oddity' aboard the International Space Station, eliciting praise from Major Tom himself.

Ice wave comes ashore in Minnesota

Ice wave comes ashore: High winds on a Minnesota lake have pushed a wave of ice right into people's front yards.

NASA astronauts fix leak on International Space Station (+video)

Astronauts Thomas Marshburn and Christopher Cassidy conducted a spacewalk Saturday to fix an ammonia leak. They replaced a suspected faulty pump on the International Space Station.

Google Earth Engine unveils how Earth has altered

For the first time, the public can track back the environmental changes occurring on our planet's surface over time via Google Earth Engine.

Fish seeks mate: London Zoo seeking open-minded female cichlid

Officials at the London Zoo are desperately seeking a female mate for two male Mangarahara cichlids, two of the last known remaining members of their species.

78,000 to live on Mars: Have you signed up?

78,000 people have applied to live on Mars. Up to 3,000 will make the first cut, and the 28-40 finalists will spend seven years training before 4 finally get selected for a one-way trip to live on Mars.