TIME.com: Top Science and Health Stories

Falcon's Liftoff: How a Private Firm Could Change Space Exploration

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

Can a privately run space company step in where NASA left off by offering cheap cargo flights to the International Space Station -- and eventually taking tourists to space?

Feeding the Planet Without Destroying It

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

The act of feeding 7 billion plus human beings already puts more stress on the planet than any other single activity, so we're going to need to figure out a way to produce more food without further damaging the environment

NASA Renovates Its Biggest, Baddest House

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

The massive vehicle assembly building gets a much-needed makeover

Vesta Asteroid: New Findings from Planet-Like Body

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

New findings from the Dawn spacecraft reveal the complexity -- and the beauty -- of the Asteroid Vesta

Can We Really Be Alone in the Universe?

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

Are we alone in the Universe? According to TIME senior science editor, Jeffrey Kluger, recent discoveries suggest we're not.

Oldest Known Mayan Astronomical Calendar Stuns Scientists

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

A 1,200-year-old-find provides more insight into some of the greatest astronomers who ever lived

Solar System Not Quite the Speedster It Was Thought to Be

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

The sun and the planets move through space slower than was once thought -- and that changes everything

How Small-Size Satellites Could Find Earthlike Exoplanets

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

A team of MIT geeks with some 10.6-cm satellites could be the next exoplanet pioneers

Extended Breast-Feeding: Is It More Common than We Think?

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

Why I (quietly) nursed my three kids well past their first birthdays and why this doesn't automatically mean I believe in attachment parenting

How Nuclear Power Slowdown Will Affect the Climate

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

As Japan and Germany shut down the nukes, how big a hit will the climate take?

Dinosaur-Extinction Mystery: The Asteroid Didn't Act Alone

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

A new study reveals that some of the most beloved dinosaurs may have been on the way out before the mass extinction

ExxonMobil: New Book Reveals the Oil Firm's Inner Workings

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

A chilling new book reveals how the oil giant has become less corporation and more nation-state

Dark-Matter Theory Questioned by Astronomers' New Findings

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

New studies conducted in the neighborhood of the sun cast doubt on the existence of dark matter

Space Shuttle Discovery Buzzes New York City on Way to Intrepid

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

It should be impossible to fly a space shuttle on the back of a 747 -- yet they've been doing it for 30 years

Mystery jets in Saturn's rings

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

Ever since Galileo first spotted the rings in 1610 -- and mistook them either for Saturnian jug ears or a pair of moons -- astronomers have been trying to take their measure and understand their structure.

James Cameron Mining Asteroids: Is It Possible?

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

A new plan to harvest riches from space has an obstacle or two to overcome

Cutting Carbon's Dirty Secret: Relocating Pollution

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

Countries like the U.S. may be reducing their greenhouse emissions, but often they're just shipping the problem offshore

The Space Station Sends Back Dazzling Home Movies -- of Us

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

A time-lapse video from the International Space Station provides further proof that we live on what might be the coolest planet of all

Hubble's Anniversary Image Reveals Stars' Birthplace

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

After 22 years in orbit, the Hubble Space telescope is still hard at work

Are Killer Storms Being Fueled by Climate Change?

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

An outbreak of 100 tornadoes raises alarms -- and questions

Demolition Derby for Comets

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

A crystalline ring around around a young star tells a tale of cosmic crack-ups

Planets Paint Rings Around Stars

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

A new study of stellar rings reveals a new way to detect exoplants

North Korea's Space Threat: It's Scarier Than You Think

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

A planned satellite launch means Pyongyang has more missile muscle than we knew

Natural-Gas Spill: How Bad Is Methane for the Environment?

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

It may not seem as bad as a massive oil spill, but natural-gas leaks can do serious damage to the environment

NASA: Funding for the Kepler Space Telescope Extended

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

NASA gets more money and Kepler dodges a budget bullet

When Spiral Galaxies Collide: The Death of NGC 3801

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

A massive collision of two vibrant young galaxies turned them onto a single, feeble geezer

Did the BP Oil Spill Have to Happen to BP?

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

If the accident wasn't exactly inevitable, it might have been only a matter of time

Why FDA Declines to Ban BPA

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

The FDA declines to ban a troubling and ubiquitous chemical, but research goes on

NASA's Spacecraft Captures a Massive Solar Tornado on Film

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

The first ever movie of a massive solar tornado could help scientists predict dangerous solar flares

'Super-Earths' in M-Dwarf Survey: Life on Other Planets?

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

A new survey reveals a possible swarm of living worlds around M-dwarf stars

Did Amazon's Bezos Find Apollo Engines on Atlantic Floor?

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

A discovery on the floor of the Atlantic may -- or may not -- be a treasured artifact

Superslow spacecraft visits Vesta

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

Visiting a very old asteroid requires very new technology, and ion propulsion is it.

Toward a Drug-Free Burger: Ruling May Curb Antibiotics in Meat

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

A recent ruling on the use of antibiotics in U.S. meat production challenges Big Agriculture. That's a good thing

Runaway Planets Zoom Through the Milky Way -- and Beyond

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

A new paper describes some of the most unusual objects in the Milky Way

NASA's Cassini Space Probe Finds New Saturnian Ocean

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

The Cassini space probe discovers a surprising feature on Saturn's most enchanting moon

Inside America's Drug Shortage: Scrambling for a Solution

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

The second in a two-part series investigating why critical drugs, including potentially life-saving cancer therapies, are in short supply in the U.S.

Mercury Is Alive: Activity Found on Iron Planet

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

New measurements by the Messenger space probe find surprising activity inside what should be a dead world.

Astronomers Use Earthshine to Seek Life on Earth, in Space

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

A new technique uses earthshine and the moon to show astronomers how to look for life

Despite GOP Claims, High Gas Prices Are Not Obama's Fault

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

President Obama is not responsible for the current numbers at the pump -- no matter what gets shouted on the campaign trail

NASA in Court over Intelligent Design

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

A fired NASA employee alleges religious discrimination

With Gas Prices Rising, Should President Obama Tap the Strategic Petroleum Reserve?

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

Barack Obama likes to say that as President of the United States, he doesn't "bluff" when it comes to foreign policy. But when it comes to energy, it looks like Obama might be willing to try the occasional fake out

How BP-Spill Settlement Money May Save the Gulf Coast

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

Settlements and fines from the 2010 oil spill can mean billions for restoration

Can Galactic Collision Solve the Dark-Matter Mystery?

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

A collision among multiple galaxies yields more questions than answers about the nature of dark matter

Robonaut: Celebrating NASA's First Humanoid Robot in Space

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

A year ago, R2 became the first humanoid space robot when it blasted off for the International Space Station

Higgs Boson: Found at Last?

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

New findings may confirm the existence of the particle that gives all matter its mass

The Moon Helped Sink the 'Titanic,' a New Theory Says

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

High tides, a cosmic alignment and a lot of ice may have combined in deadly ways

Why 'The Lorax' Shouldn't Be Tied In to SUVs

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

A Dr. Seuss classic that pulses with a distrust of materialism -- the very drive that causes the death of the Truffula trees -- has been turned into a vehicle for selling just about anything the studio could find a buyer for

Hacking into the space station

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

A new report on cybersecurity raises serious alarms for NASA

Why apes don't rule the planet

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

Of all of Humanity's greatest gifts, it's the sharing of knowledge that's the most underrated

Extraterrestrials: Crowdsourcing the Search

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

A new website crowdsources the search for intelligent signals from space

How a 'Starshade' Can Help a Space Telescope Find E.T.

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

Stars do a devilishly good job of hiding the planets that circle them, but there's a clever way to flush them out

A Climate Warrior Puts It All on the Line -- Including His Life

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

A new book by Michael Mann describes the condemnation, smears and, yes, death threats he has endured

Why Obama's 'All of the Above' Energy Policy Won't Ease Pain at the Pump

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

America still remains the world's biggest net importer of crude oil, largely because we consume more than 20% of the global supply

Little Neptune: Scientists Confirm a 'Water-World' Planet

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

Some imaginative astronomical sleuthing turns up one of the weirdest planets yet

Understanding Lent and the Science of Self-Denial

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

The hidden health benefits of religious rituals that require willpower

Face-Recognizing Billboard Shows Ad to Women Only

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

Sporting a Y chromosome? A new high-tech, outdoor billboard being tested in London won't let you see its advertisement.

Red Planet Rumblings: New Signs of a Recent Marsquake

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

Seismic actvity on Mars could mean underground water -- which could mean life

The Heartland Scandal: Why Cheating Hurts Climate Science

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

A scandal erupts after inside memos belonging to a climate-skeptic group are obtained via fraud by a noted scientist

John Glenn and His Historic Spaceflight -- 50 Years Later

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

Why a very short spaceflight still matters today

Supernova Blast: Giant Star Eta Carinae to Explode Any Day

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

A distance of 7,500 light-years away, the unstable star Eta Carinae appears set to blow. It could happen today -- or in a thousand years

Europe's Freeze: Why Climate Change Is Not Fully to Blame

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

How can the continental U.S. and Europe be experiencing such radically different winters?

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope Survives Funding Battle

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

The Webb telescope could revolutionize what we know about the cosmos -- and at $6.2 billion, it better

'The City Dark' Review: How City Lights Snuff Out Stars

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

A documentary titled The City Dark shows how the nighttime sky is vanishing fast, erased by round-the-clock artificial lighting

Why Energy Efficiency Isn't All It's Cracked Up to Be

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:10:00 EST

If you use more as you pay less, the planet keeps getting hotter