WSJ.com: Science Journal

Tracing the Origins of Human Empathy

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:37:25 EDT

A pioneer in primate studies has gathered ample evidence that our ability to identify with another's distress has deep roots in our origins.

New York Prepares for Era of High Seas

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 12:10:43 EDT

Scientists are discovering local variations in rising sea levels -- and the signs all point to higher seas around New York.

Data Deluge Swamps Science Historians

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 09:01:10 EDT

Usually, historians are hard-pressed to find source material about those who have shaped civilization. In the Internet era, scholars might have too much.

Creative Destruction on a Cosmic Scale

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 21:41:56 EDT

In a paradox of creation, new evidence suggests that avalanches of cosmic debris may have fostered life on Earth, not annihilated it.

As Art Ages, So Do Skills to Preserve It

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 05:54:22 EDT

At the Getty, researchers restoring the masterwork "Madonna and Child" are turning a dying craft into material science.

For Mars Rover, Roadside Assistance

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 22:03:23 EDT

Engineers are testing ways to extricate NASA's $300 million robot rover, Spirit, from a sand trap on Mars by remote control.

Primal Find Sings of Music's Mystery

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 18:36:43 EDT

An ancient instrument is rekindling speculation that melody, which powerfully affects the brain, was a prelude to speech.

A Wandering Mind Heads Toward Insight

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 09:24:55 EDT

Researchers map the anatomy of the brain's breakthrough moments and reveal the payoff of daydreaming.

Origami at the Molecular Level

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 10:25:11 EDT

In an effort to make assembly lines of the future, researchers are folding DNA into complex shapes that can copy themselves.

Heady Theories on Contours of Einstein's Genius

Tue, 26 May 2009 23:42:33 EDT

Seeking signs of genius, a researcher recently reconstructed the shape of Albert Einstein's brain. This mold of thought, she says, reveals the imprint of a rare intelligence.

Extraterrestrial Seekers Get Big Backing

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 13:45:56 EDT

Radio astronomer Jill Tarter's cause -- the search for extraterrestrial intelligence -- has been embraced by a geek-chic collective of technocrats and wishful thinkers.

The Biology of Ideology

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 10:19:00 EDT

Researchers have found tantalizing hints that our voting practices can be traced to a political psyche shaped by genetic traits.

The Making of the First Star

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 13:12:00 EDT

Through a computer experiment, Japanese and U.S. cosmologists for the first time reliably replicated the recipe for the first star -- filling a crucial gap in the scientific narrative of creation.