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Science

Space

Why Total Solar Eclipses Are So Rare

August 17, 2017

A solar eclipse will cross the continental United States on August 21, from Salem, Oregon, to Charleston, South Carolina. Millions of people will witness the spectacular space event. They won’t show up just because solar eclipses are extremely beautiful. They…

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Space

How To Watch the Solar Eclipse

August 17, 2017

A total solar eclipse will cross the United States on August 21, 2017. In a total solar eclipse, the moon moves directly between the Earth and the sun. The moon completely blocks the sun and casts a shadow on Earth.…

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Animals

Bright Lights, Big Ideas

April 28, 2017

Researchers are looking to nature for innovative ideas. Imagine a world where everyday objects produce their own light. Glowing trees illuminate city streets. Crops gleam to signal that they need water or they are ready to be picked. Street signs…

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Environment

The Battle for Coral Reefs

April 14, 2017

Half of the world’s coral reefs have died in the last 30 years. The fight to save the remaining reefs just got more complicated. New research shows that even if people succeed in protecting reefs from pollution and overfishing, global…

Animals

The Future of Zoos

March 17, 2017

For a mother and kids at the Philadelphia Zoo, in Pennsylvania, it was a close encounter of the ferocious kind. Directly in front of them was a Siberian tiger. But the family did not panic. They laughed. The tiger was…

Places

No More Pests

February 24, 2017

New Zealand plans to get rid of rats, possums, and other mammals by 2050. The country hopes to save native birds from these invasive species. Rats are not many people’s favorite animal. But in most places, people have to learn…

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Animals

Earth's Cleaning Crew

October 28, 2016

Vultures play an important role in ecosystems. With vulture populations dropping fast, researchers are racing to save these strange birds. Vultures are often portrayed as scary creatures, circling above a wounded animal, waiting for its death—and their dinner. Their bald…

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Animals

Return of the Grizzlies

October 7, 2016

Thanks to government protections, grizzly bears have bounced back from near-extinction. But can they survive in the wild without help? Grizzly bears have all but disappeared from the continental United States (see map). But there’s one place where the top…

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Space

A Day on Mars

October 2, 2016

TIME’s space writer spent 24 hours inside a NASA base in Hawaii that copies conditions on the Red Planet. I encountered a lava tube at the end of a 10-minute walk from my Martian habitat. I had reached the top…

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The Human Body

Creative Memory Trick

May 6, 2016

The brain is easily the most complicated organ in your body and the nimblest computer that has ever existed. But no matter how powerful its operating system, its storage system stinks. Memory is imperfect. It depends on how rested we…