The big-bodied bees join the ranks of ants and termites, which have long been known to rely on a separate caste of 'soldiers' to defend the colony.

Check out this wonderfully strange music about the Bagger 288, one of the largest mining excavators in the world.

Massey Energy kept two sets of safety log books at their Big Branch Mine in West Virginia, where 29 miners died after an explosion last year— one for the fede

Just in time for the conservationist president's birthday, the U.S. unveils a plan to freeze uranium mining near one of his favorite places: the Grand Canyon.

Buried deep in your cellphone, laptop, and flat-screen television are a bevy of obscure elements that make our modern lives possible.

Coal mines are destroying the life that its miners have come to know through pollution and job loss.

Worth more than $1 million, this gemstone is distinguished for its rich color palette and light-refracting qualities that defy description.

From coffee grounds to flushable wipes, avoid these no-nos when rinsing and flushing.

Dubbed the "Jacuzzi of Despair," this lake on the ocean floor is made of heavy water rich with toxins.

Radium, a naturally-occurring radioactive element that's also a known carcinogen, can be found in water systems across the U.S.

NASA astronaut Steven Nagel, who flew four space shuttle missions, died Thursday, Aug. 21. He was 67.

Punta Gorda, a sleepy Gulf Coast getaway north of Fort Myers, shines bright as Babcock Ranch, a solar-powered eco-town, attracts its first residents.

The NOAA suspects the infectious morbillivirus is responsible for the unusually high number of dolphin strandings and deaths this month.

From increasing flexibility to easing stress, yoga has so many health benefits.

Beautiful solar system map by Eleanor Lutz shows the orbits of more than 18,000 celestial objects.

The red brittle star appears to use its color-changing powers for vision.

Your social network predicts your health and wellness more than your fitness tracker, study finds.

These half-dozen exercises will help you shed pounds if obesity is in your genes.

Valley fever, or coccidioidomycosis, is a potentially deadly fungal infection that has been called California's "silent epidemic."

A new report from the American Lung Association finds that nearly 148 million Americans breathe unhealthy air.

It's a breakthrough that scientists around the world have been pursuing for years.

Take the quiz to win 4 tickets and VIP access to one of the band's end-of-the-year shows in Atlanta.

Spliced from thousands of screenshots of the planets, NASA has created a new video of Mercury that shows off the planet's diversity in terrain.

There are many reasons to cast your eyes skyward this month.

This April and May, see Mars shine, look out for meteor showers, marvel at Saturn's rings and keep your eyes peeled for a total lunar eclipse.

Want to delve inside someone's subconscious? Graphology might hold a key.

A study from the Civil Society Institute reveals that party lines divide many people's feelings about global warming, energy independence and green jobs. Here a

Here's a good list of items not to put in your garbage disposal, and a bonus list of 3 to be cautious about.

RGB-type LED bulbs like the Philips Hue give you a lot of control and they're a lot of fun, too.

Experts aren't sure why so many Canadian lynx are turning up in Thunder Bay.

Carefully managed fire is used as a tool to protect wildlands from invasive plants and other threats.

Hundreds of hikers battle altitude sickness and frostbite as they wait in line to summit Mount Everest.

These chips delicious and include a bevy of healthy ingredients too!

Websites that end with .organic will go through a verification process before they can go live.

What is Lyme disease? Here's where you are more likely to get it and the symptoms to look for if you're concerned.

Hearing aids and cataract surgery can slow mental decline, say new studies.

The chlorine originates in sea salt and may have a role in climate change.

Despite the 'D' word, a new survey finds that Americans are still smitten with lush residential landscapes.

The now-permanent rules are just common sense, really.

This huge wetland ecosystem is running out of freshwater, and conservation efforts may not be moving fast enough.

Spongy water harvester prototype that uses only sunlight was tested successfully in the Arizona desert.

'If you see me, weep,' reads one of these so-called 'hunger stones.'

The books on the Library of Babel's digital shelves contain vast amounts of knowledge, but you'll have a hard time finding it.

The analog DNA circuit can perform addition, subtraction and multiplication.

The breakthrough will allow for stunning time lapses that reveal the behavior of electrons.

The omnipresence of algorithms raises interesting questions about day-to-day human experience.

Just Not Sorry app helps women (and men) stop undermining their email messages with qualifiers and apologies.

Computers can't solve this chess problem. Can you?

Solving secret codes hidden within video games could soon spill over into real life mysteries.

Context is key, and it's something computers and search engines like Google just don't have yet.