Additional Reading

Graphic Organizers

 Help students practice and demonstrate their reading comprehension by organizing information as they read.

Debates

 Support students as they practice scientific argumentation, listening, and speaking skills.

Science Videos

 Take students on virtual field trips or show them complex science processes in action.

Science in the News
Tips

Multilevel Science News Articles for Kids

Science in the News engages your students in the ever-changing world of science. Each issue features compelling news articles for kids written at three reading levels to allow for differentiated instruction. Science in the News provides opportunities to teach critical thinking, inquiry, and the genre-specific, life-long literacy skill of reading the news.

Articles address current events in multiple areas of science, as well as technology and engineering. Activities in each issue ask students to respond to the reading and to demonstrate what they learned.

Past editions from the Science in the News archive provide additional reading resources for whole-group instruction or independent practice.

Current Issue FREE

A dolphin swims on its side along the sea floor. It rubs its body against a bushy patch of coral.

Dolphins Get Cures from Coral Slime

Includes:
  • Dolphins Get Cures from Coral Slime

Past Issues

Show Me Only

Life

3D Printing: The Future of Food?

Includes:
  • Six Fingers Perform Better than Five
  • Water Bears on the Moon!
  • Small Bacteria, Big Discovery

A Look Back: Top Science Headlines of 2012

The past year was an exciting one for science! This special six-page edition contains some of the most important and interesting science stories of 2012, such as the successful landing of the Curiosity rover on Mars; the discovery of Higgs boson particles; melting Arctic sea ice; and several new species.
Front cover shows huge drawings of a lizard and a tree carved into the ground.

AI Finds Shapes in the Desert

Includes:
  • AI Finds Ancient Desert Art
  • Moths Listen as Plants "Speak"

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Wood Gains a Place in Space

All Aboard the World's Fastest Trains

Includes:
  • Tooth Troubles? Check Your Jaw
  • New Flower Is True Blue
  • 3-2-1 Liftoff! Weightless for a Day

Australia's Wildfires Harm Animals and Their Habitats

Includes:
  • Famous Waterfall Reduced by Drought
  • Can a Toilet Clean Itself?
  • Inflatable Space Lodge to Orbit the Moon
  • How Blind People "See" Sound

Bird Poop Keeps Arctic Cool

Includes:
  • Record-Breaking Female Astronaut Going Strong
  • Rats Are Ticklish, Too!
  • Smart Earpiece Translates Languages

Blowing Bubbles Is No Trouble

Includes:
  • Veggie-Eating Spiders
  • The Buzz on the Best Anti-Bug Bulb
  • Doctor's Advice: A Hand Sandwich

Cats to Insects: Bug Off!

Includes:
  • How Do Dogs See the World?
  • Windows Made of Wood!
  • Volcano Erupts Again
  • A Very Old Snack Bar

Cheetahs: Built for Speed and Agility, Doughnuts in Space, A Better Bandage, and Citizen Science

The cheetah is the fastest land animal on Earth. But it turns out that their ability to change speed and direction in a flash may be more important to hunting than their speed. In other news, the Hubble Space Telescope reveals the Ring Nebula's true shape; copper bandages can prevent infection; and citizen science projects allow everyone to participate in learning about our world.

Coral Gardening Helps Reefs Grow Back

Includes:
  • Sweet News: Less Sugar = Better Health in Two Weeks
  • No More Ouch with New Vaccine Patch
  • Bee "Hotels" Help Pollinators

COVID-19 Vaccines Roll Out

Includes:
  • A Telescope to Remember
  • Dung Helps Honeybees
  • Caves Hold Clues to the Past

COVID-19: What You Need to Know to Stay Safe

Includes:
  • Unsinkable Metal!
  • Giant Fighting Turtles

Crocs and Gators Climb Trees and Use Tools, 3-D Printing Helps Animals, Martian Mystery Solved, and Get Involved in Earth Day

Tool use is considered a mark of intelligence. Crocodiles and alligators have joined the ranks of animals that demonstrate this special ability. They place sticks on their head to lure birds close to their mouth. As another sign of intelligence, crocs and gators can climb trees to spot prey and bask in the sun. In other news, 3-D printing technology is helping injured animals; the mystery of the martian "doughnut" rock was solved; and April 22 is Earth day. Get involved!

Cute Machine Cleans Up

Includes:
  • So Much Stuff!
  • A Hidden Continent
  • Warm Flowers for Cold Bees

Dark Lightning, Moving Continents, Hungry Plants, and Zero-Fuel Airplane

Scientists recently discovered that storm clouds can produce gamma radiation alongside bright lightning. We can't see or feel this dark lightning, but exposure to it could cause health problems. In other news, there is new evidence of Earth's continents being on the move; carnivorous plants detect their next meal by way of chemical signals; and Solar Impulse completes its record-breaking flight across the U.S.

Dig Finds Unknown Egyptian Queen

Includes:
  • Two Volcanoes Erupt in Hawaii
  • Can a Spiderweb Hold a Bird?
  • Orion Capsule Returns Safely to Earth
Front cover shows a dolphin sticking its head out of the water. It looks like it’s laughing.

Do Dolphins Use Smell to Communicate?

Includes:
  • Dolphins Pee Into the Sky
  • Dilly Dally: A Turtle's Tale

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Are Bananas the Key to Better Sunscreen?

Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett and the Moderna Vaccine

Includes:
  • Mining Metals from Plants
  • Can Drones Control Pests?
  • How Chemistry Helped Violins

Earthquake App to Protect L.A.

Includes:
  • Solving the Mystery of Hagfish Slime
  • Off-Road Adventure for All
  • New Plant Cleans Indoor Air

Front cover shows two emperor penguins in different locations. One is standing on a sandy beach. The other is standing on snow.

Emperor Penguin Swims Far from Home

Includes:
  • A Penguin's Big Adventure
  • Harmony Under the Sea?

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Speed + Height = Amazing Skateboarding

Finding Lost Giants

Includes:
  • Transformer Tires!
  • Monkeys Chill in Hot Springs
  • TV at Your Fingertips

Fish Drive Cars for Science!

Includes:
  • The Science of a Finger Snap
  • DNA Evidence Saves Problem Bear
  • Reusable Jelly Ice Cubes

Fist Bumps Spread Fewer Germs, Tracking Animals from Space, NASA's New Space Suit, and Mysterious Craters Spark Theories

From keyboards to doorknobs to phones, our hands are in constant contact with the world around us, which transfers bacteria and viruses to and from our hands. New research shows that fist-bumping spreads fewer germs than handshakes and may be the healthier way to say hello. In other news, satellite cameras are now powerful enough to photograph animals from space; NASA has created a new space suit that is both functional and fashionable; and mysterious craters in Russia were most likely caused by methane gas exploding from the ground.

FlipperBot, Breath Prints, Don't Let the Bedbugs Bite, and Lighter Than Air

A robot inspired by sea turtles is helping scientists learn how animals with flippers move so efficiently on sand. In other news, breath prints are as unique as fingerprints; a model leaf may help catch bedbugs before they bite; and ultra-light carbon aerogel may be useful for cleaning up oil spills.

BONUS VIDEO: Show students FlipperBot in action with this exciting video!

Flying Cars on the Horizon

Includes:
  • Meet the World's Largest Bee
  • Curbing Mosquitoes' Thirst for Blood
  • How to Make a Rubber Band Fly

Flying Like Iron Man

Includes:
  • Spiders Use Electricity to Take Off
  • Liquid Water on Mars!
  • Deep Divers Have a Special Spleen

Fossils Tell Story of Dino-Killing Asteroid

Includes:
  • Cloudy with a Chance of Solar Flares
  • Fish Robot Powered by Fake Blood
  • Watermelon Was on Ancient Egyptians' Menu

Giant Tortoise Is Not Extinct!

Includes:
  • Sponges Sneeze, Too!
  • Astronauts Plan to Go Back to the Moon
  • NASA Reveals Spooky Astronomy Sounds

Global Climate Meeting Makes History

Includes:
  • Bees Use Their Heads to Get Pollen
  • Solving a Sticky Situation
  • Giving Mountain Goats a Lift

Glow-in-the-Dark Animals

Includes:
  • Use Your Spoon—and Eat It, Too!
  • A Moon for Makemake
  • Doodle On! Drawing Helps Memory

Go or No-Go? Self-Driving Cars

Includes:
  • Dinosaur Tail Found in Amber
  • Horses Ask for Help
  • Rhode Island Wind Farm Is a First

Grizzly Bears May be Reintroduced into Historic Range, Fit Kids Have More Brainpower, High-Tech Umbrella Measures Rain, and Supernova Leaves Behind Zombie Star

Grizzly bears once roamed much of the western United States. Now, these big, brown bears live only in small parts of just four of the lower 48 states. A conservation group wants to change this by reintroducing grizzlies into suitable habitat in several western states. In other news, exercise strengthens the brain by improving memory and concentration; a new high-tech umbrella sensor allows citizen scientists to measure rainfall; and a weak supernova leaves behind a zombie star that appears to rise from the dead.

Handedness in Marsupials, Mind-Controlled Headphones, Baby Planet, and Tadpole Tails

People and other primates show handedness but animals that crawl also have a preference for one paw over the other! In other news, high-tech headphones select songs based on your mood, astronomers spy a still-developing baby planet, and stress causes tadpoles to grow bigger tails.

Huge Floods Hit Yellowstone National Park

Includes:
  • Siblings Fight Plastic Pollution
  • Dolphins Use Coral Reef as Medicine Cabinet
  • Scientists Play with 3D-Printed Foods
Front cover shows a large spider in its web. The spider is bright yellow, black, and red.

Jorō Spiders on the Move

Includes:
  • Jorō Spiders Fly Through the Sky
  • Yellowstone Hot Spring Explodes!

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Do Elephants Have Names?

Jumping Spiders Surprise Scientists

Includes:
  • COVID Virus Changes into New Forms
  • Beavers Build Better Deserts
  • Make Your Own Microscope with LEGOs!

Juno is a Go!

Includes:
  • Watermelon Snow is No Picnic
  • Snout Jelly Helps Sharks Find Prey
  • It's True...There's a New Blue!

Kangaroos Make Earth-Friendly Gas, A World-Class Soccer Ball Takes the Field, Plant Reflects Sound to Attract Bats, Fluid Recycling on Trip to Mars, and Gigantic Dino Discovered

Large grazing animals, such as cattle, produce and release large amounts of methane gas as part of the digestive process. Methane is a greenhouse gas that causes climate change. Interestingly, the Australian version of a large grazing animal--the kangaroo--produces very little methane. The kangaroo's Earth-friendly gas may help scientists make "greener" cows! In other news, the new World Cup soccer ball gets put to the test; satellite-dish shaped leaves help a plant attract bats; trips to Mars are made possible by recycling urine; and the largest known species of dinosaur has recently been discovered in Argentina.

Enjoy this special six-page summer edition!

Killer Fungus Threatens World Banana Crop

Includes:
  • Conserving Water with Shade Balls
  • Astronauts Eat Their Veggies!
  • Classic Campfire Is Still the Best

Koala Crossing Ahead!

Includes:
  • Hunt for Helium Pays Off
  • Don't Eat the Cookie Dough!
  • Why People Love Pokémon GO

Lobster Rings, Poisonous Primates, Water on Mercury, Peel-and-Stick Solar Panels

Similar to tree rings, scientists have discovered growth rings in lobsters that reveal their age. In other news, a newly discovered species of Loris uses poison for defense; ice was found on blistering-hot Mercury; and peel-and-stick solar panels will offer an easy, new way to power cell phones and other devices.

Mini-Habitats on Ocean Trash, a Super Suit, Dolphins Remember Names, and Ice-Covered Canyon Discovered

Tons of plastic trash is building up in Earth's oceans. Tiny microorganisms are taking advantage of this plastic by turning it into a new, unique habitat dubbed the plastisphere. In other news, the newly invented exosuit makes muscles stronger; dolphins can recognize the whistles of their old friends even after 20 years; and a grand canyon was found hiding under the ice in Greenland.

BONUS VIDEO: Show students a 3-D view of Greenland's hidden canyon with this fun animation!

New Telescope Looks Way Back in Time and Space

Includes:
  • Space Inventions Help on Earth
  • When Bees Go to Bed, Moths Go to Work
  • Tower Uses Sunlight to Make Jet Fuel

New Uses for Robots and Drones, Bacteria Candy Helps Teeth, Bad Breath Scares Spiders, and Spacewalkers Repair Space Station

While they may seem like something from the future, robots and drones are becoming part of everyday life. From robots herding cattle to drones delivering pizza, new technology is making life easier for people. Some robots may even help save lives! In other news, a candy made of bacteria may prevent tooth decay; caterpillars with bad breath scare away hungry predators; and brave astronauts on the International Space Station donned spacesuits to make repairs.
Front cover shows a gray wolf wading into water. The rippled water reflects a picture of the wolf, like a mirror.

Now Wolves Are Using Tools?

Includes:
  • Clever Wolf Learns New Tricks
  • Thousands of Spiders Share Giant Web

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Moss Survives in Space

Owlets Sleep Like Babies, The Sun is Flipping Out, Smart Glass Makes Instant Shade, and Sleepy People Eat More Junk Food

People aren't the only animals that have REM sleep. Barn owls also have REM sleep and, as with people, the babies spend more time in REM sleep than adults do. In other news, the Sun is in the middle of a solar maximum and its magnetic poles are reversing; smart glass can control the amount of light and heat coming through windows; and sleepy people favor junk food over healthy foods.

Penguin Supercolony!

Includes:
  • Volcano Erupts in Hawaii!
  • Fossil Found in Mississippi Mud
  • Hot-Pepper Headaches
  • A Whale of a Rainbow

People Toss Pufflings Into the Sea

Includes:
  • Ice Bucket Challenge Leads to New ALS Medicine
  • DART Changes Asteroid's Orbit
  • Malaria Vaccine Offers New Hope
Front cover shows a fuzzy bee finding nectar inside a purple crocus bloom. Yellow pollen sticks to its body.

Plants Get Good Vibes from Their Pollinators

Includes:
  • Pollinators Only, Please
  • Some AI Voices Sound Identical to Human Voices

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • T. rex Took a Long Time to Grow Up

Punching an Asteroid for Science!

Includes:
  • It's Easy Being Green!
  • Scientists Discover "Skyscraper Reef"
  • The Coolest Paint Around

Racetrack Rocks Caught on the Move, Sharpshooting Fish Hits the Mark, Dandelion Weed Fills a Need, and What's That? Plants Listen for Danger

Racetrack Playa in Death Valley got its name from long tracks left behind by rocks, some as big as boulders, that inexplicably move across the valley floor. This decades-old mystery was solved by scientists who caught the rocks in action. In other news, archerfish spit super accurate water jets to capture prey; rubber from dandelion roots will soon be used to make tires; and plants that hear the chewing of hungry caterpillars produce a chemical that keeps the herbivores from eating so much.
Front cover shows Jane Goodall and a chimp facing each other. They tip back their heads and open their mouths wide as if calling together.

Remembering Chimp Champ Jane Goodall

Includes:
  • Pioneering Scientist Jane Goodall Dies
  • How Do Frogs "Ribbit" So Loudly?

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • 99 Million Years of Zombies!

Saving the World's Largest Trees from Fires

Includes:
  • Playing Outdoors Helps with Health
  • Oldest Human Footprints in the Americas!
  • Tiny Flying Machines
Front cover shows a flower with a line down the middle. The petals look yellow on one side and pink on the other side.

Scientists Create

Includes:
  • Japan Joins Moon Landing Club
  • Strong Quake Lifts Japanese Coast
  • Trillions of Cicadas Prepare to Sing Together
  • Researchers Clean Up Laundry Pollution

Scientists Discover 'Scissors' for Genes

Includes:
  • The Science of Wildfires
  • A Dog's Nose Knows
  • A New Kind of Plane

Front cover shows an animal that looks like it has bright green leaves all over its body.

Sea Slug with a Superpower

Includes:
  • Tiny Animal Takes Power from Algae
  • Spring Brings Showers . . . of Meteors!

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Teen Inventor's Vision for the Future
Front cover shows a child wearing a VR headset to play a game.

Sick Faces Fire Up the Immune System

Includes:
  • Immunity at First Sight
  • Ancient Tattoos Found on Ice Mummy

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Can Backyard Soil Help Save Lives?

Soot and Global Warming, Wrinkled Fingers, Super Slime, and Cardboard Helmets

Controlling carbon dioxide emissions has proven to be difficult, but reducing the emission of soot could be a quicker, easier way to slow global warming. In other news, prune-like fingers that appear after a long swim may be a beneficial adaptation; thread made from hagfish slime is super strong; and cardboard bicycle helmets are the newest development in protective head gear.

SpaceX Sends Astronauts into Space

Includes:
  • COVID-19—Back to School
  • NASA Honors Mary W. Jackson

Spiders Follow Their Rivals

Includes:
  • Whispering Whales
  • HouseZero: Energy Hero
  • Solar Sail Rides on Sunlight

Stonehenge: What Was the Source of the Stones?

Includes:
  • Lizards Hang On During Hurricanes
  • Turning Used COVID-19 Masks into Fuel?
Short, green, leafy plants grow in rocky soil. The sky above is blue.

Stressed Plants Scream It Out

Includes:
  • Female Hunters Get the Job Done
  • Music Fans Shake Stadium
  • Oyster Shells Make a Difference
  • Early Mammal Hunts Big Dinner

Student Invents New Sandbag, Whale Earwax Indicates Ocean Pollution, and Gears Help Insect Jump

Flooding causes severe damage to buildings and can be deadly. A clever 6th-grade student invented a new kind of sandbag to protect people and their houses. This sandbag is lightweight and, when wet, forms a waterproof barrier. In other news, whale earwax collects samples of seawater, providing a record of the ocean pollution the whale encounters. Working gears on some insects help them jump to great heights!
Front cover shows a group of pink flamingos flying through the sky. Each bird flaps its wings and stretches its long neck forward.

Surprise! Flamingos in the United States!

Includes:
  • A Face from the Past
  • Croc Communication
  • AI and Human Brain Team Up

Take a Bite Out of Plastic Waste

Includes:
  • Scientists Make Plants "Pass Out"
  • Making a Stronger Space Suit
  • Turning Off Lights Helps Baby Sea Turtles

Teaching Eggs to Sing, Rogue Planet, Magnets and Cancer, Pee Power

Scientists have observed that certain birds learn a song while they are still in their eggs. In other news, some rogue planets float freely around in outer space; magnets can help kill cancer cells; and high school students in Africa designed a very unconventional generator.
Front cover shows a student holding a science fair trophy.

Teen Scientist Wins Challenge

Includes:
  • Special Soap May Treat Skin Cancer
  • Science News Flashes
  • How Do Whales Sing?
  • Sea Turtles Break Records

The Race for a Vaccine

Includes:
  • Shark Has Tiny Teeth...on Its Eyes!
  • Mysterious Fossil = Giant Egg

The Science of Spicy Food

Includes:
  • Crab Eyes Inspire New Kind of Camera
  • Movement Breaks Help Brain and Body
  • Quiet Animals Surprise with Sounds
  • Blowhole Energy: The Wave of the Future?

The Science of Tornadoes

Includes:
  • Getting Tough on Lead
  • Feeding Florida's Manatees
  • Amazing Bacteria Gobble Up Electricity

Top Science Stories of 2013

This special 6-page edition covers some of the biggest science stories of 2013: Voyager 1 left the Solar System and is now traveling in the uncharted territory of interstellar space; scientists discovered several new and fascinating species of plants and animals; a 7.7 magnitude earthquake caused a new island to form off the coast of Pakistan; a meteor exploded over Russia; and the most powerful land-based telescope became operational in Chile.

BONUS VIDEO: In this exciting video, astronomers describe the evidence that proves Voyager 1 is in interstellar space.

Top Science Stories of 2014

Includes:
  • Ebola Outbreak
  • Comet Landing a Success!
  • New Species of 2014
  • Winning Science

Top Science Stories of 2015

Includes:
  • New Species Discovered in 2015
  • Record-Breaking Hurricane Was a Gentle Giant
  • Flowing Water on Mars
  • Pluto's Big Year
  • New Battery May Change How You Charge

Top Science Stories of 2016

Includes:
  • Happy Birthday to U.S. National Parks
  • Zika Virus Continues to Spread
  • Meet the New Species of 2016
  • Job Well Done, Rosetta
  • Five-Second Rule Ruled Out

Top Science Stories of 2017

Includes:
  • The Wrath of Hurricanes in 2017
  • Mexico Suffers Strong Quakes
  • Meet the New Species of 2017!
  • Large Iceberg Breaks Free

Top Science Stories of 2018

Includes:
  • Plastic: The Trash That Lasts
  • Student Invention Finds Microplastics
  • New Species of 2018!
  • Thank You, Stephen Hawking
  • These Scientists are Winners

Top Science Stories of 2019

Includes:
  • Happy Birthday to U.S. National Parks
  • Zika Virus Continues to Spread
  • Meet the New Species of 2016
  • Job Well Done, Rosetta
  • Five-Second Rule Ruled Out

Total Eclipse of the Sun!

Includes:
  • It's Knot That Simple
  • Early Birds Get the Better Breakfast
  • The Buzz on Pollinating Drones

BONUS VIDEO: In this video, scientists explain how the Earth, Moon, and Sun line up during a solar eclipse.

Tree Snakes Change Shape to Get Air, Ants Battle for Territory, Google Glass Tracks Disease, and Melting Permafrost Reveals Secrets

Snakes don't seem like natural flyers. They are skinny and wingless. However, paradise tree snakes can fly from tree to tree by spreading their ribs and flattening their bodies. This new shape is similar to that of an airplane wing and generates lift, keeping the snakes aloft. In other news, crazy ants are outcompeting fire ants for territory; doctors are using Google Glass to diagnose and track disease; and an ancient virus was discovered in melting permafrost.

Using Data to Up Your Game

Includes:
  • Whales Dive Deep on Two Heartbeats
  • Puerto Rico Rocked by Earthquakes
Front cover shows a child wearing a VR headset to play a game.

Virtual Reality Gets Tasty

Includes:
  • Scientists Make VR More Real
  • Scientist Studies Scaredy Cats

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Is Space Too Clean for Astronauts?

What a View! Four Planets Orbit a DIstant Star

Includes:
  • Later School Start = More Sleep
  • Arizona Desert Is "Cracking Up"
  • Hard-to-Comb Hair: It's in the Genes
Front cover shows a hedgehog moving through fallen leaves in a cemetery. Old gravestones and trees fill the background.

What Lives in a Cemetery?

Includes:
  • Cemetery Biodiversity
  • Megaflash Breaks World Record

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Potatoes and Tomatoes: Surprising Relatives

What Makes Lost Lake 'Vanish' Every Year?

Includes:
  • Whoosh! Salmon Catch a Lift
  • Spacecraft Gets a Wake-Up Call
  • Tracking a Great White Shark!
  • Zebrafish Produce Sunscreen
  • Turning Plastic Trash into Almost Anything

Enjoy this special six-page summer edition!

Wind Trees Generate Electricity

Includes:
  • Vampire Deer are Back
  • Spiders Can Help Monitor Pollution
  • Cloud Bacteria Have a Sweet Tooth

World's Most Powerful Rocket Takes Off!

Includes:
  • Drool Is Cool for Blowflies
  • Ant Medics to the Rescue!
  • Eco-Friendly Glitter

Front cover shows an all-brown baby giraffe standing with its spotted mother.

Zoo Welcomes Unique Giraffe

Includes:
  • Ancient Whale Tips the Scales
  • India Makes History on the Moon
  • Montana Youths Win Big
  • Question Mark in Space Sparks Questions

Earth & Space

3D Printing: The Future of Food?

Includes:
  • Six Fingers Perform Better than Five
  • Water Bears on the Moon!
  • Small Bacteria, Big Discovery

A Look Back: Top Science Headlines of 2012

The past year was an exciting one for science! This special six-page edition contains some of the most important and interesting science stories of 2012, such as the successful landing of the Curiosity rover on Mars; the discovery of Higgs boson particles; melting Arctic sea ice; and several new species.
Front cover shows a wide, deep crack in a brown dirt field. The crack stretches far into the distance.

A New Ocean in Africa?

Includes:
  • Laser Helps Control Lightning
  • Snakes Can Hear You Scream
  • Scientists Discover Ring Around Dwarf Planet
  • A New Spin on Earth's Core

Front cover shows huge drawings of a lizard and a tree carved into the ground.

AI Finds Shapes in the Desert

Includes:
  • AI Finds Ancient Desert Art
  • Moths Listen as Plants "Speak"

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Wood Gains a Place in Space
Front cover shows a spacecraft traveling through space and two astronauts entering the International Space Station.

Astronauts “Stuck” in Space

Includes:
  • Waiting for the Right Ride
  • Sea Lions Help Map the Ocean

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Giant Diamond Is a Handful

Australia's Wildfires Harm Animals and Their Habitats

Includes:
  • Famous Waterfall Reduced by Drought
  • Can a Toilet Clean Itself?
  • Inflatable Space Lodge to Orbit the Moon
  • How Blind People "See" Sound

Billions of Cicadas Are Back!

Includes:
  • Bike Sharing Is Caring
  • Trouble for the Hubble Telescope
  • Making Fuel from Water and Sunlight

Bird Poop Keeps Arctic Cool

Includes:
  • Record-Breaking Female Astronaut Going Strong
  • Rats Are Ticklish, Too!
  • Smart Earpiece Translates Languages

Black Hole Caught on Camera

Includes:
  • NASA Studies Twin Astronauts
  • Does Your Cat Know Its Name?
  • Green Products at Your Doorstep

Bricks from Mushrooms and Plastic?

Includes:
  • The First Helicopter on Mars!
  • Healthy Reefs Sound Good
  • Protecting the World's Smallest Reptile

Cats to Insects: Bug Off!

Includes:
  • How Do Dogs See the World?
  • Windows Made of Wood!
  • Volcano Erupts Again
  • A Very Old Snack Bar

Cheetahs: Built for Speed and Agility, Doughnuts in Space, A Better Bandage, and Citizen Science

The cheetah is the fastest land animal on Earth. But it turns out that their ability to change speed and direction in a flash may be more important to hunting than their speed. In other news, the Hubble Space Telescope reveals the Ring Nebula's true shape; copper bandages can prevent infection; and citizen science projects allow everyone to participate in learning about our world.

COVID-19 Vaccines Roll Out

Includes:
  • A Telescope to Remember
  • Dung Helps Honeybees
  • Caves Hold Clues to the Past

Crocs and Gators Climb Trees and Use Tools, 3-D Printing Helps Animals, Martian Mystery Solved, and Get Involved in Earth Day

Tool use is considered a mark of intelligence. Crocodiles and alligators have joined the ranks of animals that demonstrate this special ability. They place sticks on their head to lure birds close to their mouth. As another sign of intelligence, crocs and gators can climb trees to spot prey and bask in the sun. In other news, 3-D printing technology is helping injured animals; the mystery of the martian "doughnut" rock was solved; and April 22 is Earth day. Get involved!

Cute Machine Cleans Up

Includes:
  • So Much Stuff!
  • A Hidden Continent
  • Warm Flowers for Cold Bees

Dark Lightning, Moving Continents, Hungry Plants, and Zero-Fuel Airplane

Scientists recently discovered that storm clouds can produce gamma radiation alongside bright lightning. We can't see or feel this dark lightning, but exposure to it could cause health problems. In other news, there is new evidence of Earth's continents being on the move; carnivorous plants detect their next meal by way of chemical signals; and Solar Impulse completes its record-breaking flight across the U.S.

Dig Finds Unknown Egyptian Queen

Includes:
  • Two Volcanoes Erupt in Hawaii
  • Can a Spiderweb Hold a Bird?
  • Orion Capsule Returns Safely to Earth

Dogs Can 'Read' Your Face

Includes:
  • New Fabric Generates Electricity
  • Life May Exist on Saturn Moon
  • Eyelash Length is Just Right

Dung Beetles Follow the Stars, From Wolf to Dog, Long-Lasting Bubbles, and Watering Crops Can Change the Weather

African dung beetles use light from the Milky Way galaxy to navigate at night. In other news, a diet shift from meat to grains may have caused some wolves to evolve into domestic dogs, electricity can make bubbles last for hours, and irrigating farmland in California causes an increase in rainfall in nearby states.

Earthquake App to Protect L.A.

Includes:
  • Solving the Mystery of Hagfish Slime
  • Off-Road Adventure for All
  • New Plant Cleans Indoor Air

Finding Lost Giants

Includes:
  • Transformer Tires!
  • Monkeys Chill in Hot Springs
  • TV at Your Fingertips

Fist Bumps Spread Fewer Germs, Tracking Animals from Space, NASA's New Space Suit, and Mysterious Craters Spark Theories

From keyboards to doorknobs to phones, our hands are in constant contact with the world around us, which transfers bacteria and viruses to and from our hands. New research shows that fist-bumping spreads fewer germs than handshakes and may be the healthier way to say hello. In other news, satellite cameras are now powerful enough to photograph animals from space; NASA has created a new space suit that is both functional and fashionable; and mysterious craters in Russia were most likely caused by methane gas exploding from the ground.

Flamingo Balancing Act

Includes:
  • How Fidget Spinners Work
  • Early Artists Chose Caves with Echoes
  • Cassini's Grand Finale

Flying Like Iron Man

Includes:
  • Spiders Use Electricity to Take Off
  • Liquid Water on Mars!
  • Deep Divers Have a Special Spleen

Fossils Tell Story of Dino-Killing Asteroid

Includes:
  • Cloudy with a Chance of Solar Flares
  • Fish Robot Powered by Fake Blood
  • Watermelon Was on Ancient Egyptians' Menu

Front cover shows an alligator’s nose poking out of the ice in a frozen lake.

Frozen Alligator?! Don't Worry, It'll Thaw!

Includes:
  • Alligators Freeze and Thaw
  • Asteroids for Dinner?

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Hurricanes Pick Up Speed

Giant Tortoise Is Not Extinct!

Includes:
  • Sponges Sneeze, Too!
  • Astronauts Plan to Go Back to the Moon
  • NASA Reveals Spooky Astronomy Sounds

Global Climate Meeting Leads to New Agreements

Includes:
  • Scooping Up Ocean Garbage
  • Orbiting Without Astronauts
  • Mussels Make Waterproof Glue

Global Climate Meeting Makes History

Includes:
  • Bees Use Their Heads to Get Pollen
  • Solving a Sticky Situation
  • Giving Mountain Goats a Lift

Glow-in-the-Dark Animals

Includes:
  • Use Your Spoon—and Eat It, Too!
  • A Moon for Makemake
  • Doodle On! Drawing Helps Memory

Handedness in Marsupials, Mind-Controlled Headphones, Baby Planet, and Tadpole Tails

People and other primates show handedness but animals that crawl also have a preference for one paw over the other! In other news, high-tech headphones select songs based on your mood, astronomers spy a still-developing baby planet, and stress causes tadpoles to grow bigger tails.

Hello, Pluto!


SPECIAL PLUTO EDITION!

Includes:
  • New Horizons Reaches Pluto
  • Clyde Tombaugh
  • Meet the Moons!
  • Our Favorite Non-Planet

Huge Floods Hit Yellowstone National Park

Includes:
  • Siblings Fight Plastic Pollution
  • Dolphins Use Coral Reef as Medicine Cabinet
  • Scientists Play with 3D-Printed Foods
Front cover shows three scientists watching lava spray into the air above a volcano.

Iceland Rocked by Earthquakes and Volcano

Includes:
  • Glasses Help People "Hear"
  • Sea Stars Are Just Heads
  • Electric School Buses Park with Power

Kangaroos Make Earth-Friendly Gas, A World-Class Soccer Ball Takes the Field, Plant Reflects Sound to Attract Bats, Fluid Recycling on Trip to Mars, and Gigantic Dino Discovered

Large grazing animals, such as cattle, produce and release large amounts of methane gas as part of the digestive process. Methane is a greenhouse gas that causes climate change. Interestingly, the Australian version of a large grazing animal--the kangaroo--produces very little methane. The kangaroo's Earth-friendly gas may help scientists make "greener" cows! In other news, the new World Cup soccer ball gets put to the test; satellite-dish shaped leaves help a plant attract bats; trips to Mars are made possible by recycling urine; and the largest known species of dinosaur has recently been discovered in Argentina.

Enjoy this special six-page summer edition!

Lobster Rings, Poisonous Primates, Water on Mercury, Peel-and-Stick Solar Panels

Similar to tree rings, scientists have discovered growth rings in lobsters that reveal their age. In other news, a newly discovered species of Loris uses poison for defense; ice was found on blistering-hot Mercury; and peel-and-stick solar panels will offer an easy, new way to power cell phones and other devices.

Magnetic Helmets to the Rescue

Includes:
  • Rover, Rover, Come on Over!
  • Return from Space Is a Bumpy Ride
  • Corals and Crabs Are BFFs

Martians--Right Here on Earth!

Includes:
  • Warmer Climate, Bigger Mosquitoes
  • Cats Are More Independent than Dogs
  • New Car May Be Faster than a Speeding Sound Wave!

Meteor Causes Mysterious Flash and Boom

Includes:
  • "Firehawks" Smoke Out Prey
  • Crafty Crows Make Hooks
  • Contact Lens for People with Diabetes

Mini-Habitats on Ocean Trash, a Super Suit, Dolphins Remember Names, and Ice-Covered Canyon Discovered

Tons of plastic trash is building up in Earth's oceans. Tiny microorganisms are taking advantage of this plastic by turning it into a new, unique habitat dubbed the plastisphere. In other news, the newly invented exosuit makes muscles stronger; dolphins can recognize the whistles of their old friends even after 20 years; and a grand canyon was found hiding under the ice in Greenland.

BONUS VIDEO: Show students a 3-D view of Greenland's hidden canyon with this fun animation!

New Telescope Looks Way Back in Time and Space

Includes:
  • Space Inventions Help on Earth
  • When Bees Go to Bed, Moths Go to Work
  • Tower Uses Sunlight to Make Jet Fuel

New Uses for Robots and Drones, Bacteria Candy Helps Teeth, Bad Breath Scares Spiders, and Spacewalkers Repair Space Station

While they may seem like something from the future, robots and drones are becoming part of everyday life. From robots herding cattle to drones delivering pizza, new technology is making life easier for people. Some robots may even help save lives! In other news, a candy made of bacteria may prevent tooth decay; caterpillars with bad breath scare away hungry predators; and brave astronauts on the International Space Station donned spacesuits to make repairs.
Front cover shows a gray wolf wading into water. The rippled water reflects a picture of the wolf, like a mirror.

Now Wolves Are Using Tools?

Includes:
  • Clever Wolf Learns New Tricks
  • Thousands of Spiders Share Giant Web

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Moss Survives in Space
Front cover shows a huge, glowing blue moon that fills the night sky above the dark treetops.

Once in a Blue Moon

  • What is a Blue Moon?
  • Going Home to the Galápagos

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • The STEM of World Cup Soccer Balls

Owlets Sleep Like Babies, The Sun is Flipping Out, Smart Glass Makes Instant Shade, and Sleepy People Eat More Junk Food

People aren't the only animals that have REM sleep. Barn owls also have REM sleep and, as with people, the babies spend more time in REM sleep than adults do. In other news, the Sun is in the middle of a solar maximum and its magnetic poles are reversing; smart glass can control the amount of light and heat coming through windows; and sleepy people favor junk food over healthy foods.

Penguin Supercolony!

Includes:
  • Volcano Erupts in Hawaii!
  • Fossil Found in Mississippi Mud
  • Hot-Pepper Headaches
  • A Whale of a Rainbow

People Toss Pufflings Into the Sea

Includes:
  • Ice Bucket Challenge Leads to New ALS Medicine
  • DART Changes Asteroid's Orbit
  • Malaria Vaccine Offers New Hope

Punching an Asteroid for Science!

Includes:
  • It's Easy Being Green!
  • Scientists Discover "Skyscraper Reef"
  • The Coolest Paint Around

Racetrack Rocks Caught on the Move, Sharpshooting Fish Hits the Mark, Dandelion Weed Fills a Need, and What's That? Plants Listen for Danger

Racetrack Playa in Death Valley got its name from long tracks left behind by rocks, some as big as boulders, that inexplicably move across the valley floor. This decades-old mystery was solved by scientists who caught the rocks in action. In other news, archerfish spit super accurate water jets to capture prey; rubber from dandelion roots will soon be used to make tires; and plants that hear the chewing of hungry caterpillars produce a chemical that keeps the herbivores from eating so much.
Front cover shows Spot the robot dog craning its long neck to shine its flashlight in a factory.

Robot Dogs Speak Using ChatGPT

Includes:
  • Canada’s Wildfires: A Global Concern
  • Wall Lizards Smell Trouble
  • Small Satellites, Big Storms
Front cover shows a flower with a line down the middle. The petals look yellow on one side and pink on the other side.

Scientists Create

Includes:
  • Japan Joins Moon Landing Club
  • Strong Quake Lifts Japanese Coast
  • Trillions of Cicadas Prepare to Sing Together
  • Researchers Clean Up Laundry Pollution

Scientists Discover 'Scissors' for Genes

Includes:
  • The Science of Wildfires
  • A Dog's Nose Knows
  • A New Kind of Plane

Soot and Global Warming, Wrinkled Fingers, Super Slime, and Cardboard Helmets

Controlling carbon dioxide emissions has proven to be difficult, but reducing the emission of soot could be a quicker, easier way to slow global warming. In other news, prune-like fingers that appear after a long swim may be a beneficial adaptation; thread made from hagfish slime is super strong; and cardboard bicycle helmets are the newest development in protective head gear.

Sound Wars! Moths vs. Bats

Includes:
  • Astronauts Survive Emergency Landing
  • Two Moons over China?
  • Hologram Teachers!

Space: It's a Mess Out There

Includes:
  • Water Bears "Wake Up"
  • You Otter Get a Better Wet Suit!
  • Greener View, Better Grades

SpaceX Sends Astronauts into Space

Includes:
  • COVID-19—Back to School
  • NASA Honors Mary W. Jackson

Spiderman, You Can't Do That!

Includes:
  • A New Ninth Planet?
  • Glasses for Some Special Bug Eyes
  • Now Even Your Shoes Are "Smart"

Spiders Follow Their Rivals

Includes:
  • Whispering Whales
  • HouseZero: Energy Hero
  • Solar Sail Rides on Sunlight

Stonehenge: What Was the Source of the Stones?

Includes:
  • Lizards Hang On During Hurricanes
  • Turning Used COVID-19 Masks into Fuel?

Student Invents New Sandbag, Whale Earwax Indicates Ocean Pollution, and Gears Help Insect Jump

Flooding causes severe damage to buildings and can be deadly. A clever 6th-grade student invented a new kind of sandbag to protect people and their houses. This sandbag is lightweight and, when wet, forms a waterproof barrier. In other news, whale earwax collects samples of seawater, providing a record of the ocean pollution the whale encounters. Working gears on some insects help them jump to great heights!

Take a Bite Out of Plastic Waste

Includes:
  • Scientists Make Plants "Pass Out"
  • Making a Stronger Space Suit
  • Turning Off Lights Helps Baby Sea Turtles

Teaching Eggs to Sing, Rogue Planet, Magnets and Cancer, Pee Power

Scientists have observed that certain birds learn a song while they are still in their eggs. In other news, some rogue planets float freely around in outer space; magnets can help kill cancer cells; and high school students in Africa designed a very unconventional generator.

The Race for a Vaccine

Includes:
  • Shark Has Tiny Teeth...on Its Eyes!
  • Mysterious Fossil = Giant Egg

The Science of Tornadoes

Includes:
  • Getting Tough on Lead
  • Feeding Florida's Manatees
  • Amazing Bacteria Gobble Up Electricity

The Volcano Heard Around the World

Includes:
  • Pig Heart Gives Man More Time
  • Next-Gen Telescope Reaches Space
  • The First True Millipede

Top Science Stories of 2013

This special 6-page edition covers some of the biggest science stories of 2013: Voyager 1 left the Solar System and is now traveling in the uncharted territory of interstellar space; scientists discovered several new and fascinating species of plants and animals; a 7.7 magnitude earthquake caused a new island to form off the coast of Pakistan; a meteor exploded over Russia; and the most powerful land-based telescope became operational in Chile.

BONUS VIDEO: In this exciting video, astronomers describe the evidence that proves Voyager 1 is in interstellar space.

Top Science Stories of 2014

Includes:
  • Ebola Outbreak
  • Comet Landing a Success!
  • New Species of 2014
  • Winning Science

Top Science Stories of 2015

Includes:
  • New Species Discovered in 2015
  • Record-Breaking Hurricane Was a Gentle Giant
  • Flowing Water on Mars
  • Pluto's Big Year
  • New Battery May Change How You Charge

Top Science Stories of 2017

Includes:
  • The Wrath of Hurricanes in 2017
  • Mexico Suffers Strong Quakes
  • Meet the New Species of 2017!
  • Large Iceberg Breaks Free

Total Eclipse of the Sun!

Includes:
  • It's Knot That Simple
  • Early Birds Get the Better Breakfast
  • The Buzz on Pollinating Drones

BONUS VIDEO: In this video, scientists explain how the Earth, Moon, and Sun line up during a solar eclipse.

Using Data to Up Your Game

Includes:
  • Whales Dive Deep on Two Heartbeats
  • Puerto Rico Rocked by Earthquakes
Front cover shows a colorful photo of outer space, with swirling pink and brown clouds of gas.

Vera Rubin Telescope Wows Viewers

Includes:
  • One Powerful Camera
  • Hummingbirds Change with the Times

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Scientists Hunt for Stealthy Volcanoes

Volcanoes: Special Edition

Includes:
  • Hot Spot Turns Up the Heat in Hawaii
  • Volcano of Fire Erupts in Guatemala
  • Geyser Picks Up Steam in Yellowstone

What a View! Four Planets Orbit a DIstant Star

Includes:
  • Later School Start = More Sleep
  • Arizona Desert Is "Cracking Up"
  • Hard-to-Comb Hair: It's in the Genes

What's Inside the Red Planet?

Includes:
  • Geckos Walk on Water!
  • Shape-Shifting Solar Panels?
  • How Wombats Poop in Cubes

Front cover shows how a solar eclipse looked over time in the sky above a desert landscape.

World Awaits Solar Eclipse

Includes:
  • Can Farmers Save Axolotls?
  • Pond Turns Pink!
  • The Many Faces of Cats

World's Most Powerful Rocket Takes Off!

Includes:
  • Drool Is Cool for Blowflies
  • Ant Medics to the Rescue!
  • Eco-Friendly Glitter

Front cover shows an all-brown baby giraffe standing with its spotted mother.

Zoo Welcomes Unique Giraffe

Includes:
  • Ancient Whale Tips the Scales
  • India Makes History on the Moon
  • Montana Youths Win Big
  • Question Mark in Space Sparks Questions

Physical

3D Printing: The Future of Food?

Includes:
  • Six Fingers Perform Better than Five
  • Water Bears on the Moon!
  • Small Bacteria, Big Discovery

A Look Back: Top Science Headlines of 2012

The past year was an exciting one for science! This special six-page edition contains some of the most important and interesting science stories of 2012, such as the successful landing of the Curiosity rover on Mars; the discovery of Higgs boson particles; melting Arctic sea ice; and several new species.
Front cover shows a wide, deep crack in a brown dirt field. The crack stretches far into the distance.

A New Ocean in Africa?

Includes:
  • Laser Helps Control Lightning
  • Snakes Can Hear You Scream
  • Scientists Discover Ring Around Dwarf Planet
  • A New Spin on Earth's Core

All Aboard the World's Fastest Trains

Includes:
  • Tooth Troubles? Check Your Jaw
  • New Flower Is True Blue
  • 3-2-1 Liftoff! Weightless for a Day

Australia's Wildfires Harm Animals and Their Habitats

Includes:
  • Famous Waterfall Reduced by Drought
  • Can a Toilet Clean Itself?
  • Inflatable Space Lodge to Orbit the Moon
  • How Blind People "See" Sound

Billions of Cicadas Are Back!

Includes:
  • Bike Sharing Is Caring
  • Trouble for the Hubble Telescope
  • Making Fuel from Water and Sunlight

Black Hole Caught on Camera

Includes:
  • NASA Studies Twin Astronauts
  • Does Your Cat Know Its Name?
  • Green Products at Your Doorstep

Bricks from Mushrooms and Plastic?

Includes:
  • The First Helicopter on Mars!
  • Healthy Reefs Sound Good
  • Protecting the World's Smallest Reptile

Cheetahs: Built for Speed and Agility, Doughnuts in Space, A Better Bandage, and Citizen Science

The cheetah is the fastest land animal on Earth. But it turns out that their ability to change speed and direction in a flash may be more important to hunting than their speed. In other news, the Hubble Space Telescope reveals the Ring Nebula's true shape; copper bandages can prevent infection; and citizen science projects allow everyone to participate in learning about our world.

COVID-19: What You Need to Know to Stay Safe

Includes:
  • Unsinkable Metal!
  • Giant Fighting Turtles

Crocs and Gators Climb Trees and Use Tools, 3-D Printing Helps Animals, Martian Mystery Solved, and Get Involved in Earth Day

Tool use is considered a mark of intelligence. Crocodiles and alligators have joined the ranks of animals that demonstrate this special ability. They place sticks on their head to lure birds close to their mouth. As another sign of intelligence, crocs and gators can climb trees to spot prey and bask in the sun. In other news, 3-D printing technology is helping injured animals; the mystery of the martian "doughnut" rock was solved; and April 22 is Earth day. Get involved!

Cute Machine Cleans Up

Includes:
  • So Much Stuff!
  • A Hidden Continent
  • Warm Flowers for Cold Bees

Dark Lightning, Moving Continents, Hungry Plants, and Zero-Fuel Airplane

Scientists recently discovered that storm clouds can produce gamma radiation alongside bright lightning. We can't see or feel this dark lightning, but exposure to it could cause health problems. In other news, there is new evidence of Earth's continents being on the move; carnivorous plants detect their next meal by way of chemical signals; and Solar Impulse completes its record-breaking flight across the U.S.

Dogs Can 'Read' Your Face

Includes:
  • New Fabric Generates Electricity
  • Life May Exist on Saturn Moon
  • Eyelash Length is Just Right

Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett and the Moderna Vaccine

Includes:
  • Mining Metals from Plants
  • Can Drones Control Pests?
  • How Chemistry Helped Violins

Dung Beetles Follow the Stars, From Wolf to Dog, Long-Lasting Bubbles, and Watering Crops Can Change the Weather

African dung beetles use light from the Milky Way galaxy to navigate at night. In other news, a diet shift from meat to grains may have caused some wolves to evolve into domestic dogs, electricity can make bubbles last for hours, and irrigating farmland in California causes an increase in rainfall in nearby states.
Front cover shows two emperor penguins in different locations. One is standing on a sandy beach. The other is standing on snow.

Emperor Penguin Swims Far from Home

Includes:
  • A Penguin's Big Adventure
  • Harmony Under the Sea?

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Speed + Height = Amazing Skateboarding

Fish Drive Cars for Science!

Includes:
  • The Science of a Finger Snap
  • DNA Evidence Saves Problem Bear
  • Reusable Jelly Ice Cubes

FlipperBot, Breath Prints, Don't Let the Bedbugs Bite, and Lighter Than Air

A robot inspired by sea turtles is helping scientists learn how animals with flippers move so efficiently on sand. In other news, breath prints are as unique as fingerprints; a model leaf may help catch bedbugs before they bite; and ultra-light carbon aerogel may be useful for cleaning up oil spills.

BONUS VIDEO: Show students FlipperBot in action with this exciting video!

Flying Cars on the Horizon

Includes:
  • Meet the World's Largest Bee
  • Curbing Mosquitoes' Thirst for Blood
  • How to Make a Rubber Band Fly

Flying Like Iron Man

Includes:
  • Spiders Use Electricity to Take Off
  • Liquid Water on Mars!
  • Deep Divers Have a Special Spleen

Fossils Tell Story of Dino-Killing Asteroid

Includes:
  • Cloudy with a Chance of Solar Flares
  • Fish Robot Powered by Fake Blood
  • Watermelon Was on Ancient Egyptians' Menu

Front cover shows an alligator’s nose poking out of the ice in a frozen lake.

Frozen Alligator?! Don't Worry, It'll Thaw!

Includes:
  • Alligators Freeze and Thaw
  • Asteroids for Dinner?

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Hurricanes Pick Up Speed
Front cover shows a small green frog sitting on top of a large green leaf. The frog blends in so well with the leaf that it is very hard to see.

Glass Frogs Vanish at Night

Includes:
  • The Secret to Roman Concrete
  • Visit a Geothermal Bakery
  • Bumblebees Play Ball
  • What Is a Water Battery?

Go or No-Go? Self-Driving Cars

Includes:
  • Dinosaur Tail Found in Amber
  • Horses Ask for Help
  • Rhode Island Wind Farm Is a First

Huge Floods Hit Yellowstone National Park

Includes:
  • Siblings Fight Plastic Pollution
  • Dolphins Use Coral Reef as Medicine Cabinet
  • Scientists Play with 3D-Printed Foods
Front cover shows three scientists watching lava spray into the air above a volcano.

Iceland Rocked by Earthquakes and Volcano

Includes:
  • Glasses Help People "Hear"
  • Sea Stars Are Just Heads
  • Electric School Buses Park with Power

Kangaroos Make Earth-Friendly Gas, A World-Class Soccer Ball Takes the Field, Plant Reflects Sound to Attract Bats, Fluid Recycling on Trip to Mars, and Gigantic Dino Discovered

Large grazing animals, such as cattle, produce and release large amounts of methane gas as part of the digestive process. Methane is a greenhouse gas that causes climate change. Interestingly, the Australian version of a large grazing animal--the kangaroo--produces very little methane. The kangaroo's Earth-friendly gas may help scientists make "greener" cows! In other news, the new World Cup soccer ball gets put to the test; satellite-dish shaped leaves help a plant attract bats; trips to Mars are made possible by recycling urine; and the largest known species of dinosaur has recently been discovered in Argentina.

Enjoy this special six-page summer edition!

Lobster Rings, Poisonous Primates, Water on Mercury, Peel-and-Stick Solar Panels

Similar to tree rings, scientists have discovered growth rings in lobsters that reveal their age. In other news, a newly discovered species of Loris uses poison for defense; ice was found on blistering-hot Mercury; and peel-and-stick solar panels will offer an easy, new way to power cell phones and other devices.

Magnetic Helmets to the Rescue

Includes:
  • Rover, Rover, Come on Over!
  • Return from Space Is a Bumpy Ride
  • Corals and Crabs Are BFFs

Martians--Right Here on Earth!

Includes:
  • Warmer Climate, Bigger Mosquitoes
  • Cats Are More Independent than Dogs
  • New Car May Be Faster than a Speeding Sound Wave!

Mini-Habitats on Ocean Trash, a Super Suit, Dolphins Remember Names, and Ice-Covered Canyon Discovered

Tons of plastic trash is building up in Earth's oceans. Tiny microorganisms are taking advantage of this plastic by turning it into a new, unique habitat dubbed the plastisphere. In other news, the newly invented exosuit makes muscles stronger; dolphins can recognize the whistles of their old friends even after 20 years; and a grand canyon was found hiding under the ice in Greenland.

BONUS VIDEO: Show students a 3-D view of Greenland's hidden canyon with this fun animation!

New Telescope Looks Way Back in Time and Space

Includes:
  • Space Inventions Help on Earth
  • When Bees Go to Bed, Moths Go to Work
  • Tower Uses Sunlight to Make Jet Fuel

New Uses for Robots and Drones, Bacteria Candy Helps Teeth, Bad Breath Scares Spiders, and Spacewalkers Repair Space Station

While they may seem like something from the future, robots and drones are becoming part of everyday life. From robots herding cattle to drones delivering pizza, new technology is making life easier for people. Some robots may even help save lives! In other news, a candy made of bacteria may prevent tooth decay; caterpillars with bad breath scare away hungry predators; and brave astronauts on the International Space Station donned spacesuits to make repairs.

Owlets Sleep Like Babies, The Sun is Flipping Out, Smart Glass Makes Instant Shade, and Sleepy People Eat More Junk Food

People aren't the only animals that have REM sleep. Barn owls also have REM sleep and, as with people, the babies spend more time in REM sleep than adults do. In other news, the Sun is in the middle of a solar maximum and its magnetic poles are reversing; smart glass can control the amount of light and heat coming through windows; and sleepy people favor junk food over healthy foods.

People Are Charged Up About Electric Cars

Includes:
  • World's Oldest Baby Bottles
  • Ancient Trilobites Moved in Groups
  • Zebra Stripes Keep Flies Away

Front cover shows a fuzzy bee finding nectar inside a purple crocus bloom. Yellow pollen sticks to its body.

Plants Get Good Vibes from Their Pollinators

Includes:
  • Pollinators Only, Please
  • Some AI Voices Sound Identical to Human Voices

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • T. rex Took a Long Time to Grow Up

Racetrack Rocks Caught on the Move, Sharpshooting Fish Hits the Mark, Dandelion Weed Fills a Need, and What's That? Plants Listen for Danger

Racetrack Playa in Death Valley got its name from long tracks left behind by rocks, some as big as boulders, that inexplicably move across the valley floor. This decades-old mystery was solved by scientists who caught the rocks in action. In other news, archerfish spit super accurate water jets to capture prey; rubber from dandelion roots will soon be used to make tires; and plants that hear the chewing of hungry caterpillars produce a chemical that keeps the herbivores from eating so much.
Front cover shows Spot the robot dog craning its long neck to shine its flashlight in a factory.

Robot Dogs Speak Using ChatGPT

Includes:
  • Canada’s Wildfires: A Global Concern
  • Wall Lizards Smell Trouble
  • Small Satellites, Big Storms

Saving the World's Largest Trees from Fires

Includes:
  • Playing Outdoors Helps with Health
  • Oldest Human Footprints in the Americas!
  • Tiny Flying Machines

Scientists Discover 'Scissors' for Genes

Includes:
  • The Science of Wildfires
  • A Dog's Nose Knows
  • A New Kind of Plane

Soot and Global Warming, Wrinkled Fingers, Super Slime, and Cardboard Helmets

Controlling carbon dioxide emissions has proven to be difficult, but reducing the emission of soot could be a quicker, easier way to slow global warming. In other news, prune-like fingers that appear after a long swim may be a beneficial adaptation; thread made from hagfish slime is super strong; and cardboard bicycle helmets are the newest development in protective head gear.

Sound Wars! Moths vs. Bats

Includes:
  • Astronauts Survive Emergency Landing
  • Two Moons over China?
  • Hologram Teachers!

Spiders Follow Their Rivals

Includes:
  • Whispering Whales
  • HouseZero: Energy Hero
  • Solar Sail Rides on Sunlight

Stonehenge: What Was the Source of the Stones?

Includes:
  • Lizards Hang On During Hurricanes
  • Turning Used COVID-19 Masks into Fuel?
Front cover shows Olympic gymnast Simone Biles about to land on her hands on the balance beam.

Summer Olympics: Players Put Physics to Work

Includes:
  • Physics for the Win!
  • Crows Can Count Out Loud

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Scientists Reshape Plastic

Take a Bite Out of Plastic Waste

Includes:
  • Scientists Make Plants "Pass Out"
  • Making a Stronger Space Suit
  • Turning Off Lights Helps Baby Sea Turtles

Teaching Eggs to Sing, Rogue Planet, Magnets and Cancer, Pee Power

Scientists have observed that certain birds learn a song while they are still in their eggs. In other news, some rogue planets float freely around in outer space; magnets can help kill cancer cells; and high school students in Africa designed a very unconventional generator.

The Science of a Sneeze

Includes:
  • Girl Invents Glitter Cannon
  • Roach Milk in Your Cereal?
  • Octobot Moves Without Batteries

The Science of Popcorn

Includes:
  • Home Sweet Magnetic Home
  • F-Shaped Holes Make a Better Violin
  • Say "Ow!" and Feel Better

BONUS VIDEO: In this video, a high-speed camera reveals the popping action of a single kernel of popcorn.

The Science of Spicy Food

Includes:
  • Crab Eyes Inspire New Kind of Camera
  • Movement Breaks Help Brain and Body
  • Quiet Animals Surprise with Sounds
  • Blowhole Energy: The Wave of the Future?

The Science of Tornadoes

Includes:
  • Getting Tough on Lead
  • Feeding Florida's Manatees
  • Amazing Bacteria Gobble Up Electricity

Top Science Stories of 2015

Includes:
  • New Species Discovered in 2015
  • Record-Breaking Hurricane Was a Gentle Giant
  • Flowing Water on Mars
  • Pluto's Big Year
  • New Battery May Change How You Charge

Top Science Stories of 2018

Includes:
  • Plastic: The Trash That Lasts
  • Student Invention Finds Microplastics
  • New Species of 2018!
  • Thank You, Stephen Hawking
  • These Scientists are Winners

Total Eclipse of the Sun!

Includes:
  • It's Knot That Simple
  • Early Birds Get the Better Breakfast
  • The Buzz on Pollinating Drones

BONUS VIDEO: In this video, scientists explain how the Earth, Moon, and Sun line up during a solar eclipse.

Tree Snakes Change Shape to Get Air, Ants Battle for Territory, Google Glass Tracks Disease, and Melting Permafrost Reveals Secrets

Snakes don't seem like natural flyers. They are skinny and wingless. However, paradise tree snakes can fly from tree to tree by spreading their ribs and flattening their bodies. This new shape is similar to that of an airplane wing and generates lift, keeping the snakes aloft. In other news, crazy ants are outcompeting fire ants for territory; doctors are using Google Glass to diagnose and track disease; and an ancient virus was discovered in melting permafrost.
Front cover shows a colorful photo of outer space, with swirling pink and brown clouds of gas.

Vera Rubin Telescope Wows Viewers

Includes:
  • One Powerful Camera
  • Hummingbirds Change with the Times

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Scientists Hunt for Stealthy Volcanoes

What Makes Lost Lake 'Vanish' Every Year?

Includes:
  • Whoosh! Salmon Catch a Lift
  • Spacecraft Gets a Wake-Up Call
  • Tracking a Great White Shark!
  • Zebrafish Produce Sunscreen
  • Turning Plastic Trash into Almost Anything

Enjoy this special six-page summer edition!

Wind Trees Generate Electricity

Includes:
  • Vampire Deer are Back
  • Spiders Can Help Monitor Pollution
  • Cloud Bacteria Have a Sweet Tooth

Young Scientist Invents Test for Water Safety

Includes:
  • First "Alien" Neighbor Pays a Visit!
  • Baby Bats Sound Like the Crowd
  • Sense of Smell: Better at Bedtime

Life

3D Printing: The Future of Food?

Includes:
  • Six Fingers Perform Better than Five
  • Water Bears on the Moon!
  • Small Bacteria, Big Discovery

A Look Back: Top Science Headlines of 2012

The past year was an exciting one for science! This special six-page edition contains some of the most important and interesting science stories of 2012, such as the successful landing of the Curiosity rover on Mars; the discovery of Higgs boson particles; melting Arctic sea ice; and several new species.
Front cover shows huge drawings of a lizard and a tree carved into the ground.

AI Finds Shapes in the Desert

Includes:
  • AI Finds Ancient Desert Art
  • Moths Listen as Plants "Speak"

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Wood Gains a Place in Space

All Aboard the World's Fastest Trains

Includes:
  • Tooth Troubles? Check Your Jaw
  • New Flower Is True Blue
  • 3-2-1 Liftoff! Weightless for a Day

Australia's Wildfires Harm Animals and Their Habitats

Includes:
  • Famous Waterfall Reduced by Drought
  • Can a Toilet Clean Itself?
  • Inflatable Space Lodge to Orbit the Moon
  • How Blind People "See" Sound

Bird Poop Keeps Arctic Cool

Includes:
  • Record-Breaking Female Astronaut Going Strong
  • Rats Are Ticklish, Too!
  • Smart Earpiece Translates Languages

Blowing Bubbles Is No Trouble

Includes:
  • Veggie-Eating Spiders
  • The Buzz on the Best Anti-Bug Bulb
  • Doctor's Advice: A Hand Sandwich

Cats to Insects: Bug Off!

Includes:
  • How Do Dogs See the World?
  • Windows Made of Wood!
  • Volcano Erupts Again
  • A Very Old Snack Bar

Cheetahs: Built for Speed and Agility, Doughnuts in Space, A Better Bandage, and Citizen Science

The cheetah is the fastest land animal on Earth. But it turns out that their ability to change speed and direction in a flash may be more important to hunting than their speed. In other news, the Hubble Space Telescope reveals the Ring Nebula's true shape; copper bandages can prevent infection; and citizen science projects allow everyone to participate in learning about our world.

Coral Gardening Helps Reefs Grow Back

Includes:
  • Sweet News: Less Sugar = Better Health in Two Weeks
  • No More Ouch with New Vaccine Patch
  • Bee "Hotels" Help Pollinators

COVID-19 Vaccines Roll Out

Includes:
  • A Telescope to Remember
  • Dung Helps Honeybees
  • Caves Hold Clues to the Past

COVID-19: What You Need to Know to Stay Safe

Includes:
  • Unsinkable Metal!
  • Giant Fighting Turtles

Crocs and Gators Climb Trees and Use Tools, 3-D Printing Helps Animals, Martian Mystery Solved, and Get Involved in Earth Day

Tool use is considered a mark of intelligence. Crocodiles and alligators have joined the ranks of animals that demonstrate this special ability. They place sticks on their head to lure birds close to their mouth. As another sign of intelligence, crocs and gators can climb trees to spot prey and bask in the sun. In other news, 3-D printing technology is helping injured animals; the mystery of the martian "doughnut" rock was solved; and April 22 is Earth day. Get involved!

Cute Machine Cleans Up

Includes:
  • So Much Stuff!
  • A Hidden Continent
  • Warm Flowers for Cold Bees

Dark Lightning, Moving Continents, Hungry Plants, and Zero-Fuel Airplane

Scientists recently discovered that storm clouds can produce gamma radiation alongside bright lightning. We can't see or feel this dark lightning, but exposure to it could cause health problems. In other news, there is new evidence of Earth's continents being on the move; carnivorous plants detect their next meal by way of chemical signals; and Solar Impulse completes its record-breaking flight across the U.S.

Dig Finds Unknown Egyptian Queen

Includes:
  • Two Volcanoes Erupt in Hawaii
  • Can a Spiderweb Hold a Bird?
  • Orion Capsule Returns Safely to Earth
Front cover shows a dolphin sticking its head out of the water. It looks like it’s laughing.

Do Dolphins Use Smell to Communicate?

Includes:
  • Dolphins Pee Into the Sky
  • Dilly Dally: A Turtle's Tale

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Are Bananas the Key to Better Sunscreen?

Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett and the Moderna Vaccine

Includes:
  • Mining Metals from Plants
  • Can Drones Control Pests?
  • How Chemistry Helped Violins

Earthquake App to Protect L.A.

Includes:
  • Solving the Mystery of Hagfish Slime
  • Off-Road Adventure for All
  • New Plant Cleans Indoor Air

Front cover shows two emperor penguins in different locations. One is standing on a sandy beach. The other is standing on snow.

Emperor Penguin Swims Far from Home

Includes:
  • A Penguin's Big Adventure
  • Harmony Under the Sea?

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Speed + Height = Amazing Skateboarding

Finding Lost Giants

Includes:
  • Transformer Tires!
  • Monkeys Chill in Hot Springs
  • TV at Your Fingertips

Fish Drive Cars for Science!

Includes:
  • The Science of a Finger Snap
  • DNA Evidence Saves Problem Bear
  • Reusable Jelly Ice Cubes

Fist Bumps Spread Fewer Germs, Tracking Animals from Space, NASA's New Space Suit, and Mysterious Craters Spark Theories

From keyboards to doorknobs to phones, our hands are in constant contact with the world around us, which transfers bacteria and viruses to and from our hands. New research shows that fist-bumping spreads fewer germs than handshakes and may be the healthier way to say hello. In other news, satellite cameras are now powerful enough to photograph animals from space; NASA has created a new space suit that is both functional and fashionable; and mysterious craters in Russia were most likely caused by methane gas exploding from the ground.

FlipperBot, Breath Prints, Don't Let the Bedbugs Bite, and Lighter Than Air

A robot inspired by sea turtles is helping scientists learn how animals with flippers move so efficiently on sand. In other news, breath prints are as unique as fingerprints; a model leaf may help catch bedbugs before they bite; and ultra-light carbon aerogel may be useful for cleaning up oil spills.

BONUS VIDEO: Show students FlipperBot in action with this exciting video!

Flying Cars on the Horizon

Includes:
  • Meet the World's Largest Bee
  • Curbing Mosquitoes' Thirst for Blood
  • How to Make a Rubber Band Fly

Flying Like Iron Man

Includes:
  • Spiders Use Electricity to Take Off
  • Liquid Water on Mars!
  • Deep Divers Have a Special Spleen

Fossils Tell Story of Dino-Killing Asteroid

Includes:
  • Cloudy with a Chance of Solar Flares
  • Fish Robot Powered by Fake Blood
  • Watermelon Was on Ancient Egyptians' Menu

Giant Tortoise Is Not Extinct!

Includes:
  • Sponges Sneeze, Too!
  • Astronauts Plan to Go Back to the Moon
  • NASA Reveals Spooky Astronomy Sounds

Global Climate Meeting Makes History

Includes:
  • Bees Use Their Heads to Get Pollen
  • Solving a Sticky Situation
  • Giving Mountain Goats a Lift

Glow-in-the-Dark Animals

Includes:
  • Use Your Spoon—and Eat It, Too!
  • A Moon for Makemake
  • Doodle On! Drawing Helps Memory

Go or No-Go? Self-Driving Cars

Includes:
  • Dinosaur Tail Found in Amber
  • Horses Ask for Help
  • Rhode Island Wind Farm Is a First

Grizzly Bears May be Reintroduced into Historic Range, Fit Kids Have More Brainpower, High-Tech Umbrella Measures Rain, and Supernova Leaves Behind Zombie Star

Grizzly bears once roamed much of the western United States. Now, these big, brown bears live only in small parts of just four of the lower 48 states. A conservation group wants to change this by reintroducing grizzlies into suitable habitat in several western states. In other news, exercise strengthens the brain by improving memory and concentration; a new high-tech umbrella sensor allows citizen scientists to measure rainfall; and a weak supernova leaves behind a zombie star that appears to rise from the dead.

Handedness in Marsupials, Mind-Controlled Headphones, Baby Planet, and Tadpole Tails

People and other primates show handedness but animals that crawl also have a preference for one paw over the other! In other news, high-tech headphones select songs based on your mood, astronomers spy a still-developing baby planet, and stress causes tadpoles to grow bigger tails.

Huge Floods Hit Yellowstone National Park

Includes:
  • Siblings Fight Plastic Pollution
  • Dolphins Use Coral Reef as Medicine Cabinet
  • Scientists Play with 3D-Printed Foods
Front cover shows a large spider in its web. The spider is bright yellow, black, and red.

Jorō Spiders on the Move

Includes:
  • Jorō Spiders Fly Through the Sky
  • Yellowstone Hot Spring Explodes!

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Do Elephants Have Names?

Jumping Spiders Surprise Scientists

Includes:
  • COVID Virus Changes into New Forms
  • Beavers Build Better Deserts
  • Make Your Own Microscope with LEGOs!

Juno is a Go!

Includes:
  • Watermelon Snow is No Picnic
  • Snout Jelly Helps Sharks Find Prey
  • It's True...There's a New Blue!

Kangaroos Make Earth-Friendly Gas, A World-Class Soccer Ball Takes the Field, Plant Reflects Sound to Attract Bats, Fluid Recycling on Trip to Mars, and Gigantic Dino Discovered

Large grazing animals, such as cattle, produce and release large amounts of methane gas as part of the digestive process. Methane is a greenhouse gas that causes climate change. Interestingly, the Australian version of a large grazing animal--the kangaroo--produces very little methane. The kangaroo's Earth-friendly gas may help scientists make "greener" cows! In other news, the new World Cup soccer ball gets put to the test; satellite-dish shaped leaves help a plant attract bats; trips to Mars are made possible by recycling urine; and the largest known species of dinosaur has recently been discovered in Argentina.

Enjoy this special six-page summer edition!

Killer Fungus Threatens World Banana Crop

Includes:
  • Conserving Water with Shade Balls
  • Astronauts Eat Their Veggies!
  • Classic Campfire Is Still the Best

Koala Crossing Ahead!

Includes:
  • Hunt for Helium Pays Off
  • Don't Eat the Cookie Dough!
  • Why People Love Pokémon GO

Lobster Rings, Poisonous Primates, Water on Mercury, Peel-and-Stick Solar Panels

Similar to tree rings, scientists have discovered growth rings in lobsters that reveal their age. In other news, a newly discovered species of Loris uses poison for defense; ice was found on blistering-hot Mercury; and peel-and-stick solar panels will offer an easy, new way to power cell phones and other devices.

Mini-Habitats on Ocean Trash, a Super Suit, Dolphins Remember Names, and Ice-Covered Canyon Discovered

Tons of plastic trash is building up in Earth's oceans. Tiny microorganisms are taking advantage of this plastic by turning it into a new, unique habitat dubbed the plastisphere. In other news, the newly invented exosuit makes muscles stronger; dolphins can recognize the whistles of their old friends even after 20 years; and a grand canyon was found hiding under the ice in Greenland.

BONUS VIDEO: Show students a 3-D view of Greenland's hidden canyon with this fun animation!

New Telescope Looks Way Back in Time and Space

Includes:
  • Space Inventions Help on Earth
  • When Bees Go to Bed, Moths Go to Work
  • Tower Uses Sunlight to Make Jet Fuel

New Uses for Robots and Drones, Bacteria Candy Helps Teeth, Bad Breath Scares Spiders, and Spacewalkers Repair Space Station

While they may seem like something from the future, robots and drones are becoming part of everyday life. From robots herding cattle to drones delivering pizza, new technology is making life easier for people. Some robots may even help save lives! In other news, a candy made of bacteria may prevent tooth decay; caterpillars with bad breath scare away hungry predators; and brave astronauts on the International Space Station donned spacesuits to make repairs.
Front cover shows a gray wolf wading into water. The rippled water reflects a picture of the wolf, like a mirror.

Now Wolves Are Using Tools?

Includes:
  • Clever Wolf Learns New Tricks
  • Thousands of Spiders Share Giant Web

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Moss Survives in Space

Owlets Sleep Like Babies, The Sun is Flipping Out, Smart Glass Makes Instant Shade, and Sleepy People Eat More Junk Food

People aren't the only animals that have REM sleep. Barn owls also have REM sleep and, as with people, the babies spend more time in REM sleep than adults do. In other news, the Sun is in the middle of a solar maximum and its magnetic poles are reversing; smart glass can control the amount of light and heat coming through windows; and sleepy people favor junk food over healthy foods.

Penguin Supercolony!

Includes:
  • Volcano Erupts in Hawaii!
  • Fossil Found in Mississippi Mud
  • Hot-Pepper Headaches
  • A Whale of a Rainbow

People Toss Pufflings Into the Sea

Includes:
  • Ice Bucket Challenge Leads to New ALS Medicine
  • DART Changes Asteroid's Orbit
  • Malaria Vaccine Offers New Hope
Front cover shows a fuzzy bee finding nectar inside a purple crocus bloom. Yellow pollen sticks to its body.

Plants Get Good Vibes from Their Pollinators

Includes:
  • Pollinators Only, Please
  • Some AI Voices Sound Identical to Human Voices

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • T. rex Took a Long Time to Grow Up

Punching an Asteroid for Science!

Includes:
  • It's Easy Being Green!
  • Scientists Discover "Skyscraper Reef"
  • The Coolest Paint Around

Racetrack Rocks Caught on the Move, Sharpshooting Fish Hits the Mark, Dandelion Weed Fills a Need, and What's That? Plants Listen for Danger

Racetrack Playa in Death Valley got its name from long tracks left behind by rocks, some as big as boulders, that inexplicably move across the valley floor. This decades-old mystery was solved by scientists who caught the rocks in action. In other news, archerfish spit super accurate water jets to capture prey; rubber from dandelion roots will soon be used to make tires; and plants that hear the chewing of hungry caterpillars produce a chemical that keeps the herbivores from eating so much.
Front cover shows Jane Goodall and a chimp facing each other. They tip back their heads and open their mouths wide as if calling together.

Remembering Chimp Champ Jane Goodall

Includes:
  • Pioneering Scientist Jane Goodall Dies
  • How Do Frogs "Ribbit" So Loudly?

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • 99 Million Years of Zombies!

Saving the World's Largest Trees from Fires

Includes:
  • Playing Outdoors Helps with Health
  • Oldest Human Footprints in the Americas!
  • Tiny Flying Machines
Front cover shows a flower with a line down the middle. The petals look yellow on one side and pink on the other side.

Scientists Create

Includes:
  • Japan Joins Moon Landing Club
  • Strong Quake Lifts Japanese Coast
  • Trillions of Cicadas Prepare to Sing Together
  • Researchers Clean Up Laundry Pollution

Scientists Discover 'Scissors' for Genes

Includes:
  • The Science of Wildfires
  • A Dog's Nose Knows
  • A New Kind of Plane

Front cover shows an animal that looks like it has bright green leaves all over its body.

Sea Slug with a Superpower

Includes:
  • Tiny Animal Takes Power from Algae
  • Spring Brings Showers . . . of Meteors!

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Teen Inventor's Vision for the Future
Front cover shows a child wearing a VR headset to play a game.

Sick Faces Fire Up the Immune System

Includes:
  • Immunity at First Sight
  • Ancient Tattoos Found on Ice Mummy

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Can Backyard Soil Help Save Lives?

Soot and Global Warming, Wrinkled Fingers, Super Slime, and Cardboard Helmets

Controlling carbon dioxide emissions has proven to be difficult, but reducing the emission of soot could be a quicker, easier way to slow global warming. In other news, prune-like fingers that appear after a long swim may be a beneficial adaptation; thread made from hagfish slime is super strong; and cardboard bicycle helmets are the newest development in protective head gear.

SpaceX Sends Astronauts into Space

Includes:
  • COVID-19—Back to School
  • NASA Honors Mary W. Jackson

Spiders Follow Their Rivals

Includes:
  • Whispering Whales
  • HouseZero: Energy Hero
  • Solar Sail Rides on Sunlight

Stonehenge: What Was the Source of the Stones?

Includes:
  • Lizards Hang On During Hurricanes
  • Turning Used COVID-19 Masks into Fuel?
Short, green, leafy plants grow in rocky soil. The sky above is blue.

Stressed Plants Scream It Out

Includes:
  • Female Hunters Get the Job Done
  • Music Fans Shake Stadium
  • Oyster Shells Make a Difference
  • Early Mammal Hunts Big Dinner

Student Invents New Sandbag, Whale Earwax Indicates Ocean Pollution, and Gears Help Insect Jump

Flooding causes severe damage to buildings and can be deadly. A clever 6th-grade student invented a new kind of sandbag to protect people and their houses. This sandbag is lightweight and, when wet, forms a waterproof barrier. In other news, whale earwax collects samples of seawater, providing a record of the ocean pollution the whale encounters. Working gears on some insects help them jump to great heights!
Front cover shows a group of pink flamingos flying through the sky. Each bird flaps its wings and stretches its long neck forward.

Surprise! Flamingos in the United States!

Includes:
  • A Face from the Past
  • Croc Communication
  • AI and Human Brain Team Up

Take a Bite Out of Plastic Waste

Includes:
  • Scientists Make Plants "Pass Out"
  • Making a Stronger Space Suit
  • Turning Off Lights Helps Baby Sea Turtles

Teaching Eggs to Sing, Rogue Planet, Magnets and Cancer, Pee Power

Scientists have observed that certain birds learn a song while they are still in their eggs. In other news, some rogue planets float freely around in outer space; magnets can help kill cancer cells; and high school students in Africa designed a very unconventional generator.
Front cover shows a student holding a science fair trophy.

Teen Scientist Wins Challenge

Includes:
  • Special Soap May Treat Skin Cancer
  • Science News Flashes
  • How Do Whales Sing?
  • Sea Turtles Break Records

The Race for a Vaccine

Includes:
  • Shark Has Tiny Teeth...on Its Eyes!
  • Mysterious Fossil = Giant Egg

The Science of Spicy Food

Includes:
  • Crab Eyes Inspire New Kind of Camera
  • Movement Breaks Help Brain and Body
  • Quiet Animals Surprise with Sounds
  • Blowhole Energy: The Wave of the Future?

The Science of Tornadoes

Includes:
  • Getting Tough on Lead
  • Feeding Florida's Manatees
  • Amazing Bacteria Gobble Up Electricity

Top Science Stories of 2013

This special 6-page edition covers some of the biggest science stories of 2013: Voyager 1 left the Solar System and is now traveling in the uncharted territory of interstellar space; scientists discovered several new and fascinating species of plants and animals; a 7.7 magnitude earthquake caused a new island to form off the coast of Pakistan; a meteor exploded over Russia; and the most powerful land-based telescope became operational in Chile.

BONUS VIDEO: In this exciting video, astronomers describe the evidence that proves Voyager 1 is in interstellar space.

Top Science Stories of 2014

Includes:
  • Ebola Outbreak
  • Comet Landing a Success!
  • New Species of 2014
  • Winning Science

Top Science Stories of 2015

Includes:
  • New Species Discovered in 2015
  • Record-Breaking Hurricane Was a Gentle Giant
  • Flowing Water on Mars
  • Pluto's Big Year
  • New Battery May Change How You Charge

Top Science Stories of 2016

Includes:
  • Happy Birthday to U.S. National Parks
  • Zika Virus Continues to Spread
  • Meet the New Species of 2016
  • Job Well Done, Rosetta
  • Five-Second Rule Ruled Out

Top Science Stories of 2017

Includes:
  • The Wrath of Hurricanes in 2017
  • Mexico Suffers Strong Quakes
  • Meet the New Species of 2017!
  • Large Iceberg Breaks Free

Top Science Stories of 2018

Includes:
  • Plastic: The Trash That Lasts
  • Student Invention Finds Microplastics
  • New Species of 2018!
  • Thank You, Stephen Hawking
  • These Scientists are Winners

Top Science Stories of 2019

Includes:
  • Happy Birthday to U.S. National Parks
  • Zika Virus Continues to Spread
  • Meet the New Species of 2016
  • Job Well Done, Rosetta
  • Five-Second Rule Ruled Out

Total Eclipse of the Sun!

Includes:
  • It's Knot That Simple
  • Early Birds Get the Better Breakfast
  • The Buzz on Pollinating Drones

BONUS VIDEO: In this video, scientists explain how the Earth, Moon, and Sun line up during a solar eclipse.

Tree Snakes Change Shape to Get Air, Ants Battle for Territory, Google Glass Tracks Disease, and Melting Permafrost Reveals Secrets

Snakes don't seem like natural flyers. They are skinny and wingless. However, paradise tree snakes can fly from tree to tree by spreading their ribs and flattening their bodies. This new shape is similar to that of an airplane wing and generates lift, keeping the snakes aloft. In other news, crazy ants are outcompeting fire ants for territory; doctors are using Google Glass to diagnose and track disease; and an ancient virus was discovered in melting permafrost.

Using Data to Up Your Game

Includes:
  • Whales Dive Deep on Two Heartbeats
  • Puerto Rico Rocked by Earthquakes
Front cover shows a child wearing a VR headset to play a game.

Virtual Reality Gets Tasty

Includes:
  • Scientists Make VR More Real
  • Scientist Studies Scaredy Cats

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Is Space Too Clean for Astronauts?

What a View! Four Planets Orbit a DIstant Star

Includes:
  • Later School Start = More Sleep
  • Arizona Desert Is "Cracking Up"
  • Hard-to-Comb Hair: It's in the Genes
Front cover shows a hedgehog moving through fallen leaves in a cemetery. Old gravestones and trees fill the background.

What Lives in a Cemetery?

Includes:
  • Cemetery Biodiversity
  • Megaflash Breaks World Record

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Potatoes and Tomatoes: Surprising Relatives

What Makes Lost Lake 'Vanish' Every Year?

Includes:
  • Whoosh! Salmon Catch a Lift
  • Spacecraft Gets a Wake-Up Call
  • Tracking a Great White Shark!
  • Zebrafish Produce Sunscreen
  • Turning Plastic Trash into Almost Anything

Enjoy this special six-page summer edition!

Wind Trees Generate Electricity

Includes:
  • Vampire Deer are Back
  • Spiders Can Help Monitor Pollution
  • Cloud Bacteria Have a Sweet Tooth

World's Most Powerful Rocket Takes Off!

Includes:
  • Drool Is Cool for Blowflies
  • Ant Medics to the Rescue!
  • Eco-Friendly Glitter

Front cover shows an all-brown baby giraffe standing with its spotted mother.

Zoo Welcomes Unique Giraffe

Includes:
  • Ancient Whale Tips the Scales
  • India Makes History on the Moon
  • Montana Youths Win Big
  • Question Mark in Space Sparks Questions

Earth & Space

3D Printing: The Future of Food?

Includes:
  • Six Fingers Perform Better than Five
  • Water Bears on the Moon!
  • Small Bacteria, Big Discovery

A Look Back: Top Science Headlines of 2012

The past year was an exciting one for science! This special six-page edition contains some of the most important and interesting science stories of 2012, such as the successful landing of the Curiosity rover on Mars; the discovery of Higgs boson particles; melting Arctic sea ice; and several new species.
Front cover shows a wide, deep crack in a brown dirt field. The crack stretches far into the distance.

A New Ocean in Africa?

Includes:
  • Laser Helps Control Lightning
  • Snakes Can Hear You Scream
  • Scientists Discover Ring Around Dwarf Planet
  • A New Spin on Earth's Core

Front cover shows huge drawings of a lizard and a tree carved into the ground.

AI Finds Shapes in the Desert

Includes:
  • AI Finds Ancient Desert Art
  • Moths Listen as Plants "Speak"

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Wood Gains a Place in Space
Front cover shows a spacecraft traveling through space and two astronauts entering the International Space Station.

Astronauts “Stuck” in Space

Includes:
  • Waiting for the Right Ride
  • Sea Lions Help Map the Ocean

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Giant Diamond Is a Handful

Australia's Wildfires Harm Animals and Their Habitats

Includes:
  • Famous Waterfall Reduced by Drought
  • Can a Toilet Clean Itself?
  • Inflatable Space Lodge to Orbit the Moon
  • How Blind People "See" Sound

Billions of Cicadas Are Back!

Includes:
  • Bike Sharing Is Caring
  • Trouble for the Hubble Telescope
  • Making Fuel from Water and Sunlight

Bird Poop Keeps Arctic Cool

Includes:
  • Record-Breaking Female Astronaut Going Strong
  • Rats Are Ticklish, Too!
  • Smart Earpiece Translates Languages

Black Hole Caught on Camera

Includes:
  • NASA Studies Twin Astronauts
  • Does Your Cat Know Its Name?
  • Green Products at Your Doorstep

Bricks from Mushrooms and Plastic?

Includes:
  • The First Helicopter on Mars!
  • Healthy Reefs Sound Good
  • Protecting the World's Smallest Reptile

Cats to Insects: Bug Off!

Includes:
  • How Do Dogs See the World?
  • Windows Made of Wood!
  • Volcano Erupts Again
  • A Very Old Snack Bar

Cheetahs: Built for Speed and Agility, Doughnuts in Space, A Better Bandage, and Citizen Science

The cheetah is the fastest land animal on Earth. But it turns out that their ability to change speed and direction in a flash may be more important to hunting than their speed. In other news, the Hubble Space Telescope reveals the Ring Nebula's true shape; copper bandages can prevent infection; and citizen science projects allow everyone to participate in learning about our world.

COVID-19 Vaccines Roll Out

Includes:
  • A Telescope to Remember
  • Dung Helps Honeybees
  • Caves Hold Clues to the Past

Crocs and Gators Climb Trees and Use Tools, 3-D Printing Helps Animals, Martian Mystery Solved, and Get Involved in Earth Day

Tool use is considered a mark of intelligence. Crocodiles and alligators have joined the ranks of animals that demonstrate this special ability. They place sticks on their head to lure birds close to their mouth. As another sign of intelligence, crocs and gators can climb trees to spot prey and bask in the sun. In other news, 3-D printing technology is helping injured animals; the mystery of the martian "doughnut" rock was solved; and April 22 is Earth day. Get involved!

Cute Machine Cleans Up

Includes:
  • So Much Stuff!
  • A Hidden Continent
  • Warm Flowers for Cold Bees

Dark Lightning, Moving Continents, Hungry Plants, and Zero-Fuel Airplane

Scientists recently discovered that storm clouds can produce gamma radiation alongside bright lightning. We can't see or feel this dark lightning, but exposure to it could cause health problems. In other news, there is new evidence of Earth's continents being on the move; carnivorous plants detect their next meal by way of chemical signals; and Solar Impulse completes its record-breaking flight across the U.S.

Dig Finds Unknown Egyptian Queen

Includes:
  • Two Volcanoes Erupt in Hawaii
  • Can a Spiderweb Hold a Bird?
  • Orion Capsule Returns Safely to Earth

Dogs Can 'Read' Your Face

Includes:
  • New Fabric Generates Electricity
  • Life May Exist on Saturn Moon
  • Eyelash Length is Just Right

Dung Beetles Follow the Stars, From Wolf to Dog, Long-Lasting Bubbles, and Watering Crops Can Change the Weather

African dung beetles use light from the Milky Way galaxy to navigate at night. In other news, a diet shift from meat to grains may have caused some wolves to evolve into domestic dogs, electricity can make bubbles last for hours, and irrigating farmland in California causes an increase in rainfall in nearby states.

Earthquake App to Protect L.A.

Includes:
  • Solving the Mystery of Hagfish Slime
  • Off-Road Adventure for All
  • New Plant Cleans Indoor Air

Finding Lost Giants

Includes:
  • Transformer Tires!
  • Monkeys Chill in Hot Springs
  • TV at Your Fingertips

Fist Bumps Spread Fewer Germs, Tracking Animals from Space, NASA's New Space Suit, and Mysterious Craters Spark Theories

From keyboards to doorknobs to phones, our hands are in constant contact with the world around us, which transfers bacteria and viruses to and from our hands. New research shows that fist-bumping spreads fewer germs than handshakes and may be the healthier way to say hello. In other news, satellite cameras are now powerful enough to photograph animals from space; NASA has created a new space suit that is both functional and fashionable; and mysterious craters in Russia were most likely caused by methane gas exploding from the ground.

Flamingo Balancing Act

Includes:
  • How Fidget Spinners Work
  • Early Artists Chose Caves with Echoes
  • Cassini's Grand Finale

Flying Like Iron Man

Includes:
  • Spiders Use Electricity to Take Off
  • Liquid Water on Mars!
  • Deep Divers Have a Special Spleen

Fossils Tell Story of Dino-Killing Asteroid

Includes:
  • Cloudy with a Chance of Solar Flares
  • Fish Robot Powered by Fake Blood
  • Watermelon Was on Ancient Egyptians' Menu

Front cover shows an alligator’s nose poking out of the ice in a frozen lake.

Frozen Alligator?! Don't Worry, It'll Thaw!

Includes:
  • Alligators Freeze and Thaw
  • Asteroids for Dinner?

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Hurricanes Pick Up Speed

Giant Tortoise Is Not Extinct!

Includes:
  • Sponges Sneeze, Too!
  • Astronauts Plan to Go Back to the Moon
  • NASA Reveals Spooky Astronomy Sounds

Global Climate Meeting Leads to New Agreements

Includes:
  • Scooping Up Ocean Garbage
  • Orbiting Without Astronauts
  • Mussels Make Waterproof Glue

Global Climate Meeting Makes History

Includes:
  • Bees Use Their Heads to Get Pollen
  • Solving a Sticky Situation
  • Giving Mountain Goats a Lift

Glow-in-the-Dark Animals

Includes:
  • Use Your Spoon—and Eat It, Too!
  • A Moon for Makemake
  • Doodle On! Drawing Helps Memory

Handedness in Marsupials, Mind-Controlled Headphones, Baby Planet, and Tadpole Tails

People and other primates show handedness but animals that crawl also have a preference for one paw over the other! In other news, high-tech headphones select songs based on your mood, astronomers spy a still-developing baby planet, and stress causes tadpoles to grow bigger tails.

Hello, Pluto!


SPECIAL PLUTO EDITION!

Includes:
  • New Horizons Reaches Pluto
  • Clyde Tombaugh
  • Meet the Moons!
  • Our Favorite Non-Planet

Huge Floods Hit Yellowstone National Park

Includes:
  • Siblings Fight Plastic Pollution
  • Dolphins Use Coral Reef as Medicine Cabinet
  • Scientists Play with 3D-Printed Foods
Front cover shows three scientists watching lava spray into the air above a volcano.

Iceland Rocked by Earthquakes and Volcano

Includes:
  • Glasses Help People "Hear"
  • Sea Stars Are Just Heads
  • Electric School Buses Park with Power

Kangaroos Make Earth-Friendly Gas, A World-Class Soccer Ball Takes the Field, Plant Reflects Sound to Attract Bats, Fluid Recycling on Trip to Mars, and Gigantic Dino Discovered

Large grazing animals, such as cattle, produce and release large amounts of methane gas as part of the digestive process. Methane is a greenhouse gas that causes climate change. Interestingly, the Australian version of a large grazing animal--the kangaroo--produces very little methane. The kangaroo's Earth-friendly gas may help scientists make "greener" cows! In other news, the new World Cup soccer ball gets put to the test; satellite-dish shaped leaves help a plant attract bats; trips to Mars are made possible by recycling urine; and the largest known species of dinosaur has recently been discovered in Argentina.

Enjoy this special six-page summer edition!

Lobster Rings, Poisonous Primates, Water on Mercury, Peel-and-Stick Solar Panels

Similar to tree rings, scientists have discovered growth rings in lobsters that reveal their age. In other news, a newly discovered species of Loris uses poison for defense; ice was found on blistering-hot Mercury; and peel-and-stick solar panels will offer an easy, new way to power cell phones and other devices.

Magnetic Helmets to the Rescue

Includes:
  • Rover, Rover, Come on Over!
  • Return from Space Is a Bumpy Ride
  • Corals and Crabs Are BFFs

Martians--Right Here on Earth!

Includes:
  • Warmer Climate, Bigger Mosquitoes
  • Cats Are More Independent than Dogs
  • New Car May Be Faster than a Speeding Sound Wave!

Meteor Causes Mysterious Flash and Boom

Includes:
  • "Firehawks" Smoke Out Prey
  • Crafty Crows Make Hooks
  • Contact Lens for People with Diabetes

Mini-Habitats on Ocean Trash, a Super Suit, Dolphins Remember Names, and Ice-Covered Canyon Discovered

Tons of plastic trash is building up in Earth's oceans. Tiny microorganisms are taking advantage of this plastic by turning it into a new, unique habitat dubbed the plastisphere. In other news, the newly invented exosuit makes muscles stronger; dolphins can recognize the whistles of their old friends even after 20 years; and a grand canyon was found hiding under the ice in Greenland.

BONUS VIDEO: Show students a 3-D view of Greenland's hidden canyon with this fun animation!

New Telescope Looks Way Back in Time and Space

Includes:
  • Space Inventions Help on Earth
  • When Bees Go to Bed, Moths Go to Work
  • Tower Uses Sunlight to Make Jet Fuel

New Uses for Robots and Drones, Bacteria Candy Helps Teeth, Bad Breath Scares Spiders, and Spacewalkers Repair Space Station

While they may seem like something from the future, robots and drones are becoming part of everyday life. From robots herding cattle to drones delivering pizza, new technology is making life easier for people. Some robots may even help save lives! In other news, a candy made of bacteria may prevent tooth decay; caterpillars with bad breath scare away hungry predators; and brave astronauts on the International Space Station donned spacesuits to make repairs.
Front cover shows a gray wolf wading into water. The rippled water reflects a picture of the wolf, like a mirror.

Now Wolves Are Using Tools?

Includes:
  • Clever Wolf Learns New Tricks
  • Thousands of Spiders Share Giant Web

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Moss Survives in Space
Front cover shows a huge, glowing blue moon that fills the night sky above the dark treetops.

Once in a Blue Moon

  • What is a Blue Moon?
  • Going Home to the Galápagos

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • The STEM of World Cup Soccer Balls

Owlets Sleep Like Babies, The Sun is Flipping Out, Smart Glass Makes Instant Shade, and Sleepy People Eat More Junk Food

People aren't the only animals that have REM sleep. Barn owls also have REM sleep and, as with people, the babies spend more time in REM sleep than adults do. In other news, the Sun is in the middle of a solar maximum and its magnetic poles are reversing; smart glass can control the amount of light and heat coming through windows; and sleepy people favor junk food over healthy foods.

Penguin Supercolony!

Includes:
  • Volcano Erupts in Hawaii!
  • Fossil Found in Mississippi Mud
  • Hot-Pepper Headaches
  • A Whale of a Rainbow

People Toss Pufflings Into the Sea

Includes:
  • Ice Bucket Challenge Leads to New ALS Medicine
  • DART Changes Asteroid's Orbit
  • Malaria Vaccine Offers New Hope

Punching an Asteroid for Science!

Includes:
  • It's Easy Being Green!
  • Scientists Discover "Skyscraper Reef"
  • The Coolest Paint Around

Racetrack Rocks Caught on the Move, Sharpshooting Fish Hits the Mark, Dandelion Weed Fills a Need, and What's That? Plants Listen for Danger

Racetrack Playa in Death Valley got its name from long tracks left behind by rocks, some as big as boulders, that inexplicably move across the valley floor. This decades-old mystery was solved by scientists who caught the rocks in action. In other news, archerfish spit super accurate water jets to capture prey; rubber from dandelion roots will soon be used to make tires; and plants that hear the chewing of hungry caterpillars produce a chemical that keeps the herbivores from eating so much.
Front cover shows Spot the robot dog craning its long neck to shine its flashlight in a factory.

Robot Dogs Speak Using ChatGPT

Includes:
  • Canada’s Wildfires: A Global Concern
  • Wall Lizards Smell Trouble
  • Small Satellites, Big Storms
Front cover shows a flower with a line down the middle. The petals look yellow on one side and pink on the other side.

Scientists Create

Includes:
  • Japan Joins Moon Landing Club
  • Strong Quake Lifts Japanese Coast
  • Trillions of Cicadas Prepare to Sing Together
  • Researchers Clean Up Laundry Pollution

Scientists Discover 'Scissors' for Genes

Includes:
  • The Science of Wildfires
  • A Dog's Nose Knows
  • A New Kind of Plane

Soot and Global Warming, Wrinkled Fingers, Super Slime, and Cardboard Helmets

Controlling carbon dioxide emissions has proven to be difficult, but reducing the emission of soot could be a quicker, easier way to slow global warming. In other news, prune-like fingers that appear after a long swim may be a beneficial adaptation; thread made from hagfish slime is super strong; and cardboard bicycle helmets are the newest development in protective head gear.

Sound Wars! Moths vs. Bats

Includes:
  • Astronauts Survive Emergency Landing
  • Two Moons over China?
  • Hologram Teachers!

Space: It's a Mess Out There

Includes:
  • Water Bears "Wake Up"
  • You Otter Get a Better Wet Suit!
  • Greener View, Better Grades

SpaceX Sends Astronauts into Space

Includes:
  • COVID-19—Back to School
  • NASA Honors Mary W. Jackson

Spiderman, You Can't Do That!

Includes:
  • A New Ninth Planet?
  • Glasses for Some Special Bug Eyes
  • Now Even Your Shoes Are "Smart"

Spiders Follow Their Rivals

Includes:
  • Whispering Whales
  • HouseZero: Energy Hero
  • Solar Sail Rides on Sunlight

Stonehenge: What Was the Source of the Stones?

Includes:
  • Lizards Hang On During Hurricanes
  • Turning Used COVID-19 Masks into Fuel?

Student Invents New Sandbag, Whale Earwax Indicates Ocean Pollution, and Gears Help Insect Jump

Flooding causes severe damage to buildings and can be deadly. A clever 6th-grade student invented a new kind of sandbag to protect people and their houses. This sandbag is lightweight and, when wet, forms a waterproof barrier. In other news, whale earwax collects samples of seawater, providing a record of the ocean pollution the whale encounters. Working gears on some insects help them jump to great heights!

Take a Bite Out of Plastic Waste

Includes:
  • Scientists Make Plants "Pass Out"
  • Making a Stronger Space Suit
  • Turning Off Lights Helps Baby Sea Turtles

Teaching Eggs to Sing, Rogue Planet, Magnets and Cancer, Pee Power

Scientists have observed that certain birds learn a song while they are still in their eggs. In other news, some rogue planets float freely around in outer space; magnets can help kill cancer cells; and high school students in Africa designed a very unconventional generator.

The Race for a Vaccine

Includes:
  • Shark Has Tiny Teeth...on Its Eyes!
  • Mysterious Fossil = Giant Egg

The Science of Tornadoes

Includes:
  • Getting Tough on Lead
  • Feeding Florida's Manatees
  • Amazing Bacteria Gobble Up Electricity

The Volcano Heard Around the World

Includes:
  • Pig Heart Gives Man More Time
  • Next-Gen Telescope Reaches Space
  • The First True Millipede

Top Science Stories of 2013

This special 6-page edition covers some of the biggest science stories of 2013: Voyager 1 left the Solar System and is now traveling in the uncharted territory of interstellar space; scientists discovered several new and fascinating species of plants and animals; a 7.7 magnitude earthquake caused a new island to form off the coast of Pakistan; a meteor exploded over Russia; and the most powerful land-based telescope became operational in Chile.

BONUS VIDEO: In this exciting video, astronomers describe the evidence that proves Voyager 1 is in interstellar space.

Top Science Stories of 2014

Includes:
  • Ebola Outbreak
  • Comet Landing a Success!
  • New Species of 2014
  • Winning Science

Top Science Stories of 2015

Includes:
  • New Species Discovered in 2015
  • Record-Breaking Hurricane Was a Gentle Giant
  • Flowing Water on Mars
  • Pluto's Big Year
  • New Battery May Change How You Charge

Top Science Stories of 2017

Includes:
  • The Wrath of Hurricanes in 2017
  • Mexico Suffers Strong Quakes
  • Meet the New Species of 2017!
  • Large Iceberg Breaks Free

Total Eclipse of the Sun!

Includes:
  • It's Knot That Simple
  • Early Birds Get the Better Breakfast
  • The Buzz on Pollinating Drones

BONUS VIDEO: In this video, scientists explain how the Earth, Moon, and Sun line up during a solar eclipse.

Using Data to Up Your Game

Includes:
  • Whales Dive Deep on Two Heartbeats
  • Puerto Rico Rocked by Earthquakes
Front cover shows a colorful photo of outer space, with swirling pink and brown clouds of gas.

Vera Rubin Telescope Wows Viewers

Includes:
  • One Powerful Camera
  • Hummingbirds Change with the Times

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Scientists Hunt for Stealthy Volcanoes

Volcanoes: Special Edition

Includes:
  • Hot Spot Turns Up the Heat in Hawaii
  • Volcano of Fire Erupts in Guatemala
  • Geyser Picks Up Steam in Yellowstone

What a View! Four Planets Orbit a DIstant Star

Includes:
  • Later School Start = More Sleep
  • Arizona Desert Is "Cracking Up"
  • Hard-to-Comb Hair: It's in the Genes

What's Inside the Red Planet?

Includes:
  • Geckos Walk on Water!
  • Shape-Shifting Solar Panels?
  • How Wombats Poop in Cubes

Front cover shows how a solar eclipse looked over time in the sky above a desert landscape.

World Awaits Solar Eclipse

Includes:
  • Can Farmers Save Axolotls?
  • Pond Turns Pink!
  • The Many Faces of Cats

World's Most Powerful Rocket Takes Off!

Includes:
  • Drool Is Cool for Blowflies
  • Ant Medics to the Rescue!
  • Eco-Friendly Glitter

Front cover shows an all-brown baby giraffe standing with its spotted mother.

Zoo Welcomes Unique Giraffe

Includes:
  • Ancient Whale Tips the Scales
  • India Makes History on the Moon
  • Montana Youths Win Big
  • Question Mark in Space Sparks Questions

Physical

3D Printing: The Future of Food?

Includes:
  • Six Fingers Perform Better than Five
  • Water Bears on the Moon!
  • Small Bacteria, Big Discovery

A Look Back: Top Science Headlines of 2012

The past year was an exciting one for science! This special six-page edition contains some of the most important and interesting science stories of 2012, such as the successful landing of the Curiosity rover on Mars; the discovery of Higgs boson particles; melting Arctic sea ice; and several new species.
Front cover shows a wide, deep crack in a brown dirt field. The crack stretches far into the distance.

A New Ocean in Africa?

Includes:
  • Laser Helps Control Lightning
  • Snakes Can Hear You Scream
  • Scientists Discover Ring Around Dwarf Planet
  • A New Spin on Earth's Core

All Aboard the World's Fastest Trains

Includes:
  • Tooth Troubles? Check Your Jaw
  • New Flower Is True Blue
  • 3-2-1 Liftoff! Weightless for a Day

Australia's Wildfires Harm Animals and Their Habitats

Includes:
  • Famous Waterfall Reduced by Drought
  • Can a Toilet Clean Itself?
  • Inflatable Space Lodge to Orbit the Moon
  • How Blind People "See" Sound

Billions of Cicadas Are Back!

Includes:
  • Bike Sharing Is Caring
  • Trouble for the Hubble Telescope
  • Making Fuel from Water and Sunlight

Black Hole Caught on Camera

Includes:
  • NASA Studies Twin Astronauts
  • Does Your Cat Know Its Name?
  • Green Products at Your Doorstep

Bricks from Mushrooms and Plastic?

Includes:
  • The First Helicopter on Mars!
  • Healthy Reefs Sound Good
  • Protecting the World's Smallest Reptile

Cheetahs: Built for Speed and Agility, Doughnuts in Space, A Better Bandage, and Citizen Science

The cheetah is the fastest land animal on Earth. But it turns out that their ability to change speed and direction in a flash may be more important to hunting than their speed. In other news, the Hubble Space Telescope reveals the Ring Nebula's true shape; copper bandages can prevent infection; and citizen science projects allow everyone to participate in learning about our world.

COVID-19: What You Need to Know to Stay Safe

Includes:
  • Unsinkable Metal!
  • Giant Fighting Turtles

Crocs and Gators Climb Trees and Use Tools, 3-D Printing Helps Animals, Martian Mystery Solved, and Get Involved in Earth Day

Tool use is considered a mark of intelligence. Crocodiles and alligators have joined the ranks of animals that demonstrate this special ability. They place sticks on their head to lure birds close to their mouth. As another sign of intelligence, crocs and gators can climb trees to spot prey and bask in the sun. In other news, 3-D printing technology is helping injured animals; the mystery of the martian "doughnut" rock was solved; and April 22 is Earth day. Get involved!

Cute Machine Cleans Up

Includes:
  • So Much Stuff!
  • A Hidden Continent
  • Warm Flowers for Cold Bees

Dark Lightning, Moving Continents, Hungry Plants, and Zero-Fuel Airplane

Scientists recently discovered that storm clouds can produce gamma radiation alongside bright lightning. We can't see or feel this dark lightning, but exposure to it could cause health problems. In other news, there is new evidence of Earth's continents being on the move; carnivorous plants detect their next meal by way of chemical signals; and Solar Impulse completes its record-breaking flight across the U.S.

Dogs Can 'Read' Your Face

Includes:
  • New Fabric Generates Electricity
  • Life May Exist on Saturn Moon
  • Eyelash Length is Just Right

Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett and the Moderna Vaccine

Includes:
  • Mining Metals from Plants
  • Can Drones Control Pests?
  • How Chemistry Helped Violins

Dung Beetles Follow the Stars, From Wolf to Dog, Long-Lasting Bubbles, and Watering Crops Can Change the Weather

African dung beetles use light from the Milky Way galaxy to navigate at night. In other news, a diet shift from meat to grains may have caused some wolves to evolve into domestic dogs, electricity can make bubbles last for hours, and irrigating farmland in California causes an increase in rainfall in nearby states.
Front cover shows two emperor penguins in different locations. One is standing on a sandy beach. The other is standing on snow.

Emperor Penguin Swims Far from Home

Includes:
  • A Penguin's Big Adventure
  • Harmony Under the Sea?

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Speed + Height = Amazing Skateboarding

Fish Drive Cars for Science!

Includes:
  • The Science of a Finger Snap
  • DNA Evidence Saves Problem Bear
  • Reusable Jelly Ice Cubes

FlipperBot, Breath Prints, Don't Let the Bedbugs Bite, and Lighter Than Air

A robot inspired by sea turtles is helping scientists learn how animals with flippers move so efficiently on sand. In other news, breath prints are as unique as fingerprints; a model leaf may help catch bedbugs before they bite; and ultra-light carbon aerogel may be useful for cleaning up oil spills.

BONUS VIDEO: Show students FlipperBot in action with this exciting video!

Flying Cars on the Horizon

Includes:
  • Meet the World's Largest Bee
  • Curbing Mosquitoes' Thirst for Blood
  • How to Make a Rubber Band Fly

Flying Like Iron Man

Includes:
  • Spiders Use Electricity to Take Off
  • Liquid Water on Mars!
  • Deep Divers Have a Special Spleen

Fossils Tell Story of Dino-Killing Asteroid

Includes:
  • Cloudy with a Chance of Solar Flares
  • Fish Robot Powered by Fake Blood
  • Watermelon Was on Ancient Egyptians' Menu

Front cover shows an alligator’s nose poking out of the ice in a frozen lake.

Frozen Alligator?! Don't Worry, It'll Thaw!

Includes:
  • Alligators Freeze and Thaw
  • Asteroids for Dinner?

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Hurricanes Pick Up Speed
Front cover shows a small green frog sitting on top of a large green leaf. The frog blends in so well with the leaf that it is very hard to see.

Glass Frogs Vanish at Night

Includes:
  • The Secret to Roman Concrete
  • Visit a Geothermal Bakery
  • Bumblebees Play Ball
  • What Is a Water Battery?

Go or No-Go? Self-Driving Cars

Includes:
  • Dinosaur Tail Found in Amber
  • Horses Ask for Help
  • Rhode Island Wind Farm Is a First

Huge Floods Hit Yellowstone National Park

Includes:
  • Siblings Fight Plastic Pollution
  • Dolphins Use Coral Reef as Medicine Cabinet
  • Scientists Play with 3D-Printed Foods
Front cover shows three scientists watching lava spray into the air above a volcano.

Iceland Rocked by Earthquakes and Volcano

Includes:
  • Glasses Help People "Hear"
  • Sea Stars Are Just Heads
  • Electric School Buses Park with Power

Kangaroos Make Earth-Friendly Gas, A World-Class Soccer Ball Takes the Field, Plant Reflects Sound to Attract Bats, Fluid Recycling on Trip to Mars, and Gigantic Dino Discovered

Large grazing animals, such as cattle, produce and release large amounts of methane gas as part of the digestive process. Methane is a greenhouse gas that causes climate change. Interestingly, the Australian version of a large grazing animal--the kangaroo--produces very little methane. The kangaroo's Earth-friendly gas may help scientists make "greener" cows! In other news, the new World Cup soccer ball gets put to the test; satellite-dish shaped leaves help a plant attract bats; trips to Mars are made possible by recycling urine; and the largest known species of dinosaur has recently been discovered in Argentina.

Enjoy this special six-page summer edition!

Lobster Rings, Poisonous Primates, Water on Mercury, Peel-and-Stick Solar Panels

Similar to tree rings, scientists have discovered growth rings in lobsters that reveal their age. In other news, a newly discovered species of Loris uses poison for defense; ice was found on blistering-hot Mercury; and peel-and-stick solar panels will offer an easy, new way to power cell phones and other devices.

Magnetic Helmets to the Rescue

Includes:
  • Rover, Rover, Come on Over!
  • Return from Space Is a Bumpy Ride
  • Corals and Crabs Are BFFs

Martians--Right Here on Earth!

Includes:
  • Warmer Climate, Bigger Mosquitoes
  • Cats Are More Independent than Dogs
  • New Car May Be Faster than a Speeding Sound Wave!

Mini-Habitats on Ocean Trash, a Super Suit, Dolphins Remember Names, and Ice-Covered Canyon Discovered

Tons of plastic trash is building up in Earth's oceans. Tiny microorganisms are taking advantage of this plastic by turning it into a new, unique habitat dubbed the plastisphere. In other news, the newly invented exosuit makes muscles stronger; dolphins can recognize the whistles of their old friends even after 20 years; and a grand canyon was found hiding under the ice in Greenland.

BONUS VIDEO: Show students a 3-D view of Greenland's hidden canyon with this fun animation!

New Telescope Looks Way Back in Time and Space

Includes:
  • Space Inventions Help on Earth
  • When Bees Go to Bed, Moths Go to Work
  • Tower Uses Sunlight to Make Jet Fuel

New Uses for Robots and Drones, Bacteria Candy Helps Teeth, Bad Breath Scares Spiders, and Spacewalkers Repair Space Station

While they may seem like something from the future, robots and drones are becoming part of everyday life. From robots herding cattle to drones delivering pizza, new technology is making life easier for people. Some robots may even help save lives! In other news, a candy made of bacteria may prevent tooth decay; caterpillars with bad breath scare away hungry predators; and brave astronauts on the International Space Station donned spacesuits to make repairs.

Owlets Sleep Like Babies, The Sun is Flipping Out, Smart Glass Makes Instant Shade, and Sleepy People Eat More Junk Food

People aren't the only animals that have REM sleep. Barn owls also have REM sleep and, as with people, the babies spend more time in REM sleep than adults do. In other news, the Sun is in the middle of a solar maximum and its magnetic poles are reversing; smart glass can control the amount of light and heat coming through windows; and sleepy people favor junk food over healthy foods.

People Are Charged Up About Electric Cars

Includes:
  • World's Oldest Baby Bottles
  • Ancient Trilobites Moved in Groups
  • Zebra Stripes Keep Flies Away

Front cover shows a fuzzy bee finding nectar inside a purple crocus bloom. Yellow pollen sticks to its body.

Plants Get Good Vibes from Their Pollinators

Includes:
  • Pollinators Only, Please
  • Some AI Voices Sound Identical to Human Voices

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • T. rex Took a Long Time to Grow Up

Racetrack Rocks Caught on the Move, Sharpshooting Fish Hits the Mark, Dandelion Weed Fills a Need, and What's That? Plants Listen for Danger

Racetrack Playa in Death Valley got its name from long tracks left behind by rocks, some as big as boulders, that inexplicably move across the valley floor. This decades-old mystery was solved by scientists who caught the rocks in action. In other news, archerfish spit super accurate water jets to capture prey; rubber from dandelion roots will soon be used to make tires; and plants that hear the chewing of hungry caterpillars produce a chemical that keeps the herbivores from eating so much.
Front cover shows Spot the robot dog craning its long neck to shine its flashlight in a factory.

Robot Dogs Speak Using ChatGPT

Includes:
  • Canada’s Wildfires: A Global Concern
  • Wall Lizards Smell Trouble
  • Small Satellites, Big Storms

Saving the World's Largest Trees from Fires

Includes:
  • Playing Outdoors Helps with Health
  • Oldest Human Footprints in the Americas!
  • Tiny Flying Machines

Scientists Discover 'Scissors' for Genes

Includes:
  • The Science of Wildfires
  • A Dog's Nose Knows
  • A New Kind of Plane

Soot and Global Warming, Wrinkled Fingers, Super Slime, and Cardboard Helmets

Controlling carbon dioxide emissions has proven to be difficult, but reducing the emission of soot could be a quicker, easier way to slow global warming. In other news, prune-like fingers that appear after a long swim may be a beneficial adaptation; thread made from hagfish slime is super strong; and cardboard bicycle helmets are the newest development in protective head gear.

Sound Wars! Moths vs. Bats

Includes:
  • Astronauts Survive Emergency Landing
  • Two Moons over China?
  • Hologram Teachers!

Spiders Follow Their Rivals

Includes:
  • Whispering Whales
  • HouseZero: Energy Hero
  • Solar Sail Rides on Sunlight

Stonehenge: What Was the Source of the Stones?

Includes:
  • Lizards Hang On During Hurricanes
  • Turning Used COVID-19 Masks into Fuel?
Front cover shows Olympic gymnast Simone Biles about to land on her hands on the balance beam.

Summer Olympics: Players Put Physics to Work

Includes:
  • Physics for the Win!
  • Crows Can Count Out Loud

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Scientists Reshape Plastic

Take a Bite Out of Plastic Waste

Includes:
  • Scientists Make Plants "Pass Out"
  • Making a Stronger Space Suit
  • Turning Off Lights Helps Baby Sea Turtles

Teaching Eggs to Sing, Rogue Planet, Magnets and Cancer, Pee Power

Scientists have observed that certain birds learn a song while they are still in their eggs. In other news, some rogue planets float freely around in outer space; magnets can help kill cancer cells; and high school students in Africa designed a very unconventional generator.

The Science of a Sneeze

Includes:
  • Girl Invents Glitter Cannon
  • Roach Milk in Your Cereal?
  • Octobot Moves Without Batteries

The Science of Popcorn

Includes:
  • Home Sweet Magnetic Home
  • F-Shaped Holes Make a Better Violin
  • Say "Ow!" and Feel Better

BONUS VIDEO: In this video, a high-speed camera reveals the popping action of a single kernel of popcorn.

The Science of Spicy Food

Includes:
  • Crab Eyes Inspire New Kind of Camera
  • Movement Breaks Help Brain and Body
  • Quiet Animals Surprise with Sounds
  • Blowhole Energy: The Wave of the Future?

The Science of Tornadoes

Includes:
  • Getting Tough on Lead
  • Feeding Florida's Manatees
  • Amazing Bacteria Gobble Up Electricity

Top Science Stories of 2015

Includes:
  • New Species Discovered in 2015
  • Record-Breaking Hurricane Was a Gentle Giant
  • Flowing Water on Mars
  • Pluto's Big Year
  • New Battery May Change How You Charge

Top Science Stories of 2018

Includes:
  • Plastic: The Trash That Lasts
  • Student Invention Finds Microplastics
  • New Species of 2018!
  • Thank You, Stephen Hawking
  • These Scientists are Winners

Total Eclipse of the Sun!

Includes:
  • It's Knot That Simple
  • Early Birds Get the Better Breakfast
  • The Buzz on Pollinating Drones

BONUS VIDEO: In this video, scientists explain how the Earth, Moon, and Sun line up during a solar eclipse.

Tree Snakes Change Shape to Get Air, Ants Battle for Territory, Google Glass Tracks Disease, and Melting Permafrost Reveals Secrets

Snakes don't seem like natural flyers. They are skinny and wingless. However, paradise tree snakes can fly from tree to tree by spreading their ribs and flattening their bodies. This new shape is similar to that of an airplane wing and generates lift, keeping the snakes aloft. In other news, crazy ants are outcompeting fire ants for territory; doctors are using Google Glass to diagnose and track disease; and an ancient virus was discovered in melting permafrost.
Front cover shows a colorful photo of outer space, with swirling pink and brown clouds of gas.

Vera Rubin Telescope Wows Viewers

Includes:
  • One Powerful Camera
  • Hummingbirds Change with the Times

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Scientists Hunt for Stealthy Volcanoes

What Makes Lost Lake 'Vanish' Every Year?

Includes:
  • Whoosh! Salmon Catch a Lift
  • Spacecraft Gets a Wake-Up Call
  • Tracking a Great White Shark!
  • Zebrafish Produce Sunscreen
  • Turning Plastic Trash into Almost Anything

Enjoy this special six-page summer edition!

Wind Trees Generate Electricity

Includes:
  • Vampire Deer are Back
  • Spiders Can Help Monitor Pollution
  • Cloud Bacteria Have a Sweet Tooth

Young Scientist Invents Test for Water Safety

Includes:
  • First "Alien" Neighbor Pays a Visit!
  • Baby Bats Sound Like the Crowd
  • Sense of Smell: Better at Bedtime

Life

3D Printing: The Future of Food?

Includes:
  • Six Fingers Perform Better than Five
  • Water Bears on the Moon!
  • Small Bacteria, Big Discovery

A Look Back: Top Science Headlines of 2012

The past year was an exciting one for science! This special six-page edition contains some of the most important and interesting science stories of 2012, such as the successful landing of the Curiosity rover on Mars; the discovery of Higgs boson particles; melting Arctic sea ice; and several new species.
Front cover shows huge drawings of a lizard and a tree carved into the ground.

AI Finds Shapes in the Desert

Includes:
  • AI Finds Ancient Desert Art
  • Moths Listen as Plants "Speak"

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Wood Gains a Place in Space

All Aboard the World's Fastest Trains

Includes:
  • Tooth Troubles? Check Your Jaw
  • New Flower Is True Blue
  • 3-2-1 Liftoff! Weightless for a Day

Australia's Wildfires Harm Animals and Their Habitats

Includes:
  • Famous Waterfall Reduced by Drought
  • Can a Toilet Clean Itself?
  • Inflatable Space Lodge to Orbit the Moon
  • How Blind People "See" Sound

Bird Poop Keeps Arctic Cool

Includes:
  • Record-Breaking Female Astronaut Going Strong
  • Rats Are Ticklish, Too!
  • Smart Earpiece Translates Languages

Blowing Bubbles Is No Trouble

Includes:
  • Veggie-Eating Spiders
  • The Buzz on the Best Anti-Bug Bulb
  • Doctor's Advice: A Hand Sandwich

Cats to Insects: Bug Off!

Includes:
  • How Do Dogs See the World?
  • Windows Made of Wood!
  • Volcano Erupts Again
  • A Very Old Snack Bar

Cheetahs: Built for Speed and Agility, Doughnuts in Space, A Better Bandage, and Citizen Science

The cheetah is the fastest land animal on Earth. But it turns out that their ability to change speed and direction in a flash may be more important to hunting than their speed. In other news, the Hubble Space Telescope reveals the Ring Nebula's true shape; copper bandages can prevent infection; and citizen science projects allow everyone to participate in learning about our world.

Coral Gardening Helps Reefs Grow Back

Includes:
  • Sweet News: Less Sugar = Better Health in Two Weeks
  • No More Ouch with New Vaccine Patch
  • Bee "Hotels" Help Pollinators

COVID-19 Vaccines Roll Out

Includes:
  • A Telescope to Remember
  • Dung Helps Honeybees
  • Caves Hold Clues to the Past

COVID-19: What You Need to Know to Stay Safe

Includes:
  • Unsinkable Metal!
  • Giant Fighting Turtles

Crocs and Gators Climb Trees and Use Tools, 3-D Printing Helps Animals, Martian Mystery Solved, and Get Involved in Earth Day

Tool use is considered a mark of intelligence. Crocodiles and alligators have joined the ranks of animals that demonstrate this special ability. They place sticks on their head to lure birds close to their mouth. As another sign of intelligence, crocs and gators can climb trees to spot prey and bask in the sun. In other news, 3-D printing technology is helping injured animals; the mystery of the martian "doughnut" rock was solved; and April 22 is Earth day. Get involved!

Cute Machine Cleans Up

Includes:
  • So Much Stuff!
  • A Hidden Continent
  • Warm Flowers for Cold Bees

Dark Lightning, Moving Continents, Hungry Plants, and Zero-Fuel Airplane

Scientists recently discovered that storm clouds can produce gamma radiation alongside bright lightning. We can't see or feel this dark lightning, but exposure to it could cause health problems. In other news, there is new evidence of Earth's continents being on the move; carnivorous plants detect their next meal by way of chemical signals; and Solar Impulse completes its record-breaking flight across the U.S.

Dig Finds Unknown Egyptian Queen

Includes:
  • Two Volcanoes Erupt in Hawaii
  • Can a Spiderweb Hold a Bird?
  • Orion Capsule Returns Safely to Earth
Front cover shows a dolphin sticking its head out of the water. It looks like it’s laughing.

Do Dolphins Use Smell to Communicate?

Includes:
  • Dolphins Pee Into the Sky
  • Dilly Dally: A Turtle's Tale

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Are Bananas the Key to Better Sunscreen?

Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett and the Moderna Vaccine

Includes:
  • Mining Metals from Plants
  • Can Drones Control Pests?
  • How Chemistry Helped Violins

Earthquake App to Protect L.A.

Includes:
  • Solving the Mystery of Hagfish Slime
  • Off-Road Adventure for All
  • New Plant Cleans Indoor Air

Front cover shows two emperor penguins in different locations. One is standing on a sandy beach. The other is standing on snow.

Emperor Penguin Swims Far from Home

Includes:
  • A Penguin's Big Adventure
  • Harmony Under the Sea?

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Speed + Height = Amazing Skateboarding

Finding Lost Giants

Includes:
  • Transformer Tires!
  • Monkeys Chill in Hot Springs
  • TV at Your Fingertips

Fish Drive Cars for Science!

Includes:
  • The Science of a Finger Snap
  • DNA Evidence Saves Problem Bear
  • Reusable Jelly Ice Cubes

Fist Bumps Spread Fewer Germs, Tracking Animals from Space, NASA's New Space Suit, and Mysterious Craters Spark Theories

From keyboards to doorknobs to phones, our hands are in constant contact with the world around us, which transfers bacteria and viruses to and from our hands. New research shows that fist-bumping spreads fewer germs than handshakes and may be the healthier way to say hello. In other news, satellite cameras are now powerful enough to photograph animals from space; NASA has created a new space suit that is both functional and fashionable; and mysterious craters in Russia were most likely caused by methane gas exploding from the ground.

FlipperBot, Breath Prints, Don't Let the Bedbugs Bite, and Lighter Than Air

A robot inspired by sea turtles is helping scientists learn how animals with flippers move so efficiently on sand. In other news, breath prints are as unique as fingerprints; a model leaf may help catch bedbugs before they bite; and ultra-light carbon aerogel may be useful for cleaning up oil spills.

BONUS VIDEO: Show students FlipperBot in action with this exciting video!

Flying Cars on the Horizon

Includes:
  • Meet the World's Largest Bee
  • Curbing Mosquitoes' Thirst for Blood
  • How to Make a Rubber Band Fly

Flying Like Iron Man

Includes:
  • Spiders Use Electricity to Take Off
  • Liquid Water on Mars!
  • Deep Divers Have a Special Spleen

Fossils Tell Story of Dino-Killing Asteroid

Includes:
  • Cloudy with a Chance of Solar Flares
  • Fish Robot Powered by Fake Blood
  • Watermelon Was on Ancient Egyptians' Menu

Giant Tortoise Is Not Extinct!

Includes:
  • Sponges Sneeze, Too!
  • Astronauts Plan to Go Back to the Moon
  • NASA Reveals Spooky Astronomy Sounds

Global Climate Meeting Makes History

Includes:
  • Bees Use Their Heads to Get Pollen
  • Solving a Sticky Situation
  • Giving Mountain Goats a Lift

Glow-in-the-Dark Animals

Includes:
  • Use Your Spoon—and Eat It, Too!
  • A Moon for Makemake
  • Doodle On! Drawing Helps Memory

Go or No-Go? Self-Driving Cars

Includes:
  • Dinosaur Tail Found in Amber
  • Horses Ask for Help
  • Rhode Island Wind Farm Is a First

Grizzly Bears May be Reintroduced into Historic Range, Fit Kids Have More Brainpower, High-Tech Umbrella Measures Rain, and Supernova Leaves Behind Zombie Star

Grizzly bears once roamed much of the western United States. Now, these big, brown bears live only in small parts of just four of the lower 48 states. A conservation group wants to change this by reintroducing grizzlies into suitable habitat in several western states. In other news, exercise strengthens the brain by improving memory and concentration; a new high-tech umbrella sensor allows citizen scientists to measure rainfall; and a weak supernova leaves behind a zombie star that appears to rise from the dead.

Handedness in Marsupials, Mind-Controlled Headphones, Baby Planet, and Tadpole Tails

People and other primates show handedness but animals that crawl also have a preference for one paw over the other! In other news, high-tech headphones select songs based on your mood, astronomers spy a still-developing baby planet, and stress causes tadpoles to grow bigger tails.

Huge Floods Hit Yellowstone National Park

Includes:
  • Siblings Fight Plastic Pollution
  • Dolphins Use Coral Reef as Medicine Cabinet
  • Scientists Play with 3D-Printed Foods
Front cover shows a large spider in its web. The spider is bright yellow, black, and red.

Jorō Spiders on the Move

Includes:
  • Jorō Spiders Fly Through the Sky
  • Yellowstone Hot Spring Explodes!

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Do Elephants Have Names?

Jumping Spiders Surprise Scientists

Includes:
  • COVID Virus Changes into New Forms
  • Beavers Build Better Deserts
  • Make Your Own Microscope with LEGOs!

Juno is a Go!

Includes:
  • Watermelon Snow is No Picnic
  • Snout Jelly Helps Sharks Find Prey
  • It's True...There's a New Blue!

Kangaroos Make Earth-Friendly Gas, A World-Class Soccer Ball Takes the Field, Plant Reflects Sound to Attract Bats, Fluid Recycling on Trip to Mars, and Gigantic Dino Discovered

Large grazing animals, such as cattle, produce and release large amounts of methane gas as part of the digestive process. Methane is a greenhouse gas that causes climate change. Interestingly, the Australian version of a large grazing animal--the kangaroo--produces very little methane. The kangaroo's Earth-friendly gas may help scientists make "greener" cows! In other news, the new World Cup soccer ball gets put to the test; satellite-dish shaped leaves help a plant attract bats; trips to Mars are made possible by recycling urine; and the largest known species of dinosaur has recently been discovered in Argentina.

Enjoy this special six-page summer edition!

Killer Fungus Threatens World Banana Crop

Includes:
  • Conserving Water with Shade Balls
  • Astronauts Eat Their Veggies!
  • Classic Campfire Is Still the Best

Koala Crossing Ahead!

Includes:
  • Hunt for Helium Pays Off
  • Don't Eat the Cookie Dough!
  • Why People Love Pokémon GO

Lobster Rings, Poisonous Primates, Water on Mercury, Peel-and-Stick Solar Panels

Similar to tree rings, scientists have discovered growth rings in lobsters that reveal their age. In other news, a newly discovered species of Loris uses poison for defense; ice was found on blistering-hot Mercury; and peel-and-stick solar panels will offer an easy, new way to power cell phones and other devices.

Mini-Habitats on Ocean Trash, a Super Suit, Dolphins Remember Names, and Ice-Covered Canyon Discovered

Tons of plastic trash is building up in Earth's oceans. Tiny microorganisms are taking advantage of this plastic by turning it into a new, unique habitat dubbed the plastisphere. In other news, the newly invented exosuit makes muscles stronger; dolphins can recognize the whistles of their old friends even after 20 years; and a grand canyon was found hiding under the ice in Greenland.

BONUS VIDEO: Show students a 3-D view of Greenland's hidden canyon with this fun animation!

New Telescope Looks Way Back in Time and Space

Includes:
  • Space Inventions Help on Earth
  • When Bees Go to Bed, Moths Go to Work
  • Tower Uses Sunlight to Make Jet Fuel

New Uses for Robots and Drones, Bacteria Candy Helps Teeth, Bad Breath Scares Spiders, and Spacewalkers Repair Space Station

While they may seem like something from the future, robots and drones are becoming part of everyday life. From robots herding cattle to drones delivering pizza, new technology is making life easier for people. Some robots may even help save lives! In other news, a candy made of bacteria may prevent tooth decay; caterpillars with bad breath scare away hungry predators; and brave astronauts on the International Space Station donned spacesuits to make repairs.
Front cover shows a gray wolf wading into water. The rippled water reflects a picture of the wolf, like a mirror.

Now Wolves Are Using Tools?

Includes:
  • Clever Wolf Learns New Tricks
  • Thousands of Spiders Share Giant Web

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Moss Survives in Space

Owlets Sleep Like Babies, The Sun is Flipping Out, Smart Glass Makes Instant Shade, and Sleepy People Eat More Junk Food

People aren't the only animals that have REM sleep. Barn owls also have REM sleep and, as with people, the babies spend more time in REM sleep than adults do. In other news, the Sun is in the middle of a solar maximum and its magnetic poles are reversing; smart glass can control the amount of light and heat coming through windows; and sleepy people favor junk food over healthy foods.

Penguin Supercolony!

Includes:
  • Volcano Erupts in Hawaii!
  • Fossil Found in Mississippi Mud
  • Hot-Pepper Headaches
  • A Whale of a Rainbow

People Toss Pufflings Into the Sea

Includes:
  • Ice Bucket Challenge Leads to New ALS Medicine
  • DART Changes Asteroid's Orbit
  • Malaria Vaccine Offers New Hope
Front cover shows a fuzzy bee finding nectar inside a purple crocus bloom. Yellow pollen sticks to its body.

Plants Get Good Vibes from Their Pollinators

Includes:
  • Pollinators Only, Please
  • Some AI Voices Sound Identical to Human Voices

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • T. rex Took a Long Time to Grow Up

Punching an Asteroid for Science!

Includes:
  • It's Easy Being Green!
  • Scientists Discover "Skyscraper Reef"
  • The Coolest Paint Around

Racetrack Rocks Caught on the Move, Sharpshooting Fish Hits the Mark, Dandelion Weed Fills a Need, and What's That? Plants Listen for Danger

Racetrack Playa in Death Valley got its name from long tracks left behind by rocks, some as big as boulders, that inexplicably move across the valley floor. This decades-old mystery was solved by scientists who caught the rocks in action. In other news, archerfish spit super accurate water jets to capture prey; rubber from dandelion roots will soon be used to make tires; and plants that hear the chewing of hungry caterpillars produce a chemical that keeps the herbivores from eating so much.
Front cover shows Jane Goodall and a chimp facing each other. They tip back their heads and open their mouths wide as if calling together.

Remembering Chimp Champ Jane Goodall

Includes:
  • Pioneering Scientist Jane Goodall Dies
  • How Do Frogs "Ribbit" So Loudly?

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • 99 Million Years of Zombies!

Saving the World's Largest Trees from Fires

Includes:
  • Playing Outdoors Helps with Health
  • Oldest Human Footprints in the Americas!
  • Tiny Flying Machines
Front cover shows a flower with a line down the middle. The petals look yellow on one side and pink on the other side.

Scientists Create

Includes:
  • Japan Joins Moon Landing Club
  • Strong Quake Lifts Japanese Coast
  • Trillions of Cicadas Prepare to Sing Together
  • Researchers Clean Up Laundry Pollution

Scientists Discover 'Scissors' for Genes

Includes:
  • The Science of Wildfires
  • A Dog's Nose Knows
  • A New Kind of Plane

Front cover shows an animal that looks like it has bright green leaves all over its body.

Sea Slug with a Superpower

Includes:
  • Tiny Animal Takes Power from Algae
  • Spring Brings Showers . . . of Meteors!

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Teen Inventor's Vision for the Future
Front cover shows a child wearing a VR headset to play a game.

Sick Faces Fire Up the Immune System

Includes:
  • Immunity at First Sight
  • Ancient Tattoos Found on Ice Mummy

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Can Backyard Soil Help Save Lives?

Soot and Global Warming, Wrinkled Fingers, Super Slime, and Cardboard Helmets

Controlling carbon dioxide emissions has proven to be difficult, but reducing the emission of soot could be a quicker, easier way to slow global warming. In other news, prune-like fingers that appear after a long swim may be a beneficial adaptation; thread made from hagfish slime is super strong; and cardboard bicycle helmets are the newest development in protective head gear.

SpaceX Sends Astronauts into Space

Includes:
  • COVID-19—Back to School
  • NASA Honors Mary W. Jackson

Spiders Follow Their Rivals

Includes:
  • Whispering Whales
  • HouseZero: Energy Hero
  • Solar Sail Rides on Sunlight

Stonehenge: What Was the Source of the Stones?

Includes:
  • Lizards Hang On During Hurricanes
  • Turning Used COVID-19 Masks into Fuel?
Short, green, leafy plants grow in rocky soil. The sky above is blue.

Stressed Plants Scream It Out

Includes:
  • Female Hunters Get the Job Done
  • Music Fans Shake Stadium
  • Oyster Shells Make a Difference
  • Early Mammal Hunts Big Dinner

Student Invents New Sandbag, Whale Earwax Indicates Ocean Pollution, and Gears Help Insect Jump

Flooding causes severe damage to buildings and can be deadly. A clever 6th-grade student invented a new kind of sandbag to protect people and their houses. This sandbag is lightweight and, when wet, forms a waterproof barrier. In other news, whale earwax collects samples of seawater, providing a record of the ocean pollution the whale encounters. Working gears on some insects help them jump to great heights!
Front cover shows a group of pink flamingos flying through the sky. Each bird flaps its wings and stretches its long neck forward.

Surprise! Flamingos in the United States!

Includes:
  • A Face from the Past
  • Croc Communication
  • AI and Human Brain Team Up

Take a Bite Out of Plastic Waste

Includes:
  • Scientists Make Plants "Pass Out"
  • Making a Stronger Space Suit
  • Turning Off Lights Helps Baby Sea Turtles

Teaching Eggs to Sing, Rogue Planet, Magnets and Cancer, Pee Power

Scientists have observed that certain birds learn a song while they are still in their eggs. In other news, some rogue planets float freely around in outer space; magnets can help kill cancer cells; and high school students in Africa designed a very unconventional generator.
Front cover shows a student holding a science fair trophy.

Teen Scientist Wins Challenge

Includes:
  • Special Soap May Treat Skin Cancer
  • Science News Flashes
  • How Do Whales Sing?
  • Sea Turtles Break Records

The Race for a Vaccine

Includes:
  • Shark Has Tiny Teeth...on Its Eyes!
  • Mysterious Fossil = Giant Egg

The Science of Spicy Food

Includes:
  • Crab Eyes Inspire New Kind of Camera
  • Movement Breaks Help Brain and Body
  • Quiet Animals Surprise with Sounds
  • Blowhole Energy: The Wave of the Future?

The Science of Tornadoes

Includes:
  • Getting Tough on Lead
  • Feeding Florida's Manatees
  • Amazing Bacteria Gobble Up Electricity

Top Science Stories of 2013

This special 6-page edition covers some of the biggest science stories of 2013: Voyager 1 left the Solar System and is now traveling in the uncharted territory of interstellar space; scientists discovered several new and fascinating species of plants and animals; a 7.7 magnitude earthquake caused a new island to form off the coast of Pakistan; a meteor exploded over Russia; and the most powerful land-based telescope became operational in Chile.

BONUS VIDEO: In this exciting video, astronomers describe the evidence that proves Voyager 1 is in interstellar space.

Top Science Stories of 2014

Includes:
  • Ebola Outbreak
  • Comet Landing a Success!
  • New Species of 2014
  • Winning Science

Top Science Stories of 2015

Includes:
  • New Species Discovered in 2015
  • Record-Breaking Hurricane Was a Gentle Giant
  • Flowing Water on Mars
  • Pluto's Big Year
  • New Battery May Change How You Charge

Top Science Stories of 2016

Includes:
  • Happy Birthday to U.S. National Parks
  • Zika Virus Continues to Spread
  • Meet the New Species of 2016
  • Job Well Done, Rosetta
  • Five-Second Rule Ruled Out

Top Science Stories of 2017

Includes:
  • The Wrath of Hurricanes in 2017
  • Mexico Suffers Strong Quakes
  • Meet the New Species of 2017!
  • Large Iceberg Breaks Free

Top Science Stories of 2018

Includes:
  • Plastic: The Trash That Lasts
  • Student Invention Finds Microplastics
  • New Species of 2018!
  • Thank You, Stephen Hawking
  • These Scientists are Winners

Top Science Stories of 2019

Includes:
  • Happy Birthday to U.S. National Parks
  • Zika Virus Continues to Spread
  • Meet the New Species of 2016
  • Job Well Done, Rosetta
  • Five-Second Rule Ruled Out

Total Eclipse of the Sun!

Includes:
  • It's Knot That Simple
  • Early Birds Get the Better Breakfast
  • The Buzz on Pollinating Drones

BONUS VIDEO: In this video, scientists explain how the Earth, Moon, and Sun line up during a solar eclipse.

Tree Snakes Change Shape to Get Air, Ants Battle for Territory, Google Glass Tracks Disease, and Melting Permafrost Reveals Secrets

Snakes don't seem like natural flyers. They are skinny and wingless. However, paradise tree snakes can fly from tree to tree by spreading their ribs and flattening their bodies. This new shape is similar to that of an airplane wing and generates lift, keeping the snakes aloft. In other news, crazy ants are outcompeting fire ants for territory; doctors are using Google Glass to diagnose and track disease; and an ancient virus was discovered in melting permafrost.

Using Data to Up Your Game

Includes:
  • Whales Dive Deep on Two Heartbeats
  • Puerto Rico Rocked by Earthquakes
Front cover shows a child wearing a VR headset to play a game.

Virtual Reality Gets Tasty

Includes:
  • Scientists Make VR More Real
  • Scientist Studies Scaredy Cats

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Is Space Too Clean for Astronauts?

What a View! Four Planets Orbit a DIstant Star

Includes:
  • Later School Start = More Sleep
  • Arizona Desert Is "Cracking Up"
  • Hard-to-Comb Hair: It's in the Genes
Front cover shows a hedgehog moving through fallen leaves in a cemetery. Old gravestones and trees fill the background.

What Lives in a Cemetery?

Includes:
  • Cemetery Biodiversity
  • Megaflash Breaks World Record

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Potatoes and Tomatoes: Surprising Relatives

What Makes Lost Lake 'Vanish' Every Year?

Includes:
  • Whoosh! Salmon Catch a Lift
  • Spacecraft Gets a Wake-Up Call
  • Tracking a Great White Shark!
  • Zebrafish Produce Sunscreen
  • Turning Plastic Trash into Almost Anything

Enjoy this special six-page summer edition!

Wind Trees Generate Electricity

Includes:
  • Vampire Deer are Back
  • Spiders Can Help Monitor Pollution
  • Cloud Bacteria Have a Sweet Tooth

World's Most Powerful Rocket Takes Off!

Includes:
  • Drool Is Cool for Blowflies
  • Ant Medics to the Rescue!
  • Eco-Friendly Glitter

Front cover shows an all-brown baby giraffe standing with its spotted mother.

Zoo Welcomes Unique Giraffe

Includes:
  • Ancient Whale Tips the Scales
  • India Makes History on the Moon
  • Montana Youths Win Big
  • Question Mark in Space Sparks Questions

Earth & Space

3D Printing: The Future of Food?

Includes:
  • Six Fingers Perform Better than Five
  • Water Bears on the Moon!
  • Small Bacteria, Big Discovery

A Look Back: Top Science Headlines of 2012

The past year was an exciting one for science! This special six-page edition contains some of the most important and interesting science stories of 2012, such as the successful landing of the Curiosity rover on Mars; the discovery of Higgs boson particles; melting Arctic sea ice; and several new species.
Front cover shows a wide, deep crack in a brown dirt field. The crack stretches far into the distance.

A New Ocean in Africa?

Includes:
  • Laser Helps Control Lightning
  • Snakes Can Hear You Scream
  • Scientists Discover Ring Around Dwarf Planet
  • A New Spin on Earth's Core

Front cover shows huge drawings of a lizard and a tree carved into the ground.

AI Finds Shapes in the Desert

Includes:
  • AI Finds Ancient Desert Art
  • Moths Listen as Plants "Speak"

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Wood Gains a Place in Space
Front cover shows a spacecraft traveling through space and two astronauts entering the International Space Station.

Astronauts “Stuck” in Space

Includes:
  • Waiting for the Right Ride
  • Sea Lions Help Map the Ocean

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Giant Diamond Is a Handful

Australia's Wildfires Harm Animals and Their Habitats

Includes:
  • Famous Waterfall Reduced by Drought
  • Can a Toilet Clean Itself?
  • Inflatable Space Lodge to Orbit the Moon
  • How Blind People "See" Sound

Billions of Cicadas Are Back!

Includes:
  • Bike Sharing Is Caring
  • Trouble for the Hubble Telescope
  • Making Fuel from Water and Sunlight

Bird Poop Keeps Arctic Cool

Includes:
  • Record-Breaking Female Astronaut Going Strong
  • Rats Are Ticklish, Too!
  • Smart Earpiece Translates Languages

Black Hole Caught on Camera

Includes:
  • NASA Studies Twin Astronauts
  • Does Your Cat Know Its Name?
  • Green Products at Your Doorstep

Bricks from Mushrooms and Plastic?

Includes:
  • The First Helicopter on Mars!
  • Healthy Reefs Sound Good
  • Protecting the World's Smallest Reptile

Cats to Insects: Bug Off!

Includes:
  • How Do Dogs See the World?
  • Windows Made of Wood!
  • Volcano Erupts Again
  • A Very Old Snack Bar

Cheetahs: Built for Speed and Agility, Doughnuts in Space, A Better Bandage, and Citizen Science

The cheetah is the fastest land animal on Earth. But it turns out that their ability to change speed and direction in a flash may be more important to hunting than their speed. In other news, the Hubble Space Telescope reveals the Ring Nebula's true shape; copper bandages can prevent infection; and citizen science projects allow everyone to participate in learning about our world.

COVID-19 Vaccines Roll Out

Includes:
  • A Telescope to Remember
  • Dung Helps Honeybees
  • Caves Hold Clues to the Past

Crocs and Gators Climb Trees and Use Tools, 3-D Printing Helps Animals, Martian Mystery Solved, and Get Involved in Earth Day

Tool use is considered a mark of intelligence. Crocodiles and alligators have joined the ranks of animals that demonstrate this special ability. They place sticks on their head to lure birds close to their mouth. As another sign of intelligence, crocs and gators can climb trees to spot prey and bask in the sun. In other news, 3-D printing technology is helping injured animals; the mystery of the martian "doughnut" rock was solved; and April 22 is Earth day. Get involved!

Cute Machine Cleans Up

Includes:
  • So Much Stuff!
  • A Hidden Continent
  • Warm Flowers for Cold Bees

Dark Lightning, Moving Continents, Hungry Plants, and Zero-Fuel Airplane

Scientists recently discovered that storm clouds can produce gamma radiation alongside bright lightning. We can't see or feel this dark lightning, but exposure to it could cause health problems. In other news, there is new evidence of Earth's continents being on the move; carnivorous plants detect their next meal by way of chemical signals; and Solar Impulse completes its record-breaking flight across the U.S.

Dig Finds Unknown Egyptian Queen

Includes:
  • Two Volcanoes Erupt in Hawaii
  • Can a Spiderweb Hold a Bird?
  • Orion Capsule Returns Safely to Earth

Dogs Can 'Read' Your Face

Includes:
  • New Fabric Generates Electricity
  • Life May Exist on Saturn Moon
  • Eyelash Length is Just Right

Dung Beetles Follow the Stars, From Wolf to Dog, Long-Lasting Bubbles, and Watering Crops Can Change the Weather

African dung beetles use light from the Milky Way galaxy to navigate at night. In other news, a diet shift from meat to grains may have caused some wolves to evolve into domestic dogs, electricity can make bubbles last for hours, and irrigating farmland in California causes an increase in rainfall in nearby states.

Earthquake App to Protect L.A.

Includes:
  • Solving the Mystery of Hagfish Slime
  • Off-Road Adventure for All
  • New Plant Cleans Indoor Air

Finding Lost Giants

Includes:
  • Transformer Tires!
  • Monkeys Chill in Hot Springs
  • TV at Your Fingertips

Fist Bumps Spread Fewer Germs, Tracking Animals from Space, NASA's New Space Suit, and Mysterious Craters Spark Theories

From keyboards to doorknobs to phones, our hands are in constant contact with the world around us, which transfers bacteria and viruses to and from our hands. New research shows that fist-bumping spreads fewer germs than handshakes and may be the healthier way to say hello. In other news, satellite cameras are now powerful enough to photograph animals from space; NASA has created a new space suit that is both functional and fashionable; and mysterious craters in Russia were most likely caused by methane gas exploding from the ground.

Flamingo Balancing Act

Includes:
  • How Fidget Spinners Work
  • Early Artists Chose Caves with Echoes
  • Cassini's Grand Finale

Flying Like Iron Man

Includes:
  • Spiders Use Electricity to Take Off
  • Liquid Water on Mars!
  • Deep Divers Have a Special Spleen

Fossils Tell Story of Dino-Killing Asteroid

Includes:
  • Cloudy with a Chance of Solar Flares
  • Fish Robot Powered by Fake Blood
  • Watermelon Was on Ancient Egyptians' Menu

Front cover shows an alligator’s nose poking out of the ice in a frozen lake.

Frozen Alligator?! Don't Worry, It'll Thaw!

Includes:
  • Alligators Freeze and Thaw
  • Asteroids for Dinner?

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Hurricanes Pick Up Speed

Giant Tortoise Is Not Extinct!

Includes:
  • Sponges Sneeze, Too!
  • Astronauts Plan to Go Back to the Moon
  • NASA Reveals Spooky Astronomy Sounds

Global Climate Meeting Leads to New Agreements

Includes:
  • Scooping Up Ocean Garbage
  • Orbiting Without Astronauts
  • Mussels Make Waterproof Glue

Global Climate Meeting Makes History

Includes:
  • Bees Use Their Heads to Get Pollen
  • Solving a Sticky Situation
  • Giving Mountain Goats a Lift

Glow-in-the-Dark Animals

Includes:
  • Use Your Spoon—and Eat It, Too!
  • A Moon for Makemake
  • Doodle On! Drawing Helps Memory

Handedness in Marsupials, Mind-Controlled Headphones, Baby Planet, and Tadpole Tails

People and other primates show handedness but animals that crawl also have a preference for one paw over the other! In other news, high-tech headphones select songs based on your mood, astronomers spy a still-developing baby planet, and stress causes tadpoles to grow bigger tails.

Hello, Pluto!


SPECIAL PLUTO EDITION!

Includes:
  • New Horizons Reaches Pluto
  • Clyde Tombaugh
  • Meet the Moons!
  • Our Favorite Non-Planet

Huge Floods Hit Yellowstone National Park

Includes:
  • Siblings Fight Plastic Pollution
  • Dolphins Use Coral Reef as Medicine Cabinet
  • Scientists Play with 3D-Printed Foods
Front cover shows three scientists watching lava spray into the air above a volcano.

Iceland Rocked by Earthquakes and Volcano

Includes:
  • Glasses Help People "Hear"
  • Sea Stars Are Just Heads
  • Electric School Buses Park with Power

Kangaroos Make Earth-Friendly Gas, A World-Class Soccer Ball Takes the Field, Plant Reflects Sound to Attract Bats, Fluid Recycling on Trip to Mars, and Gigantic Dino Discovered

Large grazing animals, such as cattle, produce and release large amounts of methane gas as part of the digestive process. Methane is a greenhouse gas that causes climate change. Interestingly, the Australian version of a large grazing animal--the kangaroo--produces very little methane. The kangaroo's Earth-friendly gas may help scientists make "greener" cows! In other news, the new World Cup soccer ball gets put to the test; satellite-dish shaped leaves help a plant attract bats; trips to Mars are made possible by recycling urine; and the largest known species of dinosaur has recently been discovered in Argentina.

Enjoy this special six-page summer edition!

Lobster Rings, Poisonous Primates, Water on Mercury, Peel-and-Stick Solar Panels

Similar to tree rings, scientists have discovered growth rings in lobsters that reveal their age. In other news, a newly discovered species of Loris uses poison for defense; ice was found on blistering-hot Mercury; and peel-and-stick solar panels will offer an easy, new way to power cell phones and other devices.

Magnetic Helmets to the Rescue

Includes:
  • Rover, Rover, Come on Over!
  • Return from Space Is a Bumpy Ride
  • Corals and Crabs Are BFFs

Martians--Right Here on Earth!

Includes:
  • Warmer Climate, Bigger Mosquitoes
  • Cats Are More Independent than Dogs
  • New Car May Be Faster than a Speeding Sound Wave!

Meteor Causes Mysterious Flash and Boom

Includes:
  • "Firehawks" Smoke Out Prey
  • Crafty Crows Make Hooks
  • Contact Lens for People with Diabetes

Mini-Habitats on Ocean Trash, a Super Suit, Dolphins Remember Names, and Ice-Covered Canyon Discovered

Tons of plastic trash is building up in Earth's oceans. Tiny microorganisms are taking advantage of this plastic by turning it into a new, unique habitat dubbed the plastisphere. In other news, the newly invented exosuit makes muscles stronger; dolphins can recognize the whistles of their old friends even after 20 years; and a grand canyon was found hiding under the ice in Greenland.

BONUS VIDEO: Show students a 3-D view of Greenland's hidden canyon with this fun animation!

New Telescope Looks Way Back in Time and Space

Includes:
  • Space Inventions Help on Earth
  • When Bees Go to Bed, Moths Go to Work
  • Tower Uses Sunlight to Make Jet Fuel

New Uses for Robots and Drones, Bacteria Candy Helps Teeth, Bad Breath Scares Spiders, and Spacewalkers Repair Space Station

While they may seem like something from the future, robots and drones are becoming part of everyday life. From robots herding cattle to drones delivering pizza, new technology is making life easier for people. Some robots may even help save lives! In other news, a candy made of bacteria may prevent tooth decay; caterpillars with bad breath scare away hungry predators; and brave astronauts on the International Space Station donned spacesuits to make repairs.
Front cover shows a gray wolf wading into water. The rippled water reflects a picture of the wolf, like a mirror.

Now Wolves Are Using Tools?

Includes:
  • Clever Wolf Learns New Tricks
  • Thousands of Spiders Share Giant Web

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Moss Survives in Space
Front cover shows a huge, glowing blue moon that fills the night sky above the dark treetops.

Once in a Blue Moon

  • What is a Blue Moon?
  • Going Home to the Galápagos

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • The STEM of World Cup Soccer Balls

Owlets Sleep Like Babies, The Sun is Flipping Out, Smart Glass Makes Instant Shade, and Sleepy People Eat More Junk Food

People aren't the only animals that have REM sleep. Barn owls also have REM sleep and, as with people, the babies spend more time in REM sleep than adults do. In other news, the Sun is in the middle of a solar maximum and its magnetic poles are reversing; smart glass can control the amount of light and heat coming through windows; and sleepy people favor junk food over healthy foods.

Penguin Supercolony!

Includes:
  • Volcano Erupts in Hawaii!
  • Fossil Found in Mississippi Mud
  • Hot-Pepper Headaches
  • A Whale of a Rainbow

People Toss Pufflings Into the Sea

Includes:
  • Ice Bucket Challenge Leads to New ALS Medicine
  • DART Changes Asteroid's Orbit
  • Malaria Vaccine Offers New Hope

Punching an Asteroid for Science!

Includes:
  • It's Easy Being Green!
  • Scientists Discover "Skyscraper Reef"
  • The Coolest Paint Around

Racetrack Rocks Caught on the Move, Sharpshooting Fish Hits the Mark, Dandelion Weed Fills a Need, and What's That? Plants Listen for Danger

Racetrack Playa in Death Valley got its name from long tracks left behind by rocks, some as big as boulders, that inexplicably move across the valley floor. This decades-old mystery was solved by scientists who caught the rocks in action. In other news, archerfish spit super accurate water jets to capture prey; rubber from dandelion roots will soon be used to make tires; and plants that hear the chewing of hungry caterpillars produce a chemical that keeps the herbivores from eating so much.
Front cover shows Spot the robot dog craning its long neck to shine its flashlight in a factory.

Robot Dogs Speak Using ChatGPT

Includes:
  • Canada’s Wildfires: A Global Concern
  • Wall Lizards Smell Trouble
  • Small Satellites, Big Storms
Front cover shows a flower with a line down the middle. The petals look yellow on one side and pink on the other side.

Scientists Create

Includes:
  • Japan Joins Moon Landing Club
  • Strong Quake Lifts Japanese Coast
  • Trillions of Cicadas Prepare to Sing Together
  • Researchers Clean Up Laundry Pollution

Scientists Discover 'Scissors' for Genes

Includes:
  • The Science of Wildfires
  • A Dog's Nose Knows
  • A New Kind of Plane

Soot and Global Warming, Wrinkled Fingers, Super Slime, and Cardboard Helmets

Controlling carbon dioxide emissions has proven to be difficult, but reducing the emission of soot could be a quicker, easier way to slow global warming. In other news, prune-like fingers that appear after a long swim may be a beneficial adaptation; thread made from hagfish slime is super strong; and cardboard bicycle helmets are the newest development in protective head gear.

Sound Wars! Moths vs. Bats

Includes:
  • Astronauts Survive Emergency Landing
  • Two Moons over China?
  • Hologram Teachers!

Space: It's a Mess Out There

Includes:
  • Water Bears "Wake Up"
  • You Otter Get a Better Wet Suit!
  • Greener View, Better Grades

SpaceX Sends Astronauts into Space

Includes:
  • COVID-19—Back to School
  • NASA Honors Mary W. Jackson

Spiderman, You Can't Do That!

Includes:
  • A New Ninth Planet?
  • Glasses for Some Special Bug Eyes
  • Now Even Your Shoes Are "Smart"

Spiders Follow Their Rivals

Includes:
  • Whispering Whales
  • HouseZero: Energy Hero
  • Solar Sail Rides on Sunlight

Stonehenge: What Was the Source of the Stones?

Includes:
  • Lizards Hang On During Hurricanes
  • Turning Used COVID-19 Masks into Fuel?

Student Invents New Sandbag, Whale Earwax Indicates Ocean Pollution, and Gears Help Insect Jump

Flooding causes severe damage to buildings and can be deadly. A clever 6th-grade student invented a new kind of sandbag to protect people and their houses. This sandbag is lightweight and, when wet, forms a waterproof barrier. In other news, whale earwax collects samples of seawater, providing a record of the ocean pollution the whale encounters. Working gears on some insects help them jump to great heights!

Take a Bite Out of Plastic Waste

Includes:
  • Scientists Make Plants "Pass Out"
  • Making a Stronger Space Suit
  • Turning Off Lights Helps Baby Sea Turtles

Teaching Eggs to Sing, Rogue Planet, Magnets and Cancer, Pee Power

Scientists have observed that certain birds learn a song while they are still in their eggs. In other news, some rogue planets float freely around in outer space; magnets can help kill cancer cells; and high school students in Africa designed a very unconventional generator.

The Race for a Vaccine

Includes:
  • Shark Has Tiny Teeth...on Its Eyes!
  • Mysterious Fossil = Giant Egg

The Science of Tornadoes

Includes:
  • Getting Tough on Lead
  • Feeding Florida's Manatees
  • Amazing Bacteria Gobble Up Electricity

The Volcano Heard Around the World

Includes:
  • Pig Heart Gives Man More Time
  • Next-Gen Telescope Reaches Space
  • The First True Millipede

Top Science Stories of 2013

This special 6-page edition covers some of the biggest science stories of 2013: Voyager 1 left the Solar System and is now traveling in the uncharted territory of interstellar space; scientists discovered several new and fascinating species of plants and animals; a 7.7 magnitude earthquake caused a new island to form off the coast of Pakistan; a meteor exploded over Russia; and the most powerful land-based telescope became operational in Chile.

BONUS VIDEO: In this exciting video, astronomers describe the evidence that proves Voyager 1 is in interstellar space.

Top Science Stories of 2014

Includes:
  • Ebola Outbreak
  • Comet Landing a Success!
  • New Species of 2014
  • Winning Science

Top Science Stories of 2015

Includes:
  • New Species Discovered in 2015
  • Record-Breaking Hurricane Was a Gentle Giant
  • Flowing Water on Mars
  • Pluto's Big Year
  • New Battery May Change How You Charge

Top Science Stories of 2017

Includes:
  • The Wrath of Hurricanes in 2017
  • Mexico Suffers Strong Quakes
  • Meet the New Species of 2017!
  • Large Iceberg Breaks Free

Total Eclipse of the Sun!

Includes:
  • It's Knot That Simple
  • Early Birds Get the Better Breakfast
  • The Buzz on Pollinating Drones

BONUS VIDEO: In this video, scientists explain how the Earth, Moon, and Sun line up during a solar eclipse.

Using Data to Up Your Game

Includes:
  • Whales Dive Deep on Two Heartbeats
  • Puerto Rico Rocked by Earthquakes
Front cover shows a colorful photo of outer space, with swirling pink and brown clouds of gas.

Vera Rubin Telescope Wows Viewers

Includes:
  • One Powerful Camera
  • Hummingbirds Change with the Times

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Scientists Hunt for Stealthy Volcanoes

Volcanoes: Special Edition

Includes:
  • Hot Spot Turns Up the Heat in Hawaii
  • Volcano of Fire Erupts in Guatemala
  • Geyser Picks Up Steam in Yellowstone

What a View! Four Planets Orbit a DIstant Star

Includes:
  • Later School Start = More Sleep
  • Arizona Desert Is "Cracking Up"
  • Hard-to-Comb Hair: It's in the Genes

What's Inside the Red Planet?

Includes:
  • Geckos Walk on Water!
  • Shape-Shifting Solar Panels?
  • How Wombats Poop in Cubes

Front cover shows how a solar eclipse looked over time in the sky above a desert landscape.

World Awaits Solar Eclipse

Includes:
  • Can Farmers Save Axolotls?
  • Pond Turns Pink!
  • The Many Faces of Cats

World's Most Powerful Rocket Takes Off!

Includes:
  • Drool Is Cool for Blowflies
  • Ant Medics to the Rescue!
  • Eco-Friendly Glitter

Front cover shows an all-brown baby giraffe standing with its spotted mother.

Zoo Welcomes Unique Giraffe

Includes:
  • Ancient Whale Tips the Scales
  • India Makes History on the Moon
  • Montana Youths Win Big
  • Question Mark in Space Sparks Questions

Physical

3D Printing: The Future of Food?

Includes:
  • Six Fingers Perform Better than Five
  • Water Bears on the Moon!
  • Small Bacteria, Big Discovery

A Look Back: Top Science Headlines of 2012

The past year was an exciting one for science! This special six-page edition contains some of the most important and interesting science stories of 2012, such as the successful landing of the Curiosity rover on Mars; the discovery of Higgs boson particles; melting Arctic sea ice; and several new species.
Front cover shows a wide, deep crack in a brown dirt field. The crack stretches far into the distance.

A New Ocean in Africa?

Includes:
  • Laser Helps Control Lightning
  • Snakes Can Hear You Scream
  • Scientists Discover Ring Around Dwarf Planet
  • A New Spin on Earth's Core

All Aboard the World's Fastest Trains

Includes:
  • Tooth Troubles? Check Your Jaw
  • New Flower Is True Blue
  • 3-2-1 Liftoff! Weightless for a Day

Australia's Wildfires Harm Animals and Their Habitats

Includes:
  • Famous Waterfall Reduced by Drought
  • Can a Toilet Clean Itself?
  • Inflatable Space Lodge to Orbit the Moon
  • How Blind People "See" Sound

Billions of Cicadas Are Back!

Includes:
  • Bike Sharing Is Caring
  • Trouble for the Hubble Telescope
  • Making Fuel from Water and Sunlight

Black Hole Caught on Camera

Includes:
  • NASA Studies Twin Astronauts
  • Does Your Cat Know Its Name?
  • Green Products at Your Doorstep

Bricks from Mushrooms and Plastic?

Includes:
  • The First Helicopter on Mars!
  • Healthy Reefs Sound Good
  • Protecting the World's Smallest Reptile

Cheetahs: Built for Speed and Agility, Doughnuts in Space, A Better Bandage, and Citizen Science

The cheetah is the fastest land animal on Earth. But it turns out that their ability to change speed and direction in a flash may be more important to hunting than their speed. In other news, the Hubble Space Telescope reveals the Ring Nebula's true shape; copper bandages can prevent infection; and citizen science projects allow everyone to participate in learning about our world.

COVID-19: What You Need to Know to Stay Safe

Includes:
  • Unsinkable Metal!
  • Giant Fighting Turtles

Crocs and Gators Climb Trees and Use Tools, 3-D Printing Helps Animals, Martian Mystery Solved, and Get Involved in Earth Day

Tool use is considered a mark of intelligence. Crocodiles and alligators have joined the ranks of animals that demonstrate this special ability. They place sticks on their head to lure birds close to their mouth. As another sign of intelligence, crocs and gators can climb trees to spot prey and bask in the sun. In other news, 3-D printing technology is helping injured animals; the mystery of the martian "doughnut" rock was solved; and April 22 is Earth day. Get involved!

Cute Machine Cleans Up

Includes:
  • So Much Stuff!
  • A Hidden Continent
  • Warm Flowers for Cold Bees

Dark Lightning, Moving Continents, Hungry Plants, and Zero-Fuel Airplane

Scientists recently discovered that storm clouds can produce gamma radiation alongside bright lightning. We can't see or feel this dark lightning, but exposure to it could cause health problems. In other news, there is new evidence of Earth's continents being on the move; carnivorous plants detect their next meal by way of chemical signals; and Solar Impulse completes its record-breaking flight across the U.S.

Dogs Can 'Read' Your Face

Includes:
  • New Fabric Generates Electricity
  • Life May Exist on Saturn Moon
  • Eyelash Length is Just Right

Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett and the Moderna Vaccine

Includes:
  • Mining Metals from Plants
  • Can Drones Control Pests?
  • How Chemistry Helped Violins

Dung Beetles Follow the Stars, From Wolf to Dog, Long-Lasting Bubbles, and Watering Crops Can Change the Weather

African dung beetles use light from the Milky Way galaxy to navigate at night. In other news, a diet shift from meat to grains may have caused some wolves to evolve into domestic dogs, electricity can make bubbles last for hours, and irrigating farmland in California causes an increase in rainfall in nearby states.
Front cover shows two emperor penguins in different locations. One is standing on a sandy beach. The other is standing on snow.

Emperor Penguin Swims Far from Home

Includes:
  • A Penguin's Big Adventure
  • Harmony Under the Sea?

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Speed + Height = Amazing Skateboarding

Fish Drive Cars for Science!

Includes:
  • The Science of a Finger Snap
  • DNA Evidence Saves Problem Bear
  • Reusable Jelly Ice Cubes

FlipperBot, Breath Prints, Don't Let the Bedbugs Bite, and Lighter Than Air

A robot inspired by sea turtles is helping scientists learn how animals with flippers move so efficiently on sand. In other news, breath prints are as unique as fingerprints; a model leaf may help catch bedbugs before they bite; and ultra-light carbon aerogel may be useful for cleaning up oil spills.

BONUS VIDEO: Show students FlipperBot in action with this exciting video!

Flying Cars on the Horizon

Includes:
  • Meet the World's Largest Bee
  • Curbing Mosquitoes' Thirst for Blood
  • How to Make a Rubber Band Fly

Flying Like Iron Man

Includes:
  • Spiders Use Electricity to Take Off
  • Liquid Water on Mars!
  • Deep Divers Have a Special Spleen

Fossils Tell Story of Dino-Killing Asteroid

Includes:
  • Cloudy with a Chance of Solar Flares
  • Fish Robot Powered by Fake Blood
  • Watermelon Was on Ancient Egyptians' Menu

Front cover shows an alligator’s nose poking out of the ice in a frozen lake.

Frozen Alligator?! Don't Worry, It'll Thaw!

Includes:
  • Alligators Freeze and Thaw
  • Asteroids for Dinner?

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Hurricanes Pick Up Speed
Front cover shows a small green frog sitting on top of a large green leaf. The frog blends in so well with the leaf that it is very hard to see.

Glass Frogs Vanish at Night

Includes:
  • The Secret to Roman Concrete
  • Visit a Geothermal Bakery
  • Bumblebees Play Ball
  • What Is a Water Battery?

Go or No-Go? Self-Driving Cars

Includes:
  • Dinosaur Tail Found in Amber
  • Horses Ask for Help
  • Rhode Island Wind Farm Is a First

Huge Floods Hit Yellowstone National Park

Includes:
  • Siblings Fight Plastic Pollution
  • Dolphins Use Coral Reef as Medicine Cabinet
  • Scientists Play with 3D-Printed Foods
Front cover shows three scientists watching lava spray into the air above a volcano.

Iceland Rocked by Earthquakes and Volcano

Includes:
  • Glasses Help People "Hear"
  • Sea Stars Are Just Heads
  • Electric School Buses Park with Power

Kangaroos Make Earth-Friendly Gas, A World-Class Soccer Ball Takes the Field, Plant Reflects Sound to Attract Bats, Fluid Recycling on Trip to Mars, and Gigantic Dino Discovered

Large grazing animals, such as cattle, produce and release large amounts of methane gas as part of the digestive process. Methane is a greenhouse gas that causes climate change. Interestingly, the Australian version of a large grazing animal--the kangaroo--produces very little methane. The kangaroo's Earth-friendly gas may help scientists make "greener" cows! In other news, the new World Cup soccer ball gets put to the test; satellite-dish shaped leaves help a plant attract bats; trips to Mars are made possible by recycling urine; and the largest known species of dinosaur has recently been discovered in Argentina.

Enjoy this special six-page summer edition!

Lobster Rings, Poisonous Primates, Water on Mercury, Peel-and-Stick Solar Panels

Similar to tree rings, scientists have discovered growth rings in lobsters that reveal their age. In other news, a newly discovered species of Loris uses poison for defense; ice was found on blistering-hot Mercury; and peel-and-stick solar panels will offer an easy, new way to power cell phones and other devices.

Magnetic Helmets to the Rescue

Includes:
  • Rover, Rover, Come on Over!
  • Return from Space Is a Bumpy Ride
  • Corals and Crabs Are BFFs

Martians--Right Here on Earth!

Includes:
  • Warmer Climate, Bigger Mosquitoes
  • Cats Are More Independent than Dogs
  • New Car May Be Faster than a Speeding Sound Wave!

Mini-Habitats on Ocean Trash, a Super Suit, Dolphins Remember Names, and Ice-Covered Canyon Discovered

Tons of plastic trash is building up in Earth's oceans. Tiny microorganisms are taking advantage of this plastic by turning it into a new, unique habitat dubbed the plastisphere. In other news, the newly invented exosuit makes muscles stronger; dolphins can recognize the whistles of their old friends even after 20 years; and a grand canyon was found hiding under the ice in Greenland.

BONUS VIDEO: Show students a 3-D view of Greenland's hidden canyon with this fun animation!

New Telescope Looks Way Back in Time and Space

Includes:
  • Space Inventions Help on Earth
  • When Bees Go to Bed, Moths Go to Work
  • Tower Uses Sunlight to Make Jet Fuel

New Uses for Robots and Drones, Bacteria Candy Helps Teeth, Bad Breath Scares Spiders, and Spacewalkers Repair Space Station

While they may seem like something from the future, robots and drones are becoming part of everyday life. From robots herding cattle to drones delivering pizza, new technology is making life easier for people. Some robots may even help save lives! In other news, a candy made of bacteria may prevent tooth decay; caterpillars with bad breath scare away hungry predators; and brave astronauts on the International Space Station donned spacesuits to make repairs.

Owlets Sleep Like Babies, The Sun is Flipping Out, Smart Glass Makes Instant Shade, and Sleepy People Eat More Junk Food

People aren't the only animals that have REM sleep. Barn owls also have REM sleep and, as with people, the babies spend more time in REM sleep than adults do. In other news, the Sun is in the middle of a solar maximum and its magnetic poles are reversing; smart glass can control the amount of light and heat coming through windows; and sleepy people favor junk food over healthy foods.

People Are Charged Up About Electric Cars

Includes:
  • World's Oldest Baby Bottles
  • Ancient Trilobites Moved in Groups
  • Zebra Stripes Keep Flies Away

Front cover shows a fuzzy bee finding nectar inside a purple crocus bloom. Yellow pollen sticks to its body.

Plants Get Good Vibes from Their Pollinators

Includes:
  • Pollinators Only, Please
  • Some AI Voices Sound Identical to Human Voices

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • T. rex Took a Long Time to Grow Up

Racetrack Rocks Caught on the Move, Sharpshooting Fish Hits the Mark, Dandelion Weed Fills a Need, and What's That? Plants Listen for Danger

Racetrack Playa in Death Valley got its name from long tracks left behind by rocks, some as big as boulders, that inexplicably move across the valley floor. This decades-old mystery was solved by scientists who caught the rocks in action. In other news, archerfish spit super accurate water jets to capture prey; rubber from dandelion roots will soon be used to make tires; and plants that hear the chewing of hungry caterpillars produce a chemical that keeps the herbivores from eating so much.
Front cover shows Spot the robot dog craning its long neck to shine its flashlight in a factory.

Robot Dogs Speak Using ChatGPT

Includes:
  • Canada’s Wildfires: A Global Concern
  • Wall Lizards Smell Trouble
  • Small Satellites, Big Storms

Saving the World's Largest Trees from Fires

Includes:
  • Playing Outdoors Helps with Health
  • Oldest Human Footprints in the Americas!
  • Tiny Flying Machines

Scientists Discover 'Scissors' for Genes

Includes:
  • The Science of Wildfires
  • A Dog's Nose Knows
  • A New Kind of Plane

Soot and Global Warming, Wrinkled Fingers, Super Slime, and Cardboard Helmets

Controlling carbon dioxide emissions has proven to be difficult, but reducing the emission of soot could be a quicker, easier way to slow global warming. In other news, prune-like fingers that appear after a long swim may be a beneficial adaptation; thread made from hagfish slime is super strong; and cardboard bicycle helmets are the newest development in protective head gear.

Sound Wars! Moths vs. Bats

Includes:
  • Astronauts Survive Emergency Landing
  • Two Moons over China?
  • Hologram Teachers!

Spiders Follow Their Rivals

Includes:
  • Whispering Whales
  • HouseZero: Energy Hero
  • Solar Sail Rides on Sunlight

Stonehenge: What Was the Source of the Stones?

Includes:
  • Lizards Hang On During Hurricanes
  • Turning Used COVID-19 Masks into Fuel?
Front cover shows Olympic gymnast Simone Biles about to land on her hands on the balance beam.

Summer Olympics: Players Put Physics to Work

Includes:
  • Physics for the Win!
  • Crows Can Count Out Loud

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Scientists Reshape Plastic

Take a Bite Out of Plastic Waste

Includes:
  • Scientists Make Plants "Pass Out"
  • Making a Stronger Space Suit
  • Turning Off Lights Helps Baby Sea Turtles

Teaching Eggs to Sing, Rogue Planet, Magnets and Cancer, Pee Power

Scientists have observed that certain birds learn a song while they are still in their eggs. In other news, some rogue planets float freely around in outer space; magnets can help kill cancer cells; and high school students in Africa designed a very unconventional generator.

The Science of a Sneeze

Includes:
  • Girl Invents Glitter Cannon
  • Roach Milk in Your Cereal?
  • Octobot Moves Without Batteries

The Science of Popcorn

Includes:
  • Home Sweet Magnetic Home
  • F-Shaped Holes Make a Better Violin
  • Say "Ow!" and Feel Better

BONUS VIDEO: In this video, a high-speed camera reveals the popping action of a single kernel of popcorn.

The Science of Spicy Food

Includes:
  • Crab Eyes Inspire New Kind of Camera
  • Movement Breaks Help Brain and Body
  • Quiet Animals Surprise with Sounds
  • Blowhole Energy: The Wave of the Future?

The Science of Tornadoes

Includes:
  • Getting Tough on Lead
  • Feeding Florida's Manatees
  • Amazing Bacteria Gobble Up Electricity

Top Science Stories of 2015

Includes:
  • New Species Discovered in 2015
  • Record-Breaking Hurricane Was a Gentle Giant
  • Flowing Water on Mars
  • Pluto's Big Year
  • New Battery May Change How You Charge

Top Science Stories of 2018

Includes:
  • Plastic: The Trash That Lasts
  • Student Invention Finds Microplastics
  • New Species of 2018!
  • Thank You, Stephen Hawking
  • These Scientists are Winners

Total Eclipse of the Sun!

Includes:
  • It's Knot That Simple
  • Early Birds Get the Better Breakfast
  • The Buzz on Pollinating Drones

BONUS VIDEO: In this video, scientists explain how the Earth, Moon, and Sun line up during a solar eclipse.

Tree Snakes Change Shape to Get Air, Ants Battle for Territory, Google Glass Tracks Disease, and Melting Permafrost Reveals Secrets

Snakes don't seem like natural flyers. They are skinny and wingless. However, paradise tree snakes can fly from tree to tree by spreading their ribs and flattening their bodies. This new shape is similar to that of an airplane wing and generates lift, keeping the snakes aloft. In other news, crazy ants are outcompeting fire ants for territory; doctors are using Google Glass to diagnose and track disease; and an ancient virus was discovered in melting permafrost.
Front cover shows a colorful photo of outer space, with swirling pink and brown clouds of gas.

Vera Rubin Telescope Wows Viewers

Includes:
  • One Powerful Camera
  • Hummingbirds Change with the Times

Also in Middle and Upper elementary:

  • Scientists Hunt for Stealthy Volcanoes

What Makes Lost Lake 'Vanish' Every Year?

Includes:
  • Whoosh! Salmon Catch a Lift
  • Spacecraft Gets a Wake-Up Call
  • Tracking a Great White Shark!
  • Zebrafish Produce Sunscreen
  • Turning Plastic Trash into Almost Anything

Enjoy this special six-page summer edition!

Wind Trees Generate Electricity

Includes:
  • Vampire Deer are Back
  • Spiders Can Help Monitor Pollution
  • Cloud Bacteria Have a Sweet Tooth

Young Scientist Invents Test for Water Safety

Includes:
  • First "Alien" Neighbor Pays a Visit!
  • Baby Bats Sound Like the Crowd
  • Sense of Smell: Better at Bedtime