Science

Conspiracy theories continue over the death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, and polonium is suspected as the weapon of the alleged assassin. Whatever happened to Arafat, there is a case from 2006 that shows just how destructive the radioactive element can be. It all started with a sip of green tea.

Brain scans may help people who were ill treated as children realize that they process fear differently than others. They may have a harder time realizing what's truly a threat and what's not. Researchers say that can lead to increased risk of anxiety and depression.

About 22 percent of sun-like stars in our galaxy may have planets orbiting them that are about the size of Earth and bathed in similar amounts of sunlight, according to a new analysis of data from the Kepler Space Telescope.

There's a curious twist in the contentious debate over feeding antibiotics to animals in order to make them grow faster. Evidence suggests using antibiotics for growth promotion, at least among pigs, doesn't even make economic sense. But some pork producers don't believe it.

Huge stone slabs weighing up to 300 tons that now reside in Beijing's Forbidden City were slid more than 40 miles in 15th- and 16th-century China over water-lubricated ice roads in the dead of winter. Though spoked wheels had been around for almost 3,000 years, the ice roads were smoother and required less manpower.

Rjukan lies in the shadow of surrounding mountains for nearly six months every year. But the town recently installed a system of mirrors to bring sunlight to its central square. Not everyone can bask in the glow at the same time, but the project is bringing residents together.

Consumers in search of novelty are turning to once-obscure grains like quinoa, spelt and sorghum. But sorghum's great virtue for farmers is the fact that it can thrive with so little water.

Long after we die, many of the microscopic creatures living in and on us continue to thrive. In field experiments, forensic scientists are tracking changes in communities of microbes on human remains that could one day serve as clues.

It's been a year since Hurricane Sandy knocked the mid-Atlantic states for a loop. Scientists say that as sea level rises, such storms are likely to occur more often. But the new, more realistic flood maps could boost flood insurance rates. Will politics trump science?

Humans and other primates have really good vision. One scientist thinks that ability evolved in part to help monkeys and humans quickly recognize venomous snakes. When monkeys see photos of snakes, neurons in a specific part of the brain light up. The neurons respond to photos of the reptiles more than to monkey faces.