Science

A major methane leak from a Los Angeles County natural gas storage field is spewing huge amounts of the potent climate change chemical into the air. Nearly 2,000 elementary students whose schools are nearby will have to enter different schools by mid-year. Low flying aircraft have been instructed to steer clear, and about 3,000 families have sought relocation. Several lawsuits have been filed on behalf of residents who say they've been harmed. Neither efforts to capture the leaking gas nor to seal off the damaged well have been successful.

Will there ever be a universal translator? Scientists have pursued one for decades (and some say we're close) but the challenge is as tremendous as teaching a computer to think like a human.

Successful people get more sleep than you might expect. Are their sleep patterns giving them a leg-up on the average American?

The mites that live on our faces may help reveal where our ancestors came from. It wouldn't be the first time that creepy crawlies have revealed something more than skin deep about the human past.

Hardy, nutritious and gluten-free, millet has become an "it" grain in recent years. Research reveals our ancestors relied on it: Millet was central to the rise of agriculture and farming communities.

College student Austin Martin has created a website that uses rap lyrics to teach vocabulary to middle and high school students.

Average gasoline prices fell below $2 a gallon this week. That means U.S. consumers saved more than $100 billion this year at the gas pump, or about $550 per licensed driver. At the same time, falling natural gas prices — combined with warm temperatures in much of the country — will mean big savings on heating bills. But consumers don't seem to be spending more yet. Why? In Vermont, at least, people are worried about warm days hurting tourism.

The decision means a significant delay in the InSight program, because Earth's and Mars' orbits are aligned in a way that makes a launch possible only every 26 months. Blame a faulty seismometer.