Analyze This!

Exploring science through data, graphs, visualizations and more. 

  1. Materials Science

    Analyze This: A new fabric mimics polar bears’ pelts for warmth

    With layers that work like polar bears’ skin and fur, a material absorbs light and keeps it from escaping.

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  2. Plants

    Analyze This: Plants sound off when they’re in trouble

    When dry or cut, tomato and tobacco plants make sounds too high for humans to hear. Such sounds could provide a way to snoop on crops.

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  3. Animals

    Analyze This: Puppies naturally mimic human actions

    Unlike cats, whose ancestors hunted alone, dogs evolved from a species that hunted in packs. Being social might explain why pups copy humans.

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  4. Materials Science

    Analyze This: Algae behind blue-glowing waves light up a new device

    Some algae glow blue when they experience forces. Held in transparent plastic, they now make devices light up in response to gentle pushes and tugs.

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  5. Earth

    Analyze This: Salt may quash lightning over the sea

    Bits of airborne salt may help raindrops form, removing water from clouds before it can freeze as part of the process that makes lightning.

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  6. Earth

    Analyze This: Wildfires are pumping more pollution into U.S. skies

    Researchers wanted to study the health effects of wildfire smoke. But they realized they didn’t know where it was and how much exposure people had.

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  7. Animals

    Analyze This: Octopuses may use favorite arms for grabbing meals

    Understanding how octopuses control all their arms could provide clues for engineers building soft robots.

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  8. Animals

    Analyze This: Bulky plesiosaurs may not have been bad swimmers after all

    Long-necked plesiosaurs were thought to be slow swimmers. But new research suggests the animals’ large size helped them overcome water resistance.

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  9. Planets

    Analyze This: Some 5,000 planets orbit stars other than our sun

    A new cache of confirmed exoplanet discoveries marks a milestone in planets found beyond our solar system.

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  10. Environment

    Analyze This: Corals stash microplastics in their skeletons

    Scientists have wondered where the ocean’s microplastic pollution ends up. Corals may trap about 1 percent of particles in tropical waters each year.

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  11. Animals

    Analyze This: Birds may decorate nests to scare off rivals

    Birds that nest in holes face stiff competition for nest sites. Some use feathers, also found where predators have made a kill, to keep rivals away.

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  12. Physics

    Analyze This: Masks cut the distance that spit droplets fly

    Both cloth masks and surgical masks reduced the distance spit traveled from a person talking or coughing by at least half, compared with no mask.

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