Sally Gray

There's a mission to this mysterious water world that could detect the first alien life

In February, NASA announced that it was investing in a $2 billion mission to Europa — a tiny moon of Jupiter that is one of the most likely places …

How to Control What Appears on Your Facebook Timeline

Steve Proehl—Corbis<p>Matt Harnack for Facebook<p>Steve Proehl—Corbis<p>Matt Harnack for Facebook<p>David Paul Morris—Bloomberg/Getty Images<p>Matt Harnack for …

8 Ways to Write and Finish a Work of Fiction

Like any endeavor, writing a work of fiction requires learning how to manage those nagging self-doubts each time you sit at a computer and think to yourself, "I can't write!"<p>Writers are notorious for getting stuck in their own heads which often causes them to give up. Starting a work of fiction …

The world's most colorful cities have no need for an Instagram filter

Most cities are colorful: They have different districts, interesting people, and unique stories. But let's drop the metaphor and focus on real …

Blood Moon in pictures: Total 'supermoon' lunar eclipse seen around the world

What is it like to have never felt an emotion?

Some people seem to lack the capacity to feel joy, sorrow or love. David Robson discovers the challenges and surprising advantages of “alexithymia”.<p>Caleb is telling me about the birth of his son, now eight months old. “You know you hear parents say that the first time they looked at their kid, they …

China’s Air Problem Is Worse Than You Think

A new study finds that air pollution kills 4,000 people per day in China.<p>Over the past 10 years of living in and then writing about China, I’ve struck these big three recurring themes:<p>That it is impressive and notable for the U.S. and China to have managed relations as well as they have over the …

Staving Off Alzheimer's

Alzheimer's - already afflicting well over five million Americans -- is expected to claim more than 16 million of us by 2050 if a cure isn't found. Today it is at the top of the Bad News list of potential diagnoses for almost anyone over 50. Justifiably so, since the Centers for Disease Control and …

Scientists studying starlight can tell you: Our universe is going dark

We know that our universe has already lived through great number of exciting phases. But new research released overnight shows the universe has long passed its peak and is slowly but surely dying.<p>The research was presented at the year’s largest gathering of astronomers at the International …

Glitches Galore: A Brief History Of Technical Problems On Wall Street

Wednesday's computer-related problems on the New York Stock Exchange that halted trading for more than three hours was not a one-off. Over the years, stock exchange failures have been attributed to everything from technical glitches to a stray squirrel.<p>Here are some recent incidents:<p><b>Aug. 22, 2013:</b></b> …

Decoding China's swoon, and what it means for Silicon Valley

China’s stock markets have been in free-fall for the past several weeks, reversing tremendous gains over the prior twelve months. The Chinese version …

Dead-Cinch Thrillers: 4 Books To Get Your Heart Pounding

I've just spent much of the past two weeks on my couch, reading suspense fiction. The result of all that heavy lifting is this list of recommendations — four thrillers, very different in style and MO, but all deadly accurate in their aim to entertain.<p>Innocence; Or, Murder On Steep Street<p>Second …

Weekend Reading

<i>Every Sunday, we round up our favorite food reads (podcasts, and videos) from the week, so you can sit back with that cup of coffee and settle in to catch up on what's happening in the world of food.</i><p><i>Today: A quick guide to whiskey, a warm welcome back to one of our favorite ice cream makers, and</i> …

Science Seeks to Unlock Marijuana Secrets

As the once-vilified drug becomes more accepted, researchers around the world are trying to understand how it works and how it might fight disease.<p>There’s nothing new about cannabis, of course. It’s been around humankind pretty much forever.<p>In Siberia charred seeds have been found inside burial …

Jane Hawking: 'Living with Stephen made me suicidal but I still love him'

Former wife of the physicist reveals the secrets of their life together<p>When Jane Hawking was first sent the script of The Theory of Everything – James Marsh’s Oscar-winning film adaptation of her book, Travelling to Infinity – she made two changes. “First, I took out the word ‘campus’ to describe …

Junk food kills bacteria that protect against obesity, heart disease and cancer, study finds

Strong link between good bacteria, diet and overall health discovered after researchers lived on McDonald's meals for 10 days straight<p>Eating junk food kills stomach bacteria which protect against obesity, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, inflammatory bowel conditions and autism, fresh studies have …

Exploding satellite debris poses ‘Gravity’ style space threat

Scientists at the University of Southampton claim missions, spacecraft and satellites are at risk from 50,000 pieces of debris hurtling around the Earth<p>Spacecraft are at risk from dangerous debris which is currently hurtling around Earth at enormous speed following the explosion of a US satellite, …

Ancient Wheat DNA Find Shifts Early UK Farming Theories

Some of us spend so much time thinking about <i>not</i> eating wheat, particularly its key protein, gluten, that it can be difficult to remember how important wheat is to human history.<p>We started growing it about 10,000 years ago. That was a major milestone; it marked the beginning of the end of the …

Babka Recipes That Are Braided Full Of Deliciousness

Of all the breads that can be baked, babka is by far the prettiest. Its braided layers present what has been rolled inside, which is usually the wonderful gift of chocolate -- though sometimes cinnamon, nuts and fruit make their way in there, too. The dough used to bake babka is a version of …

Don’t Stop Daydreaming: Why a Wandering Mind Is Good for You

If you can’t get through this article without checking your Facebook, walking to the fridge, scrolling through your phone, and choosing something on …

What Happens When You Strap a Camera to a Sea Turtle's Shell

Using a camera strapped to the creature, scientists reveal for the first time the intricacies of how the sea giant hunts.<p>Submerged in murky seawater, a grey leatherback turtle homes in on its spineless prey, a pink jellyfish drifting through the dark green abyss. The giant turtle glides toward the …

That Sugar Film: how 60 days of eating ‘health food’ led to fatty liver disease

Australian documentary maker Damon Gameau cracks open the refined sugars hidden in so-called ‘healthy’ packaged food in a gonzo activist mission to map his own mental and physical disintegration<p>Actor Damon Gameau strapped drugs to Matthew Newton’s stomach in Underbelly and received an AFI …

HIV strain came from gorillas, study finds

Western lowland gorillas in southern Cameroon appear to be the source for the second-most-lethal category of the immunodeficiency virus that crossed into humans, a new study suggests.<p>The category, called<p>HIV-1 group O, has not been nearly as dangerous to humans as group M, which has infected more …