National Geographic News

PICTURES: 2012 Doomsday Myths Debunked

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Asteroids slamming into Earth, a planet sneaking up on us, an angry sun singing the planet—find out why these and other end-of-the-world events won't be happening in 2012.

Sesame Street Goes Green at 40--But Warming "Too Scary"

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

With help from Michelle Obama, Sesame Street kicks off it's Google-hyped 40th-anniversary season tomorrow—the first in new a two-year environmental-education effort. "Scary" issues like global warming, though, are off-limits.

2012: Six End-of-the-World Myths Debunked

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Supposed Maya predictions of the end of the world in 2012 have some people seriously scared. See what experts say about the unknown planet predicted to pummel Earth, the cataclysmic "galactic alignment," and more.

New Type of Supernova Discovered

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

A star explosion that blazed as bright as ten billion suns but faded away within 20 days might be the first proof of a theoretical new class of supernova, astronomers suggest.

Even Babies Have "Accents," Crying Study Finds

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Newborn babies start learning language in the womb—and are born with accent-like intonations, a new study of crying babies says.

PICTURES: "Extraordinary" Ancient Skeletons Found

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Several graves dating as far back as the early Stone Age--complete with dog-tooth jewelry and even a sitting woman--have been discovered during extensive digs in central Germany, archaeologists say.

APOCALYPSE PICTURES: 10 Failed Doomsday Prophecies

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Just as some people today believe a Maya calendar pinpoints 2012 as the end of the world as we know it, people through centuries and across cultures have long forecast our collective doom.

GLOWING CORAL PHOTO: Fluorescence Found to Aid Healing

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Multicolored "scabs" that glow in daylight are filled with fluorescent proteins that help broken or wounded corals heal, a new study says.

Mutant Diseases May Cripple Missions to Mars, Beyond

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Cosmic rays can mutate microbes and dampen immune systems—creating virulent diseases that may become a major hurdle in the quest to send humans into space, a new report says.

SPACE PHOTOS THIS WEEK: Ares Dent, Moon Geyser, More

Tue, 3 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

NASA's Ares I-X rocket gets a cloud and a dent, astronomers peek into a cosmic jewel box, sunlight sparkles on a Saturn moon's plume, and more in the week's best space pictures.