Chemistry of coffee | Life & News

Sunday, January 25, 2026

People

The perfect cup of coffee boils down to four factors

Staff Writer - March 15, 2015

By Don Brushett Welcome to the second instalment in our series Chemistry of Coffee, where we unravel the delicious secrets of one of the most...

EXPLORING NATURE

Observing the night sky can get kids interested in astronomy and STEM careers. Jeremy Thomas/Unsplash

Education

Rural areas have darker skies but fewer resources for students interested...

Staff Writer - January 13, 2026

Emma Marcucci, Smithsonian Institution The night sky has long sparked wonder and curiosity. Early civilizations studied the stars and...

SpaceX’s Starship rocket launches in August 2025. Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images

Superheavy-lift rockets like SpaceX’s Starship could transform astronomy by making space...

January 11, 2026

Skiers and snowboarders walk across dry ground to reach a slope at Bear Mountain ski resort on Dec. 21, 2025, in California. Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

The western US is in a snow drought, and storms have...

January 8, 2026

Solar power has been expanding quickly, but natural gas is also booming. Gerard Julien/AFP via Getty Images

The battle over a global energy transition is on between petro-states...

January 6, 2026

Why did this community burn one woman’s remains in such a visible, spectacular way? Patrick Fahey

Oldest known cremation in Africa poses 9,500-year-old mystery about Stone Age...

January 3, 2026