Why some ants have bigger brains?

Animals that live in larger societies tend to have larger brains. But why? Is it because a larger group size requires members to divide up the labor on tasks, thus causing some individuals to develop specialized brains and neural anatomy? (Compared with most humans, for instance, taxicab drivers have brains that have larger areas that are involved with spatial memory.) Or is it because the challenges of group living—needing to know all the foibles of your neighbors—cause the brains ... Read more »

A new view of one of Hubble’s most famous images

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON—In honor of the 25th anniversary of the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope in April, astronomers have taken another snapshot of one of the images that made Hubbl ... Read more »

Analysis of spacecraft data reveals most Earth-like planet to date

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON—Scientists analyzing data from NASA’s Kepler satellite have boosted the tally of known or suspected planets beyond our solar system to more than 4000, they reported here today at a meeting of the American Astrono ... Read more »