Much of what ancient scribes carved in stone is lost to weathering. Among the hard-to-read are tablets from Draco, a rather severe politician who codified the laws of ancient Athens.

Marine biologists are seeing mysterious and disturbing things along the Pacific Coast this year: higher water temperatures, plummeting catches of fish, lots of dead birds on the beaches, and perhaps most worrisome, very little plankton — the tiny organisms that are a vital link in the ocean food chain.

Tuberculosis vaccines being tested in developed countries will not protect people living in parts of the developing world where they are most needed because they trigger a different body response, researchers said on Monday.

Dissident scientists advocating a controversial theory of the universe are having a field day in the wake of NASA’s Deep Impact comet collision earlier this month.

Xiaowei Zhuang makes snuff films. First, she isolates her victims. Then she forces them into a closed chamber, surrounds them with known killers, and lets her camera run.

Fingerprints aren’t just for fingers anymore. Now, they could be an important new tool for fighting document forgery.

Dick Pelletier: Over the next 15 years, exciting advances in biotech, nanotech, robotics, and artificial intelligence will radically change the way Americans live, work and play.

The game of rock-paper-scissors has made its way into the boardroom and become an international sport.

The world’s smallest MP3 player is now available at WalMart.

Earth has been through many cold spells since its birth 4.5 billion years ago. Scientists say some drastic episodes froze the planet all the way to the equator.

Thomas Sowell: As a result of “evolving standards” and “nuanced” judicial decisions, we no longer have clear-cut rights. We have a ticket to a crapshoot in a courtroom. That ticket is worth a lot more to those with slick lawyers than to ordinary citizens.