Mercury appears to undergo a recurring meteor shower, perhaps when its orbit crosses the debris trail left by comet Encke. (Artist's concept.) Image Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center The closest planet to the sun appears to get hit by…

This image is the first detailed picture of the crystal structure of a gene-regulation enzyme while it is working on a nucleosome -- a fundamental component of the chromosomes that provide structure and organization for an organism\'s genes. Nucleosomes are…

A colony of coral from a newly discovered coral community with attached anemones and brittle stars from a site 6 km from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill site. The patchy brown growth on the normally gold-colored coral is not found…

Aim is to minimize losses when earthquake follows flood. By David Pacchioli Flood and earthquake. Either one of these natural hazards, if severe enough, can topple a highway bridge. Accordingly, bridges are designed and built to withstand both types of…

HERSHEY, Pa. -- All instances of a gene mutation that contributes to light skin color in Europeans came from the same chromosome of one person who most likely lived at least 10,000 years ago, according to Penn State College of…

Environmental research and weather forecasting are about to get a significant technology boost as NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) prepare to launch a new satellite in February. NASA and JAXA selected 1:07 p.m. to 3:07 p.m. EST…

In vivo reprogramming turns glial cell scar tissue back to normal neuron tissue. UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Researchers at Penn State have developed an innovative technology to regenerate functional neurons after brain injury and also in model systems used for…

By Barbara K. Kennedy UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Like our Milky Way, every known large galaxy has at its center a supermassive black hole, some of which are surrounded by a super-bright disk of hot gas called a quasar. Now…

Team of Penn State researchers works on device that may one day improve patient survival By Curtis Chan For cancer patients, the most dreaded piece of news is that the disease has spread. "Ninety percent of patients die because of…

By Kevin M. Cockroft Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center recently became only the third hospital in Pennsylvania and one of only about 30 institutions in the country to offer a new minimally invasive treatment for brain aneurysms. Brain…

This is a backyard view of the sky surrounding the ancient star, cataloged as HD 140283. Star could be as old as 14.5 billion years A team of astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has taken an important step closer…

Although pacemakers, pumps and defibrillators arent exactly new to the heart health scene, todays devices for supporting a strong ticker are smaller, smarter and more widespread than you might think. For instance, a full two-thirds of patients who receive defibrillators…