15 Most Popular News Stories

Top 15 as of November 8, 2009
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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.

November 5, 2009
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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.

November 5, 2009
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"Absolutely sensational" new pictures are rare proof that the world's largest toothed whales feed on elusive giant squid. And if researchers are right, the photos may also show a baby whale's hunting lessons.

October 30, 2009
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Multicolored "scabs" that glow in daylight are filled with fluorescent proteins that help broken or wounded corals heal, a new study says.

November 4, 2009
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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.

November 4, 2009
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Sesame Street character Cookie Monster is gobbling Google's logo for the show's 40th anniversary. But around the world it's other Muppets that steal the show—and reflect the cultures and conflicts of each region.

November 5, 2009
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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.

November 3, 2009
 

Global warming, or climate change, is a subject that shows no sign of cooling down. Here's the lowdown on why it's happening, what's causing it, and how it might change the planet. Includes photo gallery.

Updated June 14, 2007
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Ernest Hemingway must be reaching for a bottle of grappa in his grave. The snows of Kilimanjaro—inspirations for a Hemingway story of the same name—could be gone by 2022, a new study confirms.

November 2, 2009
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Newborn babies start learning language in the womb—and are born with accent-like intonations, a new study of crying babies says.

November 5, 2009
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Hyper-real animation—think movies like The Polar Express or Beowulf—can get too realistic for comfort, psychologists say. And according to a new study, monkeys might agree.

November 3, 2009
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Part of a growing trend, a Danish family of seven has installed its own wind turbine to produce all the electricity the family needs while reducing its carbon footprint. Video.

November 4, 2009
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From Rome's Colosseum to India's Taj Mahal, see how the recently announced "new seven wonders of the world" stack up against the original list of ancient monuments.

July 9, 2007
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Scientists in Japan have captured and filmed a live giant squid, likely for the first time, shedding new light on the famously elusive creatures.

December 22, 2006

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National Geographic Traveler has scoured the globe for the world's most beautiful, interesting, and off-beat road trips. Dive in to get drive directions, quizzes, photos, and more.