NASA knew full well that the Apollo lunar landing missions were risky, and it took steps to minimize the chances of losing astronauts in space. Redundancies were built into the spacecraft, and astronauts and technicians alike spent hours simulating missions. Mission planners also used simulations to anticipate as many …

On Lost Girl, a road trip gives us a glimpse of the old Kenzi while Bo sets out to grant forgiveness, and realizes she's really the one who needs forgiving. If that seems a little too Lifetimey, there's a Polish demon and cleavage galore.

Imagine batteries stretchy enough to flex inside clothing or under the skin. Unusually elastic batteries could one day help power flexible electronics worn on or implanted inside the body, researchers say.

A recently discovered comet will make an uncomfortably close planetary flyby next year — but this time it's not Earth that's in the cosmic crosshairs. According to preliminary orbital prediction models, comet C/2013 A1 will buzz Mars on October 19, 2014. Early calculations suggest that the chance of impact is low —…

In the Battlestar: Galactica universe, nebulas are a nifty spot to hide from the Cylons that are plotting to kill humanity. There's just one problem with the hypothesis, though: These diffuse areas of gas in our universe are actually very faint, even if you get close up. Probably too faint for a hiding spot.

Flowers may be silent, but scientists have just discovered that electric fields allow them to communicate with bumblebees and possibly other species, including humans.

Temporary electronic tattoos could soon help people fly drones with only thought and talk seemingly telepathically without speech over smartphones, researchers say. Electrical engineer Todd Coleman at the University of California at San Diego is devising noninvasive means of controlling machines via the mind,…

When it comes to our food choices, many of us do the best we can to ensure that what we're putting on our plates are the healthiest and most nutritious foods possible. But given so many choices, it's not easy to know exactly what we should be eating — so we put our trust in conventional wisdom, common sense, and what…

Is the world only a Pope away from the End? Yes, if you believe a chilling 12th-century prophecy. Attributed to St. Malachy, an Irish archbishop canonized in 1190, the Prophecy of the Popes would date to 1139. The document predicted that there would be only 112 more popes before the Last Judgment — and Benedict XVI is …

Over the last century and a half, science fiction has evolved just as science has evolved. But does this mean there is actually a causal link between futurology and real scientific research? Could science fiction actually determine what technologies humanity ultimately invents? And if so, can this new generation of…