Human activities, such as greenhouse gas emissions and land use, influenced specific extreme weather and climate events in 2014, including tropical cyclones in the central Pacific, heavy rainfall in Europe, drought in East Africa, and stifling heat waves in Australia, Asia, and South America, according to a new report.

A new study has found a cluster of young stars that develop in distinct, episodic spurts. It is the first time astronomers have seen such a growth pattern within a star cluster -- a chaotic, turbulent environment that is common for star formation. Previous observations have focused on stars forming in more isolated regions of space.

Materials that actively repel water and ice very strongly are sought after by the aviation industry and for many other technical applications. Researchers have now found out how to specifically design the rigid surfaces of such materials: by teaching water droplets how to trampoline.

Scientists are reporting a high rate of reproductive failure in dolphins exposed to oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill. The team has monitored these bottlenose dolphins in heavily oiled Barataria Bay for five years following the spill. Their findings suggest that the effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill will be long-lasting.