Adler Planetarium astronomer Lucianne Walkowicz will spend the next year figuring out how humans can get along while exploring one of the more curious planets in our solar system: Mars. 

Four webbed-feet members of a rare and endangered duck species have a new home in Chicago.

First went the plastic bags, then the plastic straws. Now they’re coming for more. The Shedd Aquarium announces a new initiative to significantly reduce or eliminate the use of disposable plastic bottles by 2020.

Sepsis affects more than 1 million hospital patients each year in the U.S., but detecting it can take days. Now, scientists at the University of Illinois are developing a rapid test to detect the potentially deadly condition.

Life as an amphibian is no easy hop through the woods. Why Chicago scientists are measuring levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) in Lake County frogs.

Like many humans approaching their elder years, a 49-year-old western lowland gorilla named Ramar has been dealing with knee pain.

There are plenty of coding classes for teens and young adults in Chicago, and most of them aren’t cheap. But one local nonprofit is shaking up the landscape by offering coding classes to young women—for free.

Empty yogurt cartons, peanut butter jars and pizza boxes: How clean do they need to be in order to toss them in your recycling bin? Chicago’s recycling staff has answers.

An 8-pound Asian carp was discovered last week beyond an electric barrier designed to prevent the invasive fish from reaching Lake Michigan. 

Chicago’s recycling rate is among the lowest in the country. What the city is now doing to try to change that.

Chicago data scientists competed against teams from Canada and the Netherlands in an annual event that highlights the innovative use of technology to improve the water quality of the Great Lakes. 

About 5,000 tons of trash from the Chicago area is dumped every day at a landfill in Livingston County, but hardly any of it goes to waste. How yesterday’s trash becomes tomorrow’s energy.

The international nonprofit Women Who Code boasts 100,000 members worldwide. This week, it’s relaunching its Chicago chapter and plans to offer meet-ups and other networking opportunities.

‘The Peregrine Returns’ is not just a story of recovery, but adaptability, exploring how the cliff-dwelling bird has made a home in an urban environment.

Get a behind-the-scenes look at the Field Museum, and the role and influence of the curators who put the museum's incredible collection together.

Since 1967, a laboratory just outside Chicago has been pushing the boundaries of scientific discovery. We go for a look.