Stories - AZPM

Upchuck, bubby, wriggly, yaps, giggle, guffaw, puffball and jiggly rank among the funniest English words, according to a new report.

No Joke, Researchers Try to Decode What Makes Words Funny

Nothing says "humor" like semantic predictors from a computational language model.

Portion of a NASA topographic shaded relief map of the surface of Mars created using the [Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter](https://attic.gsfc.nasa.gov/mola/images.html).

NASA Announces Mars 2020 Rover Landing Site

The 28-mile-wide Jezero crater, site of an ancient stream-fed lake, lies near Mars's equator.

An artist's illustration of the Kepler telescope.

NASA Bids Farewell to Kepler, Pioneering Planet Hunter

After nine years and more than 500,000 stars observed, the space telescope is retiring.

Crowdsourcing Moral Dilemmas to Guide Self-Driving Cars

A new study seeks to understand how the public sees life-and-death decisions encountered on the road.

Mosaic of the Valles Marineris hemisphere of Mars, by the Viking Orbiter. The Valles Marineris canyon system is visible.

Mars Water Could Support Oxygen-Breathing Microbes

Simple, multicellular life, such as sponges, could survive in briny waters near the surface of the planet.

Research Ties Urban Flu Patterns to Population Density, Climate

Researchers say there's more to the spread of flu than the expected seasonal patterns.

Scientists have found evidence of a possible exomoon, though they stress the need for more data and observations.

Scientists Put Forward Candidate For First Known Exomoon

If confirmed the discovery would be considered the first of its kind, scientists say.

Touching down during a Sept. 12 parachute test for the Orion spacecraft at the Yuma Proving Grounds.

NASA Mission Passes Key Milestone With Yuma Parachute Test

The agency can now give the Orion parachute system the go-ahead for flights with astronauts.

Study Warns Against Taking Endangered Mexican Wolf North of Historical Range

Researchers warn that going beyond range could threaten decades of conservation and recovery efforts.

The largest island in the ring is the tourist mecca of Santorini (also known as Thira), while the other islands are Thirasia and Aspronisi. The three pieces are what remains after an enormous eruption destroyed most of a volcanic island. Courtesy of NASA Earth Observatory.

UA Tree-Ring Research Narrows Window for Massive Bronze Age Eruption

Newer methods helped close the gap on an ancient explosion that dimmed the sun across the Eastern Mediterranean.

Desert-adapted birds like the cactus wren, at left, have declined throughout the Mojave Desert, but not as much as other birds. Decreased rainfall because of climate change appears to be the culprit. On the right, a Costa's hummingbird.

Research Reveals Climate-Driven Bird Collapse in Mojave Desert

Deserts globally have borne the brunt of warming and drying over the past 50 years.

Researchers retrieve a fishing net from the Pacific Ocean in 2015.

Giant Strainer Seeks to Clean Up Oceanic Garbage Patches

An Arizona researcher says it's only one approach to an dire problem that requires a variety of mitigation strategies.

A changing climate is prolonging and intensifying heat waves, scientists say, driving wildfires.

Study: Droughts Are Growing Hotter Under Climate Change

Stressors may include environmental and social impacts of drought and heatwaves, driving more frequent wildfires, worsening air quality and stressing crops and livestock.

State-level variations in opioid prescription rates in emergency departments for ankle sprains (2014-2015).

Arizona Among States Likely to Overprescribe Opioids for Ankle Sprains

Opioids are not a first-line treatment for ankle-sprains, yet their use is common in nine states.

Scientists Discover Liquid Lake Under Mars Ice

Arizona researcher suggests it's the strongest evidence of liquid water so far.

Seven Arizona Small Businesses Receive NASA Funding

Two Tucson businesses were among 348 awardees sharing $43.5 million.

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