Motivated by the high price of the precious metal and the economic meltdown, tens of thousands of Americans are seeking their share of the yellow stuff.
Call it "ovulation on demand"—a bizarre male bark jump-starts a female cheetah's reproductive system, adding a much-needed boost to breeding the rare big cats in captivity, experts say.With audio.
Some 93 million years ago, dinosaur-era "sea monsters" swam the seas above what is now Utah. Thanks to paleontologists, more evidence of the ancient beasts is now surfacing.
Like the wakes of cosmic speedboats, oddly shaped bow shocks reveal single stars careening through the cosmos at more than 112,000 miles (180,250 kilometers) an hour.
Among the surprises scientists have in store for the coming year: Sunken treasures, a new evolution debate, earlier Earths, and a host of revelations about the universe.