Imagine a planet where everyone and everything is named Bob. The "unbelievably sexy" Hugh Downs narrates this laugh-out-loud video explaining the nature of taxonomy--the system for naming and classifying species--and why it's important. Here's everything you never realized you wanted to know about taxonomy!

We've all heard that playing video games can improve your hand-eye coordination--usually from kids trying to evade mom's order to go play outside. But those kids may be on to something. New research shows that playing a video game on the Nintendo Wii can help medical students become better surgeons by improving hand dexterity. --by Joe Kullman

When you visit the beach, the ocean always looks the same--but that doesn't mean it isn't changing. A new study has taken a comprehensive look at human impacts on marine ecosystems, including coral reefs, estuaries, and pelagic waters. The results show that none of Earth's oceans have escaped human influence. Now, oceanic maps from the study can help policy makers determine where human activities are most likely to cause negative effects. (Read the full story) --by Margaret Coulombe

Anyone who watches television in the United States might logically conclude that this is a nation plagued by allergies, depression and arthritis. Ads for medicines to address such conditions make it seem as though ailment sufferers outnumber the healthy. But, it wasn't always so. (Read the full text)

Researchers have cracked the genetic code of a bacterium that harvests far-red light by making a rare form of chlorophyll (chlorophyll d). The bacterium, Acaryochloris marina, uses light from a part of the spectrum that few other organisms can use. Understanding how it works could help drive advances in agriculture and bioenergy. --by Skip Derra

The majority of people on Earth will soon live in megacities--urban areas with populations of 10 million or more. What will these future cities look like? And how will their populations meet the unique environmental challenges of the megacity? --by Margaret Coulombe

Scientists have discovered shellfish remains, tiny stone blades and red ochre pigments in a cave in South Africa. The 164,000-year-old artifacts suggest that early humans were using tools, engaging in symbolic behavior, and even eating seafood much earlier than previously thought. --by Jodi Guyot

U.S. and Chinese high school students are taking aim at the Red Planet using an ASU-designed camera on a Mars-orbiting spacecraft. --by Robert Burnham