Earth & Environment
Your receipt could soon be made from trees, not toxic chemicals
Every day, most of us touch thermal paper without giving it a second thought.
It shows up as shopping receipts, delivery labels, movie tickets, and...
Walking on two legs began earlier than we thought
Scientists may have just pushed back the timeline for when our ancestors first started walking upright.
A new study suggests that Sahelanthropus tchadensis, a species...
The sticky problem of lunar dust gets a mathematical solution
Apollo astronauts discovered an unexpected enemy on the Moon. Fine dust, kicked up by their movements and attracted by static electricity, coated everything.
It found...
How air pollution may raise depression risk in older people
Air pollution is often talked about as a threat to our lungs and hearts, but scientists are now finding that it can also affect...
How a 4,000-year-old sheep solved a long-standing plague mystery
The Black Death is one of the most infamous pandemics in human history, killing roughly a third of Europe’s population during the Middle Ages.
That...
Tattoos, toxins and the immune system – what you need to know before you...
From minimalist wrist designs to full sleeves, body art has become so common that it barely raises an eyebrow.
But while the personal meaning of...
When humans disappeared, these birds evolved different beaks
When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the UCLA campus, students weren’t the only ones affected.
A small brown bird called the dark-eyed junco also felt...
When disasters strike, home batteries could be a lifeline
Extreme weather is placing greater strain on Australia's power grids.
In 2022, the record-breaking Northern Rivers floods blacked out almost 70,000 households.
A powerful storm in...
Biodegradable electronics may create microplastics, scientists warn
Electronics designed to disappear after use sound like a perfect solution to the world’s growing e-waste problem.
Known as transient or biodegradable electronics, these devices...
Your laundry is polluting the ocean—Scientists say this new filter can help
Every time we wash our clothes, tiny plastic fibers are released into the water.
These fibers come mainly from synthetic fabrics such as polyester, nylon...
Engineers find a way to watch desalination membranes clog in real time
As freshwater shortages worsen around the world, desalination—turning seawater into drinkable water—is becoming increasingly important.
But the technology that powers most desalination plants has a...
Scientists discover the youngest armored dinosaur ever found
For more than two decades, a small dinosaur from China has left scientists scratching their heads.
Known as Liaoningosaurus paradoxus, this strange fossil looked like...
FEATURED
Light accelerates conductivity in nature’s electric grid
The natural world possesses its own intrinsic electrical grid composed of a global web of tiny bacteria-generated nanowires in the soil and oceans that...
How ancient humans crossed dangerous seas without maps or metal
Thousands of years ago, people made long and risky journeys across the sea—without modern boats, maps, or even metal tools. But how did they...
Ghost signals beneath the ice: Antarctica’s radio mystery baffles scientists
High above the icy landscape of Antarctica, scientists have detected strange radio signals coming from deep within the ice—signals that don’t match anything we...
Scientists create green cement alternative using industrial waste
As cities grow and more buildings go up, the construction industry is facing two major challenges: heavy carbon emissions from materials like cement and...
Amazing ‘scuba-diving’ lizards use air bubbles to breathe underwater and escape predators
In a fascinating discovery, scientists have found that a species of small, semi-aquatic lizard from Costa Rica has developed a unique way to survive...
Patagonia’s cave art identified as south America’s earliest pigment-based paintings
The discovery of ancient cave art in Patagonia, dated to be as old as 8,200 years, marks a significant breakthrough in understanding the cultural...
Scientists discover magnetism in the Earth’s mantle
Deep down lies the core of the Earth, followed by the Earth's mantle. The Earth's crust begins 35 kilometers below the surface.
The huge magnetic...
Northrup Grumman is studying how to build a railway on the moon
Roughly two years and six months from now, as part of NASA’s Artemis III mission, astronauts will set foot on the lunar surface for...