Earth & Environment
A lost ice age giant speaks again—from inside a wolf’s stomach
Scientists have recovered the complete genome of a woolly rhinoceros that lived more than 14,000 years ago—and they did it using tissue preserved inside...
The rise of fish began with a mass extinction, fossils reveal
About 445 million years ago, life on Earth nearly collapsed. In a relatively short geological moment, Earth’s climate flipped dramatically.
Massive glaciers spread across the...
Whale hunting in south America began 5,000 years ago—far earlier than we thought
The history of whale hunting is much older—and more global—than researchers once believed.
A new study shows that Indigenous communities living along the southern coast...
How a 400-year-old shark keeps its vision sharp for life
In a quiet office at the University of California, Irvine, Dorota Skowronska-Krawczyk watches a grainy video on her computer.
A massive Greenland shark drifts slowly...
This system reveals how super-Earths are born
One of the best things about being able to see thousands of exoplanetary systems is that we’re able to track them in different stages...
Why the Los Angeles fires were so destructive
Twelve months after devastating wildfires tore through parts of Los Angeles, researchers are still uncovering lessons from one of the most destructive urban fire...
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...
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Arctic ice decline impacts marine life and ocean productivity
The Arctic Ocean, a realm of extreme conditions and profound beauty, is witnessing a dramatic transformation.
Over the past quarter-century, the Arctic's summer sea ice...
Mosquitoes have color preferences. Could we hide from them?
Beating the bite of mosquitoes this spring and summer could hinge on your attire and your skin.
New research led by scientists at the University...
What you need to know about leptospirosis if you are dog owners
Leptospirosis is a serious bacterial infection that affects dogs and can be fatal, leading to severe kidney damage and even death.
Emmanuelle Butty, a veterinary...
Humans will soon be able to mine on the moon—but should we
By the end of this decade, nations and private companies may well be mining the surface of the moon.
But as space becomes accessible to...
The underwater adventures of lizards
In the world of lizards, anoles are like the superheroes of the sea, able to hold their breath and dive underwater for more than...
Extreme heat may increase cognitive decline in these people
In light of July 2023 being the hottest month ever recorded and cities like Phoenix grappling with prolonged heatwaves, new research indicates that continuous...
Human activity contaminated Himalayan glacier long before people arrived, study shows
Scientists found byproducts of coal combustion in a glacier on one of the world's highest peaks.
The finding shows human activity, likely from Europe,...
This giant sea lizard from Cretaceous period could grow up to eight meters long
Scientists have identified the fossil of a giant mosasaur in Morocco that grew up to eight meters long.
A giant mosasaur from the end of...