Earth & Environment
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...
Hot, humid weather may increase risk of kidney failure
People living in Australia's hot and humid northern regions are more likely to suffer from kidney failure than those living in cooler and less...
This brainless animal folds itself like origami, study finds
How does a living thing fold itself into complex shapes without a brain, nerves, or muscles?
A new study of one of Earth’s simplest animals...
Scientists discover 125,000-year-old elephant tracks in southeastern Spain
For the first time, scientists have uncovered fossilized footprints of large land animals preserved in ancient coastal sand dunes in the Spanish region of...
Not just cold and conflict: Roman troops at Hadrian’s Wall battled parasites
Nearly 2,000 years ago, Roman soldiers stationed on the edge of the empire faced more than cold winds, enemy raids, and homesickness.
New research shows...
Ancient “living rocks” absorb carbon day and night in South Africa
Along the coast of South Africa, strange rocky formations quietly grow in places where life seems unlikely to survive.
These structures, known as microbialites, look...
Why brown bears in central Italy are smaller and calmer than anywhere else
Living close to humans doesn’t just change landscapes—it can also change animals themselves.
A new genetic study shows that brown bears living near villages in...
Scientists turn mussel shell waste into a sustainable abrasive for jeans
A surprising new study suggests that discarded mussel shells—usually thrown away as food waste—could help make the fashion industry more sustainable.
Researchers from the University...
Rain, dust, and ‘badass’ microbes: How life takes hold on new lava
When a volcano erupts, it looks like the ultimate destroyer. Red-hot lava pours across the land, burning everything in its path and leaving behind...
How used coffee grounds can remove toxic metals
Millions of people start their day with a cup of coffee, but few think about what happens to the used coffee grounds afterward.
Most of...
The first alien civilization we encounter will be extremely loud
For decades, science fiction writers have tried their best to prepare us for eventual contact with aliens. Their efforts are dominated by several recurrent...
How cranberries can be a Christmas cracker for health this festive season
From festive sauces to brightly coloured juices, cranberries have long been part of our diets. Beyond their tart flavour and seasonal appeal, these red...
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Why bats rarely get cancer and what we can learn from them
Bats are fascinating creatures, not just because they can fly, but also because they live for a long time, hardly ever get cancer, and...
Wolves on the move: Yellowstone packs carry tiny pups to follow elk migration
Gray wolf pups are born helpless—blind, deaf, and without the strong sense of smell that helps adult wolves survive.
Normally, these pups stay safe inside...
Newly-discovered 1,600-year-old mosaic sheds light on ancient Judaism
Scientists find the first ancient Jewish depiction of the Elim episode from the biblical book of Exodus.
For nine years running, Carolina professor Jodi Magness...
Scientists make tough plastics in cars and electrical appliances recyclable
Thermoset polymers, found in car parts and electrical appliances, have to be durable and heat resistant.
But typically, they cannot be easily recycled or...
Rapid spin delays the collapse of merged neutron stars into black hole
When two neutron stars spiral into one another and merge to form a black hole — an event recorded in 2017 by gravitational wave...
Why did so many buy COVID misinformation? It works like magic
Misinformation and disinformation about COVID and government-led health measures to combat the pandemic hampered efforts to form a unified national response to the disease.
Is there really a 1 in 6 chance of human extinction this century?
In 2020, Oxford-based philosopher Toby Ord published a book called The Precipice about the risk of human extinction. He put the chances of “existential...
Why more hospital visits occur just before a thunderstorm
Analyzing data from Medicare and the National Weather Service confirms that more people, particularly older people with respiratory illness, make more hospital visits on...