Earth & Environment

Did gravitational tides cause Earth’s extinctions?

Life on Earth took a long evolutionary journey that eventually created us, the purportedly intelligent species that dominates the planet. But there was no grand...

Heat barcodes could make plastic recycling smarter and cleaner

Recycling plastic is much harder than many people realize. Every day, homes and businesses throw away large amounts of plastic, which is collected and sent...

If you’re feeling down, maybe don’t pet your cat

You come home after a stressful day and reach out to your cat for a bit of comfort. It hisses. Maybe takes a swipe. Or...

Scientists discover a new walking shark species in a tiny corner of Papua New...

Scientists studying unusual sharks that can "walk" along the seafloor have made an exciting discovery—a completely new species that was previously unknown to science. The...

Why Middle Age Is Getting Harder for Many Americans

For many people, middle age is often seen as a time when life becomes more stable. Many adults have built careers, raised children, and...

Cats or Dogs: Which Pets Really Improve Your Mood

People have argued for years about whether cats or dogs make better pets. Some people love dogs because they are playful, loyal, and enjoy...

Meet Mía: The robotic rabbit that learns your voice after just one hello

Imagine a robotic pet that recognizes your voice the first time you speak to it and remembers who you are the next time you...

Ancient plague was already deadly 5,500 years ago, study reveals

Plague is often linked to medieval Europe, crowded cities, and rats carrying infected fleas. However, a new study published in the journal Nature shows that...

Microbes destroyed an ancient pterosaur’s wingbone, then preserved it for 100 million years

More than 100 million years ago, a flying reptile called a pterosaur flew over the oceans hunting squid and fish. Much more recently, one of...

Tiny Plastic Particles Could Strongly Harm Liver Health

Microplastics are everywhere. They are tiny pieces of plastic that form when larger plastic items, such as bottles, food containers, plastic bags, and packaging...

New AI system predicts robberies in US Cities with more than 86% accuracy

Researchers have developed a new artificial intelligence (AI) system that can predict robberies and other crimes more accurately than several existing methods. By studying where...

How AI is helping referees make faster and more accurate calls at the World...

More than 1.5 billion people around the world are expected to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals. With so many fans carefully watching every...

FEATURED

Scientists net 139-pound Oneida Lake sturgeon

That fish was THIS big. Really, it was. Researchers from the Cornell Biological Field Station at Shackelton Point on Oneida Lake, in Bridgeport, New York, caught,...

Why and how do ants walk in a perfect line

In the world of ants, order isn’t optional. These tiny insects live in colonies with millions of others, working together as a team to forage,...

Dinosaur poop uncovers secrets of their success

Scientists have uncovered new clues about what made dinosaurs thrive millions of years ago by studying fossilized poop! Researchers from Uppsala University and several international...

How likely is a US recession? About 75 percent

“My estimate is that the probability of a US recession is more than 50 percent: about 75 percent,” Professor Saxena says.

Giant planets can have very different atmospheres

But out in the galaxy, the atmospheric compositions of giant planets do not fit the solar system trend.

Scientists discover new dinosaur species in Zimbabwe: Meet Musankwa Sanyatiensis

Fossils found on the shoreline of Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe have led to the discovery of a completely new dinosaur species. Named Musankwa sanyatiensis, this...

Scientists find chemical leftovers from early Earth sitting near the core

Let’s take a journey into the depths of the Earth, down through the crust and mantle nearly to the core. We’ll use seismic waves to...

How world’s largest pterosaur got airborne

With a wingspan nearing 40 feet, the giant pterosaur Quetzalcoatlus is the largest known animal to take to the sky. But known from only a...