Earth & Environment

Neanderthals might have treated infections 50,000 years ago

Neanderthals, our ancient human relatives, may have been more skilled in health care than we once thought. A new study suggests that they could have...

QLD GPs face barriers in supporting VAD, shows QUT study

Queensland general practitioners provide compassionate, holistic care to patients seeking voluntary assisted dying (VAD), but many face significant hurdles that limit their capacity to...

Ice age elephants traveled 300 km before being hunted by Neanderthals

During the Ice Age, massive elephants once roamed across Europe—and new research shows they traveled surprisingly long distances before encountering Neanderthals. A study of ancient...

Paleontologists uncover a new Spinosaurus species by following a clue from a decades‑old book...

My fixation on a small, desolate locale in the heart of the Sahara Desert started with a single line buried in a 630-page tome...

How we turned plastic waste into vinegar

Plastic is one of the most durable materials humans have ever made. That durability has made it indispensable in medicine, food packaging and transport. But...

Not quite like birds: How dinosaurs hatched their eggs less efficiently

How did dinosaurs hatch their eggs? Scientists have long debated whether bird-like dinosaurs used body heat like modern birds or relied more on environmental heat,...

Major music release days may lead to more traffic deaths, Harvard study finds

Listening to new music is exciting for fans, especially when a major artist releases a long-awaited album. But a new study suggests that the excitement...

Hot weather and air pollution together may raise suicide risk

Suicide is a major public health concern in the United States and around the world. Over the past several decades, suicide rates in the...

Ancient plant viruses may have originated before the last ice age

A group of plant viruses that infect many important crops may have origins stretching back tens of thousands of years, long before humans began...

The Sun has a heartbeat

Think you know the Sun? You glance up on a clear day, feel the warmth on your face, and it seems reassuringly constant. Same star,...

Tiny zircon crystals reveal new secrets about Earth’s earliest history

Scientists still have many questions about the earliest years of our planet. Earth formed about 4.55 billion years ago, but almost no rocks from that...

Climate change could wipe out 20% of Colombia’s cocoa land by 2050, study warns

Colombia may lose nearly one-fifth of the land currently suitable for growing cocoa by 2050, according to a new scientific study. The research suggests that...

FEATURED

Researchers find common plant could ease food shortages

Carolina azolla, a water plant native to the eastern U.S., is emerging as a promising solution to some of the world's most pressing challenges,...

COVID-19 in wastewater can be infectious, study shows

In a new study, researchers found wastewater containing the COVID-19 virus may be a serious threat. The research was conducted by a team from the...

Scientists discover the most complete dinosaur in the UK in a century

A groundbreaking discovery has been made in the UK: the most complete dinosaur skeleton found in the country in the past 100 years. This exciting...

Staying indoors during a heat wave could be dangerous, warns study

As Chicago and much of the Midwest brace for what might be the hottest days of the summer, many people are cranking up their...

Why is 2024 predicted to be one of the most active hurricane seasons in...

The predictions are out, and it looks like this year’s Atlantic hurricane season will be one of the most active in recorded history. In an...

Ancient Antarctic ice melt increased sea levels by over 3 meters — and it...

Mass melting of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet was a major cause of high sea levels during a period known as the Last Interglacial...

Blue light: A new hope for treating dog ear infections

New research from the University of Nottingham and the University of Birmingham has discovered that blue light can kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria causing ear infections...

Scientists find five double star systems potentially suitable for life

Almost half a century ago the creators of Star Wars imagined a life-sustaining planet, Tatooine, orbiting a pair of stars. Now, 44 years later, scientists...