Earth & Environment
Why Jupiter has more giant moons than Saturn
Jupiter and Saturn are the two largest planets in our solar system, and both are surrounded by dozens—even hundreds—of moons.
But their moon systems look...
Why living at high altitude could prevent diabetes
For many years, scientists have noticed an interesting pattern. People who live at high altitudes, where the air contains less oxygen, tend to have...
Up to 6.4 million children could lose citizenship rights under new proposal
A new study suggests that ending birthright citizenship in the United States could have far-reaching effects, especially for Asian and Latino communities.
Researchers from Penn...
Five things to know about rare earth elements
Aside from oil, rare earth elements may be the most buzzworthy thing coming out of the ground these days.
Headlines trumpet news about new partnerships...
A sleeping giant awakens: Japan’s Kikai volcano is slowly refilling with magma
Scientists have discovered that one of the most powerful volcanoes in Earth’s recent history is slowly building up magma again—more than 7,000 years after...
Scientists discover lost ice age world beneath Texas cave
A surprising discovery deep inside an underwater cave in Texas has revealed a hidden snapshot of life from the Ice Age.
A paleontologist from the...
Why winter could be the most dangerous season for your heart
Many people worry about heat waves and rising temperatures, but new research suggests that cold weather may be a greater danger to heart health.
A...
Not so lonely after all: Bull sharks choose friends and form social bonds
Sharks are often seen as solitary and dangerous animals that roam the ocean alone. But new research is challenging that image.
A long-term study of...
A tiny “ion pump” could make clean water cheaper and power future technologies
Scientists have developed a new kind of device that can move charged particles through water using very little energy—and without any moving parts.
This breakthrough...
Study finds surprising cancer link between cats and humans
A large new study has made an exciting discovery about cancer in cats, and it may also help improve how we treat cancer in...
Earth was already moving 3.5 billion years ago, study finds
The story of our planet is written in the slow movement of its surface.
Over billions of years, shifting tectonic plates have shaped continents, opened...
Why fashion keeps coming back: Scientists find a 20-year style cycle
Have you ever noticed that old fashion trends seem to come back?
Bell-bottom jeans, miniskirts, and vintage styles often return after disappearing for years.
Many people...
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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...
A deeply troubling discovery’: Earth may have already passed the crucial 1.5°C warming limit
Global temperatures have already exceeded 1.5°C warming and may pass 2°C later this decade, according to a world-first study I led.
The worrying findings, based...
Los Angeles’ injury rate from e-scooters may exceed national rate for motorcycles
Scientists from UCLA found for a recent six-year period, the injury rate for riders of electric scooters in one section of Los Angeles was...
Why are California’s wildfires getting worse?
Since 1980, fires have gotten significantly larger and more severe across California and the western United States, vastly increasing the amount of destruction they...
Scientists uncover 20,000-year-old cave used by early Australians in Blue Mountains
A remarkable archaeological discovery in the Blue Mountains has revealed that people lived in this cold, high-altitude region during the last ice age—much earlier...
Ant-Man is only tapping into a portion of the real superpowers of ants
Tiny ants might seem like unlikely inspirations and sidekicks for a superhero, but real-life ants have astonishing superpowers that make them formidable allies.
Scientists find link between air pollution and breast cancer risk
A groundbreaking study has revealed a significant connection between exposure to fine particle air pollution and an increased risk of breast cancer among women.
This...
Ancient microbes may help us find extraterrestrial life forms
Using light-capturing proteins in living microbes, scientists have reconstructed what life was like for some of Earth’s earliest organisms.
These efforts could help us recognize...