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...
Beyond “junk DNA”: Scientists find a hidden gene that controls cell size
Every cell in our body has a “just right” size.
If cells grow too large or too small, the consequences can be serious, contributing to...
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...
A year that mattered: Caltech’s scientific journey in 2025
Caltech is a place unlike any other, an Institute that is truly "small but mighty."
Its small size and the expertise of its community enable...
Why city raccoons rarely cross the road
Raccoons have a reputation for being curious, clever, and fearless, especially in cities where they rummage through trash cans and explore human spaces.
But new...
Scientists create powerful new tool to explore the microbial universe
Microbes are everywhere. They live in our bodies, in soil, in the oceans, and even in the air we breathe.
These microscopic organisms play a...
Starving penguins off South Africa face a devastating 95% decline, study finds
African penguins living off the coast of South Africa have suffered a catastrophic population collapse over the past two decades, largely because they have...
Scientists discover that human hair grows by being pulled, not pushed
For decades, biology textbooks have taught that human hair grows because new cells in the hair root divide and push older cells upward, making...
Snake pee may help treat gout pain and kidney stones
If you’ve never had a reptile as a pet, you might be surprised to learn that many reptiles don’t pee like humans do. Instead...
How a deep-sea ‘vampire’ helped solve a 300-million-year evolution mystery
A mysterious deep-sea creature has just helped scientists solve a long-standing evolutionary puzzle.
The vampire squid—an unusual animal that looks like a mix between an...