Why your teeth are sensitive—and it started 465 million years ago
If you’ve ever flinched during a cold drink or a dental cleaning, you know that our teeth can be incredibly sensitive.
That sensitivity is thanks...
Finding a better way to distinguish life from non-life
The search for life on other worlds needs a way to sift through the chemistry of their atmospheres.
If another species observed Earth to search...
Hidden cotton virus was in U.S. fields for nearly 20 years before discovery
A virus that damages cotton crops has been quietly spreading through U.S. fields for nearly two decades—without anyone noticing.
Scientists once believed the cotton leafroll...
Clouds could enhance the search for life on exoplanets
When searching for life in the Universe (aka. astrobiology), scientists use strategies that go by various names.
For example, there's the "follow the water" approach,...
Why squirrels are everywhere and raccoons are rare
If you've ever noticed that some animals seem to be everywhere—like squirrels—while others, like raccoons or foxes, are much harder to find, you're not...
New study reveals ice age animals’ survival secrets from 2.6 million years ago
A new study has revealed when and how animals like the woolly mammoth, musk ox, and arctic fox developed special adaptations to survive the...
Scientists discover cats and dogs have evolved baby faces in surprising similar ways
In a surprising new study, scientists have found that some cats and dogs have evolved to look unusually alike—despite being very different animals.
These similarities...
Is there life on distant planet K2-18b? Scientists say it’s too soon to tell
In April, the scientific world—and the public—was abuzz with the thrilling news that a distant planet called K2-18b might show signs of life.
Researchers from...
Long before bees: Flowers were blooming 123 million years ago
Flowers have been brightening Earth much longer than scientists previously believed—by at least two million years.
In a new study, researchers from Leibniz University Hannover...
How to tackle new strains of potato blight and avoid another great famine
A new aggressive potato blight strain was detected in Wales and eastern Scotland earlier this year.
The strain, identified as EU 46, can withstand certain...