Long-awaited mystery fungus sought by LSD’s inventor discovered
A college student has just solved a decades-old scientific mystery, and her discovery could lead to future breakthroughs in medicine.
Corinne Hazel, an environmental microbiology...
Astronomers find a hidden planet partly in the habitable zone of its star
Astronomers have found another super-Earth. It's about 10 times more massive than Earth, and orbits in the habitable zone of a Sun-like star 2475...
How male mosquitoes hear their mates—and outsmart traps
Male mosquitoes have an impressive ability to find female mosquitoes by listening for the faint sound of their wingbeats, even in noisy swarms.
A new...
Scientists discover chimpanzees use stones to make sounds—possibly to communicate
A new five-year study has revealed that wild chimpanzees in West Africa may be using stones to communicate with one another.
This remarkable behavior, documented...
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,...
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...