Earth & Environment
Ancient diamonds uncover Earth’s hidden secret for preserving life’s essential element
Two unusual diamonds found deep inside the Earth are helping scientists answer a long-standing question about how our planet has remained suitable for life.
The...
Scientists create smart battery material that stops energy loss
Lithium-sulfur batteries have long been seen as one of the most promising technologies for the future of energy storage.
They could store much more energy...
Scientists warn 1.7 million satellites could destroy our view of the night sky
The number of satellites orbiting Earth is growing at an incredible speed, and scientists say it could soon change the night sky forever.
A new...
Air conditioners alone can’t beat extreme heat, scientists warn
As the world gets hotter, air conditioners are becoming more important than ever.
They help people stay safe during heat waves and can even save...
How giant glaciers moved massive rocks across the Alps 24,000 years ago
Thousands of giant rocks scattered across Switzerland have puzzled people for centuries.
Many of these huge boulders are sitting far from the mountains where they...
,000-year-old child’s skull found in Norwegian cave reveals secrets of early farmers
Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of a young child who lived about 4,000 years ago in a cave on Norway's west coast.
The remarkable discovery...
An extended barrage of asteroid impacts made Earth too hot to form continents
The formation of continents was an important step in Earth's history.
Continents and plate tectonics are connected to the planet's habitability, and the same is...
A star’s death throes involves a lot of kicking
Imagine being nudged again and again by thousands of tiny shoves, each one barely perceptible alone, until they add up to a steady drift...
Crocodile brains have barely changed in 100 million years, new study finds
Crocodiles are often called "living fossils," and a new study suggests that description may be more accurate than ever.
Scientists have discovered that the brains...
Why the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool turned green—and why it matters for America’s drinking...
When the famous Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C., suddenly turned bright green, many people were surprised.
The unusual color quickly became national news....
New solar hydrogen system converts over 31% of sunlight into clean fuel
Hydrogen is expected to play an important role in the future of clean energy because it can store renewable electricity and produce no carbon...
Scientists turn plastic bottles into high-quality battery material
A plastic bottle that would normally end up in a recycling bin or landfill could one day help power electric cars, smartphones, and renewable...
FEATURED
Light accelerates conductivity in nature’s electric grid
The natural world possesses its own intrinsic electrical grid composed of a global web of tiny bacteria-generated nanowires in the soil and oceans that...
People arrived in North America thousand years earlier than thought
Stone tools and other artifacts unearthed from an archeological dig at the Cooper's Ferry site in western Idaho suggest that people lived in the...
How to stay motivated – or make peace without it
Distraction is everywhere.
From endless emails to countless meetings, it can easily zap motivation.
Ongoing research shows there are ways to protect motivation, and maybe even...
BPA-free plastics may play a role inflammation, obesity
In a new study, researchers found a compound used to reduce public exposure to possible toxic effects of the chemical Bisphenol A (BPA) may...
Boosting vitamin B1 in rice: a leap forward for global nutrition
In a new study, researchers have found a way to significantly increase the vitamin B1 content in rice, a staple food for half the...
How long it took Madagascar’s mammals to emerge? 23 million years
In many ways, Madagascar is a biologist’s dream, a real-life experiment in how isolation on an island can spark evolution.
About 90% of the plants...
America mourns another school shooting. Why is it so difficult to strengthen US gun...
The murders of at least 19 children and two teachers at a Texas elementary school have led to more demands for a coherent approach...
Scientists develop new device to turn CO₂ into useful products
A researcher at the University of Central Florida (UCF) has developed an exciting new technology that could help reduce the harmful effects of carbon...