Earth & Environment

Europa’s ice shell secrets unlocked by ground radar study

Jupiter’s moon, Europa, has become high-value real estate for astrobiologists and the search for life beyond Earth. This is because the small moon, which is...

Hidden museum fossil solves a 5-million-year-old saber-toothed cat mystery

A fossil that sat unnoticed in a museum drawer for decades has turned out to be one of the most important discoveries about the...

Scientists turn plastic bottles into clean hydrogen using only sunlight

Plastic waste is one of the world's biggest environmental problems. Millions of tons of plastic end up in landfills, rivers, and oceans every year,...

New printable cooling technology could replace harmful refrigerants

Air conditioners, refrigerators, and heat pumps help keep our homes, workplaces, and food cool. However, the refrigerants they use can create environmental and safety...

Europe’s last Neanderthals were more diverse than scientists ever imagined

A new study has revealed that the last Neanderthals living in Western Europe were far more connected and genetically diverse than scientists once believed. The...

3-billion-year-old asteroid crater offers rare window into Earth’s violent past

Scientists have confirmed the age of the oldest known asteroid impact crater on Earth, revealing that a huge space rock struck our planet about...

New material could pull carbon dioxide directly from the air

Scientists in Spain have developed a new material that can capture carbon dioxide (CO₂) directly from the air more efficiently than many current technologies. The...

Scientists find 1,000s-year-old human DNA hidden in cave walls

Scientists have made an exciting discovery that could change the way we study human history. For the first time, researchers have shown that ancient human...

Earth’s oldest crater really is more than 3 billion years old

In the Pilbara of Western Australia, some of Earth's oldest rocks lie beneath the sky, as they have for billions of years. They are dark,...

Australia’s under-16 social media ban has had little immediate impact, study finds

Australia became the first country in the world to introduce a nationwide law aimed at preventing children under the age of 16 from having...

Australia’s under-16 social media ban has had little immediate impact, study finds

Australia became the first country in the world to introduce a nationwide law aimed at preventing children under the age of 16 from having...

AI could deliver relevant online ads without tracking your every move, study finds

For years, online advertising has been built on a simple idea: if companies want to show people relevant ads, they need to collect large...

FEATURED

ChatGPT’s Studio Ghibli-style images raise new copyright problems

Social media has recently been flooded with images that looked like they belonged in a Studio Ghibli film. Selfies, family photos and even memes have...

First people to enter the Americas likely did so with their dogs

The first people to settle in the Americas likely brought their own canine companions with them, according to new research which sheds more light...

How the 2024 superstorm crushed Earth’s protective plasma bubble

In May 2024, Earth was hit by the strongest geomagnetic storm in more than 20 years. Known as the Gannon storm or the “Mother’s Day...

The ground is sinking fast in Arizona’s Willcox Basin — Here’s why

In Arizona’s Willcox Basin, just over an hour east of Tucson, the ground is sinking, wells are drying up, and deep cracks are splitting...

Why does my hair turn green from the swimming pool?

If you are a blonde like me and enjoy laps in a swimming pool, you may have noticed your hair acquires a green tint...

Tropical storms could help fight low oxygen levels in oceans

The destructive power of tropical cyclones, known in different regions as hurricanes or typhoons, is well-documented, especially in terms of the havoc they wreak...

16-inch salamander once ruled Appalachia, new fossil reveals

A powerful, long-extinct salamander once roamed the ancient forests of Tennessee, and its recent discovery is helping scientists understand how the region became a...

Ancient bronze hand inscription mirrors contemporary Basque words

In the rich tapestry of human history, language serves as one of the most profound artifacts left behind by ancient civilizations, offering us a...