Earth & Environment
Are ‘designer’ dogs really better? New study questions popular beliefs
“Designer” crossbreed dogs like cockapoos, cavapoos, and labradoodles have become very popular pets in recent years.
Many people believe these dogs are easier to train,...
Neanderthals might have treated infections 50,000 years ago
Neanderthals, our ancient human relatives, may have been more skilled in health care than we once thought.
A new study suggests that they could have...
QLD GPs face barriers in supporting VAD, shows QUT study
Queensland general practitioners provide compassionate, holistic care to patients seeking voluntary assisted dying (VAD), but many face significant hurdles that limit their capacity to...
Ice age elephants traveled 300 km before being hunted by Neanderthals
During the Ice Age, massive elephants once roamed across Europe—and new research shows they traveled surprisingly long distances before encountering Neanderthals.
A study of ancient...
Paleontologists uncover a new Spinosaurus species by following a clue from a decades‑old book...
My fixation on a small, desolate locale in the heart of the Sahara Desert started with a single line buried in a 630-page tome...
How we turned plastic waste into vinegar
Plastic is one of the most durable materials humans have ever made. That durability has made it indispensable in medicine, food packaging and transport.
But...
Not quite like birds: How dinosaurs hatched their eggs less efficiently
How did dinosaurs hatch their eggs?
Scientists have long debated whether bird-like dinosaurs used body heat like modern birds or relied more on environmental heat,...
Major music release days may lead to more traffic deaths, Harvard study finds
Listening to new music is exciting for fans, especially when a major artist releases a long-awaited album.
But a new study suggests that the excitement...
Hot weather and air pollution together may raise suicide risk
Suicide is a major public health concern in the United States and around the world. Over the past several decades, suicide rates in the...
Ancient plant viruses may have originated before the last ice age
A group of plant viruses that infect many important crops may have origins stretching back tens of thousands of years, long before humans began...
The Sun has a heartbeat
Think you know the Sun?
You glance up on a clear day, feel the warmth on your face, and it seems reassuringly constant. Same star,...
Tiny zircon crystals reveal new secrets about Earth’s earliest history
Scientists still have many questions about the earliest years of our planet.
Earth formed about 4.55 billion years ago, but almost no rocks from that...
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Scientists uncover secrets of enormous hole in Antarctic sea ice
In 2016 and 2017, researchers observed an extraordinary event in Antarctica: a massive hole, called a polynya, formed in the sea ice, reaching a...
Why we stick with long-term goals—even when it doesn’t make sense
Have you ever kept pushing toward a goal, even when switching to something else might have been smarter or easier?
You’re not alone—and scientists are...
Volcanic super-eruptions were formed over millions of years, followed by swift surge
Researchers at the University of Bristol and Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre have discovered that super-eruptions occur when huge accumulations of magma deep in...
Melting of Himalayan glaciers has doubled in recent years, says study
A newly comprehensive study shows that melting of Himalayan glaciers caused by rising temperatures has accelerated dramatically since the start of the 21st century.
The...
Scientists reveal new clues into how Earth got its oxygen
For much of Earth’s four and a half billion years, the planet was barren and inhospitable.
It wasn’t until the world acquired its blanket of...
How early life challenges shape survival
New study reveals secrets of marmot longevity.
Just like humans, animals that face hardships early in life can suffer long-lasting effects on their health and...
So far, Elon Musk’s Twitter files amount to ‘a tempest in a teapot,’
There was a lot of buzz over the weekend about the so-called “Twitter Files,” a collection of communications released on Friday that revealed how...
How a new bus line in Philadelphia is defying post-pandemic transit trends
When the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority launched the 49 bus route in Philadelphia in early 2019, those who most benefited were older adults and...