Earth & Environment
AI can’t do your Christmas shopping just yet—but next year might be different.
I'm a computer scientist and a bad Christmas shopper. Over the weekend, I wondered whether AI systems might be able to help me out.
Could...
Volcanic eruptions did not wipe out dinosaurs, scientists confirm
For years, scientists have debated whether massive volcanic eruptions or a meteorite impact caused the extinction of dinosaurs 66 million years ago.
New research from...
World’s oldest mammalian ancestor discovered in Mallorca
An exciting discovery has been made in Mallorca, where researchers have unearthed fossils of a creature that lived around 270 to 280 million years...
Five cybersecurity tips to protect yourself from scams and deepfakes
In an age when misinformation and deepfakes blur the lines between fact and fiction, identifying scams has never been more challenging.
Falling for a scam...
Right whales may live over 130 years, study finds
New research published in Science Advances reveals that right whales can live for more than 130 years—almost twice as long as previously thought.
This discovery...
Hidden worlds beneath the Arctic: Mysterious ocean vents offer clues to alien life
A groundbreaking study has revealed unexpected diversity in hydrothermal vent formations deep beneath the Arctic Ocean.
These findings shed light on the mysterious origins of...
Scientists reunite Pterodactylus family after 150 million years
This Christmas, paleontologists from the University of Leicester have shared some exciting news: they’ve reunited a family that has been separated for 150 million...
How to deal with narcissistic relatives over the holidays
The holiday season is here, and streets are filled with festive sparkles, twinkling lights and cheerful Christmas songs.
While many of us are looking forward...
How desert plants could revolutionize clean energy
Scientists have discovered a more eco-friendly way to produce energy by using plants that thrive in dry, harsh environments like deserts.
These drought-tolerant plants, also...
How we could find advanced civilizations that ran out of fusion fuel
When it comes to our modern society and the many crises we face, there is little doubt that fusion power is the way of...
Scientists uncover ancient link between early Europeans and Neanderthals After modern humans left Africa,...
After modern humans left Africa, they encountered and interbred with Neanderthals, leaving around 2–3% Neanderthal DNA in the genomes of all people outside Africa...
Scientists discover new deep-sea predator in the Atacama Trench
The hadal zone, the deepest part of the ocean, is a world of extreme conditions: complete darkness, crushing pressure, and scarce food.
Yet, life thrives...
FEATURED
What could Spacex’s Starlink do for Ukraine
After Ukraine’s vice prime minister put out a plea to Elon Musk on Twitter, the SpaceX CEO activated his company’s Starlink service and delivered...
Scientists find new low-energy way to recycle plastic waste
When we started using plastics about 70 years ago, not much thought — if any — was given to the implications of their lifespan...
Solar storms could cause mayhem to trains
The rail service here in the UK is often the brunt of jokes.
If it’s not the wrong type of rain, or the leaves are...
Extreme heat events mean higher risk for diabetics
The global effects of climate change have been demonstrated to extend beyond the environment to many other areas including human health, particularly with respect...
Daily happiness can bring high stock returns: evidence from international markets
In traditional financial theory, the stock price is determined by supply and demand in the stock market. However, recent studies have shown that investor sentiment...
Fossil carbon burned by asteroid impact may have killed all dinosaurs
An asteroid impact 66 million years ago may have released trillions of pounds of partially burned fossil carbon into Earth’s upper atmosphere as a...
Can coal mines provide rare earth elements?
As the world seeks to transition away from fossil fuels, it may seem ironic that coal mines could play a role in this shift...
Antibodies from this animal could be a powerful weapon against COVID-19
In a new study, researchers found a new method to extract tiny but extremely powerful SARS-CoV-2 antibody fragments from llamas.
It could be fashioned into...