Earth & Environment

Meet Mía: The robotic rabbit that learns your voice after just one hello

Imagine a robotic pet that recognizes your voice the first time you speak to it and remembers who you are the next time you...

Ancient plague was already deadly 5,500 years ago, study reveals

Plague is often linked to medieval Europe, crowded cities, and rats carrying infected fleas. However, a new study published in the journal Nature shows that...

Microbes destroyed an ancient pterosaur’s wingbone, then preserved it for 100 million years

More than 100 million years ago, a flying reptile called a pterosaur flew over the oceans hunting squid and fish. Much more recently, one of...

Tiny Plastic Particles Could Strongly Harm Liver Health

Microplastics are everywhere. They are tiny pieces of plastic that form when larger plastic items, such as bottles, food containers, plastic bags, and packaging...

New AI system predicts robberies in US Cities with more than 86% accuracy

Researchers have developed a new artificial intelligence (AI) system that can predict robberies and other crimes more accurately than several existing methods. By studying where...

How AI is helping referees make faster and more accurate calls at the World...

More than 1.5 billion people around the world are expected to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals. With so many fans carefully watching every...

Dogs and humans age in similar ways, surprising study finds

Dogs may have more in common with humans than just sharing our homes and routines. A new study has found that the same biological signals...

Ancient stellar debris is still falling on Earth after 100 million years, study finds

Tiny traces of material from a giant cosmic explosion are still falling to Earth more than 100 million years after the event occurred, according...

A 5.3-million‑year‑old whale graveyard has been found on the floor of the Indian Ocean

When a whale dies, a very special natural phenomenon can come alive. The carcass might float at the surface for some time, attracting sharks and...

The best place to look for alien megastructures might be moon dust

Our search for technosignatures - clear signs of advanced civilizations beyond Earth - takes many forms. Many are driven by the famous Drake equation, which...

NFL draft picks may be overrated, new study suggests

Every year, NFL teams spend enormous amounts of time, money, and effort trying to identify the best players in the draft. High draft picks are...

Ancient humans chose the perfect stone for the job nearly 800,000 years ago

A new study has revealed that ancient human ancestors were far more skilled and organized than previously thought. Nearly 800,000 years ago, they were carefully...

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Red soil mineral captures trace metals over time

Trace metals, though tiny in amount, play a crucial role in the health of both plants and animals. These metals, like zinc, are essential...

The price of a pre-pandemic lifestyle

As COVID numbers fall and mandates lift, the question remains: Is it possible to avoid trade-offs between returning to pre-pandemic lifestyles and an uptick...

What does Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have to do with bananas?

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine has prompted the United States, the European Union, and other nations to leverage sanctions against Russian...

Paleontologists discover complete theropod dinosaur specimen

The discovery of a nearly complete dromaeosaurid Saurornitholestes langstoni specimen is providing critical information for the evolution of theropod dinosaurs, according to new research...

How giant sauropods got their strange skulls

It was always going to be a big lift, piecing together the story of how sauropods — the long-necked, lumbering giants of the dinosaur...

Your laundry is polluting the ocean—Scientists say this new filter can help

Every time we wash our clothes, tiny plastic fibers are released into the water. These fibers come mainly from synthetic fabrics such as polyester, nylon...

Scientists find a ‘fearsome dragon’ that soared over outback Queensland

Australia’s largest flying reptile has been uncovered, a pterosaur with an estimated seven-meter wingspan that soared like a dragon above the ancient, vast inland...

Why most blockchain startups are failing—and it’s not about the tech

A new study from the University of Surrey has revealed that up to 90% of blockchain startups are likely to fail—but not because the...