Earth & Environment
Neanderthals may have performed dental surgery 60,000 years ago
A surprising new discovery suggests that Neanderthals may have carried out a form of dental treatment nearly 60,000 years ago.
Researchers studying an ancient tooth...
Why carbon dioxide cools the upper atmosphere while heating Earth below
Scientists have long known something strange is happening in Earth’s atmosphere. While greenhouse gases are warming the planet’s surface and lower atmosphere, the upper...
Stardust trapped in Antarctic ice reveals tens of thousands of years of solar system’s...
When you think of outer space, you're likely picturing stars, planets and moons. But much of space is filled with clouds of gas, plasma...
Earth’s first continents formed billions of years earlier than expected
Scientists studying some of the oldest rocks on Earth have uncovered new evidence that the planet’s first continents may have started forming through plate...
Scientists discover crystal that captures drinking water using only light
Scientists at the University of Iowa have developed a new material that can capture water directly from the air using only light.
The discovery could...
What it would have been like to experience the dinosaur‑killing asteroid Armageddon
A great Tyrannosaurus rex strides through the conifer trees of her territory, sniffing the air.
She picks up the scent from the carcass of a...
Shark embryos reveal ancient blueprint behind the faces of all jawed animals
Scientists studying shark embryos have uncovered evidence that the basic blueprint for building faces in jawed animals has remained largely unchanged for more than...
How ‘snowball Earth’ was a tug-of-war
Decades of research shows that Earth was once entirely or almost entirely frozen.
The episode is known as Snowball Earth, and though its occurrence is...
Scientists find major errors in global climate pollution database
A new study from researchers at Northern Arizona University has raised concerns about the accuracy of a widely used global greenhouse gas emissions database...
Ancient continents may have helped create the right conditions for life on Earth
Scientists have discovered that the rise of Earth’s first continents may have played a major role in making life possible.
According to a new study...
Climate change is quietly increasing stroke risk, experts warn
Many people think of climate change as something that affects the weather, the oceans, or wildlife. However, scientists are now warning that it is...
Rare metal helped ancient life thrive long before oxygen filled Earth
More than three billion years ago, life on Earth faced a difficult problem.
The planet’s oceans contained only tiny amounts of molybdenum, a rare metal...
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Natural selection plays a key role in economic growth and industrialization
In a new study, researchers suggest that natural selection plays an important role in economic growth and industrialization.
The study was done by researchers Brown...
When frogs die off, snake diversity plummets
Since 1998, scientists have documented the global loss of amphibians.
More than 500 amphibian species have declined in numbers, including 90 that have gone extinct,...
Surprising study finds married older adults may face higher dementia risk
A new long-term study has found something unexpected: older adults who are divorced or never married may actually have a lower risk of developing...
Half-billion-year-old trilobite legs show ancient ocean acrobatics
Over 500 million years ago, long before dinosaurs roamed the Earth, the oceans were home to trilobites—one of the planet’s earliest and most successful...
Ancient fossils reveal when complex life flourished in earth’s oceans
In a remarkable scientific achievement, researchers have accurately dated some of the world's oldest fossils of complex multicellular life.
This research, led by a team...
Dogs and their owners share a risk of developing diabetes, study finds
In a new study, researchers found that owners of a dog with diabetes are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes themselves than owners...
An otherworldly cloud over New Zealand
Filmmakers love New Zealand. Its landscapes evoke other worlds, which explains why so much of The Lord of the Rings was filmed there.
The country...
Why your kitchen sponge is disgusting
Researchers at Duke University have uncovered a basic but surprising fact:
Your kitchen sponge is a better incubator for diverse bacterial communities than a laboratory...