Earth & Environment
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...
Climate change could wipe out 20% of Colombia’s cocoa land by 2050, study warns
Colombia may lose nearly one-fifth of the land currently suitable for growing cocoa by 2050, according to a new scientific study.
The research suggests that...
Why many middle‑aged Americans feel worse than previous generations
A growing number of Americans in their 50s and early 60s say they feel lonelier, more depressed, and physically weaker than people of the...
Why dance tracks dominate TikTok while love songs rule Spotify
What makes a song become a hit today?
While listeners certainly play a role, new research suggests that streaming platforms and their algorithms also have...
US is less prone to oil price shocks than in past decades
Oil is a global market, so when prices rise in one place, they rise everywhere. The current war against Iran has already raised oil...
Scientists grow chickpeas in “moon dirt,” opening the door to farming on the Moon
As NASA prepares for future missions that could send astronauts back to the Moon, scientists are trying to answer an important question: what will...
Elephants steer clear of humans much more than other wildlife, study finds
Wild animals do not all react to human activity in the same way.
A new study from Botswana shows that some species are much more...
Antarctica has lost ice the size of 10 Los Angeles cities in 30 years
A new 30-year study has revealed how Antarctica’s ice is slowly retreating along parts of its vast coastline.
Scientists led by researchers at the University...
Did the first land plants accidentally trigger two ancient ocean extinctions?
Hundreds of millions of years ago, the first plants began spreading across Earth’s land. This major turning point helped transform the planet into the...
Fossil bite marks reveal ancient predator hunts 280 million years ago
New research suggests that large land predators were already hunting big plant-eating animals more than 280 million years ago, much earlier than scientists once...
Mars Express reveals a landscape filled with ancient craters on the red planet
A new image captured by the Mars Express orbiter offers a striking view of one of the most heavily cratered regions on Mars.
The image...
Wildfire smoke may trigger more severe strokes
Air pollution is often thought of as a long‑term environmental problem, but new research suggests that even short bursts of polluted air may have...
FEATURED
Watch this slow but deadly tortoise hunt a baby bird
A predator doesn’t need to have the quickest speed or reflexes to catch a bird.
In a paper published in the journal Current Biology, researchers...
There are no universal musical harmonies, shows study
For a long time, we've believed that music's beauty comes from perfect patterns, thanks to the Ancient Greek philosopher Pythagoras.
He said that the best-sounding...
Discoveries in the deep sea: Exploring the Salas y Gómez Ridge
In an exciting scientific endeavor, an international team of researchers, led by Ariadna Mechó from the Barcelona Supercomputing Center—Centro Nacional de Supercomputación (BSC-CNS), embarked...
How do apples get their distinctive shapes?
Apples are among the oldest and most recognizable fruits in the world.
But have you ever really considered an apple’s shape?
Apples are relatively spherical except...
Your city’s air may play a big role in your heart health
In a recent study, researchers find that Healthy people exposed to even low levels of air pollution over a handful of years developed enlarged...
Shared electric scooters aren’t the greenest way to get around
Shared electric scooters, or e-scooters, may be greener than most cars, but they can be less green than several other options, according to new...
Who gets more love: cats or dogs? A study dives deep!
You've probably heard the age-old debate: Are you a cat person or a dog person?
Well, a group of scientists wanted to find out if...
Civilizations could use gravitational lenses to transmit power from star to star
In 1916, famed theoretical physicist Albert Einstein put the finishing touches on his Theory of General Relativity, a geometric theory for how gravity alters...