Earth & Environment
Rain, dust, and ‘badass’ microbes: How life takes hold on new lava
When a volcano erupts, it looks like the ultimate destroyer. Red-hot lava pours across the land, burning everything in its path and leaving behind...
How used coffee grounds can remove toxic metals
Millions of people start their day with a cup of coffee, but few think about what happens to the used coffee grounds afterward.
Most of...
The first alien civilization we encounter will be extremely loud
For decades, science fiction writers have tried their best to prepare us for eventual contact with aliens. Their efforts are dominated by several recurrent...
How cranberries can be a Christmas cracker for health this festive season
From festive sauces to brightly coloured juices, cranberries have long been part of our diets. Beyond their tart flavour and seasonal appeal, these red...
The ‘hobbits’ mysteriously disappeared 50,000 years ago. New study reveals what happened to their...
About 50,000 years ago, humanity lost one of its last surviving hominin cousins, Homo floresiensis (also known as "the hobbit" thanks to its small...
Tariffs 101: What they are, who pays them, and why they matter now
The U.S. Supreme Court is currently reviewing a case to determine whether President Donald Trump's global tariffs are legal.
Until recently, tariffs rarely made headlines.
Yet...
Scientists reveal mosasaurs swam in rivers alongside dinosaurs
Mosasaurs are best known as fearsome marine reptiles that ruled the oceans at the end of the dinosaur era. But new research suggests these...
Why city raccoons rarely cross the road
Raccoons have a reputation for being curious, clever, and fearless, especially in cities where they rummage through trash cans and explore human spaces.
But new...
Early Earth trapped water inside its molten interior, study finds
About 4.6 billion years ago, the young Earth was a hostile and violent place. Repeated collisions with space rocks left the planet covered in...
What investors pay attention to can predict where the market is heading
New research suggests that what investors choose to focus on each day can actually predict how the stock market will perform in the near...
Ancient flower art reveals mathematical thinking 8,000 years ago
A new study suggests that some of the world’s earliest botanical art was much more than decoration.
Researchers have found that people living over 8,000...
How Mars controls Earth’s climate
Earth's climate has swung between ice ages and warmer periods for millions of years, driven by subtle changes in our planet's orbit and axial...
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Scientists predict a collapse of the Atlantic ocean current around 2060
Researchers from the University of Copenhagen predict that the Thermohaline Circulation, an essential system of ocean currents, will collapse around the year 2060 if...
Air pollution may cause heart attacks in people who don’t smoke
In a study from Berlin Brandenburg Myocardial Infarction Registry, scientists found a causal link between air pollution and heart attacks since smokers, who already...
Scientists discover how magnesium oxide shapes super-earths
Scientists have made an exciting discovery about magnesium oxide, a key mineral found in the Earth's mantle, which could also play a crucial role...
Apes may have great sense of humor, study finds
Imagine a world where laughter and playfulness aren't just human traits but are shared across some of the animal kingdom's most intelligent beings.
This isn't...
“Living fossils” are unique, not ancient, say scientists
Researchers have introduced a new way to measure the uniqueness of species, challenging the idea that "living fossils" like the lungfish have stopped evolving.
This...
How extraterrestrial civilizations could become “stellarvores”
One of the most challenging aspects of astrobiology and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) is anticipating what life and extraterrestrial civilizations will look...
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...
How water gets to planets like Earth
Understanding the history of water in the universe is critical to understanding how planets like Earth come to be.