Earth & Environment
Time with grandchildren may slow brain aging, study finds
As people grow older, many worry about memory loss and declining thinking skills. Forgetting names, struggling to find the right words, or feeling slower...
This flax fiber furniture can be taken apart and reused again and again
Most seating furniture isn’t made to last.
Chairs and benches are often difficult to take apart, awkward to move, and easy to damage.
After just one...
Why retailers rarely use ‘Super Bowl’
The Super Bowl isn’t just the biggest game in sports, it’s also a major driver of commercial sales. Yet many retailers avoid saying its...
Olives have been essential to life in Italy for at least 6,000 years—far longer...
How far back does the rich history of Italian olives and oil stretch?
My new research, published in the American Journal of Archaeology, synthesizing and...
Scientists discover a dinosaur with hollow skin spikes unlike any seen before
Paleontologists have discovered a remarkable new dinosaur in China—one that carried unusual skin spikes unlike anything ever seen before in dinosaurs.
The find adds a...
When Earth’s magnetic poles took a very long time to flip
Earth’s magnetic field feels steady and dependable, but over geological time it is anything but fixed.
The magnetic north and south poles have swapped places...
Safer plastics ahead: Scientists make polyurethane without toxic chemicals
Polyurethane is one of the most widely used plastics in the world.
It appears in everything from furniture foam and insulation to coatings, adhesives, and...
Why one of Earth’s most common ocean bacteria is surprisingly fragile
One of the most abundant living organisms on Earth may also be one of the most vulnerable.
A group of ocean bacteria known as SAR11,...
A pocket-sized dinosaur solves a 70-million-year mystery
Paleontologists have identified a new species of dinosaur so small it could almost fit under your arm—and yet it is helping scientists solve a...
Earth’s roof is slowly flowing: Satellites expose hidden motion beneath Tibet
A new satellite-based study is changing how scientists understand the forces shaping the Tibetan Plateau, one of the most dramatic and geologically active regions...
How to spot the warning signs of financial abuse
Financial abuse is one of the most common yet least visible forms of abuse in family and domestic violence.
It happens when one person controls,...
Think bottled water is cleaner? It may contain more microplastics than the tap
Many people choose bottled water believing it is cleaner and safer than tap water. But new research suggests that this assumption may not always...
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Dementia death risk is higher after a hurricane, study finds
A new study published in the JAMA Network Open has shed light on the impact of major hurricanes on older adults living with dementia.
What is aphasia? An expert explains the condition forcing Bruce Willis to retire from...
Actor Bruce Willis, 67, is “stepping away” from his career in film and TV after being diagnosed with aphasia, his family announced on March...
How the largest dinosaurs moved and evolved
A new study has revealed how giant 50-tonne sauropod dinosaurs, like Diplodocus, evolved from much smaller ancestors, like the wolf-sized Thecodontosaurus.
In the study published...
Discovery of rare new fossil sheds light on New Zealand’s extinct dolphin-like reptiles
Ichthyosaurs were reptiles that swam in the seas during the time of the dinosaurs.
They evolved separately around 250 million years ago, possibly from a...
Within 50 years, the dead users may outnumber the living on Facebook
In a new study, researchers found that within 50 years, there will be more dead people than living people on Facebook.
This trend may have...
What can a dinosaur’s inner ear tell us?
If paleontologists had a wish list, it would almost certainly include insights into two particular phenomena:
How dinosaurs interacted with each other and how they...
What are PFAS?
Chemicals called PFAS are sometimes in the news.
PFAS stands for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
PFAS are widely used and long-lasting. They’re found in everyday items like...
U.S. bee apocalypse? Scientists uncover cause behind massive hive loss
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) believe they have uncovered the cause behind a massive and alarming collapse of honey bee colonies...