Earth & Environment
Scientists Trace Modern Human DNA to Two Long-Lost Human Ancestors
Scientists have uncovered new evidence that modern humans inherited DNA from two previously unknown ancient human relatives, revealing another surprising chapter in our evolutionary...
Solar wind creates giant space waves that slowly strip away Mars’ atmosphere
Mars is slowly losing parts of its atmosphere to space, and scientists have discovered that the process may be driven by giant waves created...
Why Monkeys Befriend Dogs, Deer and Other Animals
Why do humans enjoy keeping pets?
A new international study suggests that the answer may reach much further back in evolution than scientists once believed.
Researchers...
Dinosaur-Killing Asteroid Created a Planet-Wide Firestorm, Study Finds
A new study suggests that the asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs may have been even more deadly than scientists once thought.
Researchers now...
Air Pollution May Help Bladder Cancer Spread
Most people think of dirty air as something that mainly harms the lungs. Doctors have warned for years that breathing polluted air raises the...
New Recyclable Stretchy Yarn Could Help Keep Millions Of Tons Of Clothing Out Of...
Every year, millions of tons of old clothing end up in landfills because most textiles are difficult or impossible to recycle.
While plastic bottles and...
New Low-Cost Leaf Spray Helps Tomatoes Thrive in Salty Soil, Study Finds
A simple and inexpensive leaf spray could help tomato plants grow better in salty soils, offering farmers a promising new way to protect crops...
Cameras attached to whale sharks capture krill chases never witnessed before
Whale sharks (Rhincodon typus)—the world's biggest fish—are one of the most charismatic marine species.
They connect with the hearts of anyone lucky enough to encounter...
1.4-Million-Year-Old Footprints Reveal Giant Human Relative and Surprising Social Life
A remarkable set of fossil footprints discovered in Kenya is giving scientists a rare look at how one of humanity's ancient relatives lived more...
Spring daylight saving time may raise the risk of eye disease
Changing the clocks for daylight saving time may do more than make people feel tired.
A new study suggests that the one-hour time change could...
Could Purple Corn Replace Artificial Food Dyes?
A special type of purple corn may soon help replace artificial food dyes in many foods and drinks, according to new research from the...
1789 Smallpox Epidemic May Have Killed Up to 220,000 Indigenous Australians, Study Finds
A new study has used computer modeling to provide one of the clearest pictures yet of the devastating smallpox epidemic that struck Indigenous Australians...
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Why T. rex Ended Up With Tiny Arms
The Tyrannosaurus rex is famous for many things—its enormous size, terrifying bite, and surprisingly tiny arms.
For years, scientists have wondered why such a powerful...
How life bounced back after 90% of species died off in history’s largest mass...
Scientists have discovered that bottom-burrowing animals were among the first to bounce back after the mass extinction at the end of the Permian period...
About 1 in 4 older people in the U.S. store guns unlocked and loaded
In a new study, researchers found that among older people who own guns in the U.S., about 25% may store their weapons unlocked and...
Asteroid that formed Vredefort crater much bigger than previously thought
About two billion years ago, an impactor hurtled toward Earth, crashing into the planet in an area near present-day Johannesburg, South Africa.
The impactor—most likely...
Would cockroaches really survive a nuclear apocalypse?
Popular culture loves to joke that cockroaches would be the last survivors on Earth if humanity ever faced a nuclear apocalypse.
The 2008 Pixar film...
One trillion species, 3 billion years: How we used AI to trace the evolution...
There are roughly a trillion species of microorganisms on Earth—the vast majority of which are bacteria.
Bacteria consist of a single cell. They do not...
Why Triceratops had a giant nose: New study reveals its hidden purpose
Triceratops is one of the most recognizable dinosaurs, famous for its three horns and enormous head.
But scientists have long wondered why this plant-eating giant...
New fossil discovery shows 50 million-year-old Canada-Australia connection
The discovery of a tiny insect fossil is unearthing big questions about the global movement of animals and the connection to changes in climate...