Earth & Environment

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...

From tree waste to clean air: How eucalyptus bark could help fight pollution

What if something usually thrown away could help solve some of our biggest environmental problems? New research from RMIT University suggests that eucalyptus bark—often treated...

Vegan diet beats Mediterranean diet on emissions and metabolic health

Scientists have long known that what we eat affects our health. But now, new research shows that our food choices can also have a...

Scientists discover 75-million-year-old mammal that survived the dinosaur era

Scientists have discovered a new species of small mammal that lived at the same time as dinosaurs, offering fresh clues about how early mammals...

How the same genes shaped butterfly wings for 120 million years

Evolution is often described as a process full of chance and randomness. But a new study suggests that it may be more predictable than we...

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Scientists finally know why Moon’s far side has strange asymmetry

Earth's Moon has a 'near side' that is perpetually Earth-facing and a 'far side', which always faces away from Earth. The composition of the...

Canadian wildfire is linked to increase asthma cases in NYC, study finds

A recent study reveals a concerning link between Canadian wildfire smoke and a surge in asthma-related emergency department visits in New York City. This research...

New study reveals how ancient volcanoes shaped our world

Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery that sheds new light on how ancient volcanoes have had a huge impact on Earth's climate and possibly...

What does the US have to do to avoid a recession

Is the U.S. economy headed into a recession? The question comes as consumer prices have climbed to their highest point in more than three decades—and...

Ancient stone tool makes surprise appearance in old French painting!

Imagine you're looking at an old painting from France, and you notice something that looks like a stone tool from a very, very long...

Scientists create a secure bridge between different cryptocurrencies

Bitcoin is probably the best-known cryptocurrency in the world today, but there are many others, each implementing different technical features. Exchanging one cryptocurrency for another...

This giant Jurassic dinosaur allosaurus was a scavenger, not a predator

In a new study, scientists show that Allosaurus, a large carnivorous dinosaur from the Jurassic that has long been thought to be a top...

Pacific coast gray whales have become 13% shorter, shows study

Gray whales that feed along the Pacific Northwest coast have become 13% shorter over the past 20-30 years, according to a new study from...