Earth & Environment
Scientists turn plastic bottles into high-quality battery material
A plastic bottle that would normally end up in a recycling bin or landfill could one day help power electric cars, smartphones, and renewable...
Australia’s farmland at risk of ‘ecological collapse’
Australia may need to fundamentally redraw its rural landscape — retiring farms, restoring vast tracts of vegetation and reshaping regional economies — if it...
Lost giant shark fossils confirm megalodon could reach an incredible 80 feet
Scientists have rediscovered a set of giant fossil bones that belonged to the famous prehistoric shark, the megalodon.
The fossils had been missing for decades,...
Solar storms may reduce rain and snow across North America, study warns
Scientists have discovered new evidence that powerful solar storms may briefly affect Earth's weather.
A new study suggests that after a large solar storm, some...
Europa’s ice shell secrets unlocked by ground radar study
Jupiter’s moon, Europa, has become high-value real estate for astrobiologists and the search for life beyond Earth.
This is because the small moon, which is...
Hidden museum fossil solves a 5-million-year-old saber-toothed cat mystery
A fossil that sat unnoticed in a museum drawer for decades has turned out to be one of the most important discoveries about the...
Scientists turn plastic bottles into clean hydrogen using only sunlight
Plastic waste is one of the world's biggest environmental problems. Millions of tons of plastic end up in landfills, rivers, and oceans every year,...
New printable cooling technology could replace harmful refrigerants
Air conditioners, refrigerators, and heat pumps help keep our homes, workplaces, and food cool. However, the refrigerants they use can create environmental and safety...
Europe’s last Neanderthals were more diverse than scientists ever imagined
A new study has revealed that the last Neanderthals living in Western Europe were far more connected and genetically diverse than scientists once believed.
The...
3-billion-year-old asteroid crater offers rare window into Earth’s violent past
Scientists have confirmed the age of the oldest known asteroid impact crater on Earth, revealing that a huge space rock struck our planet about...
New material could pull carbon dioxide directly from the air
Scientists in Spain have developed a new material that can capture carbon dioxide (CO₂) directly from the air more efficiently than many current technologies.
The...
Scientists find 1,000s-year-old human DNA hidden in cave walls
Scientists have made an exciting discovery that could change the way we study human history.
For the first time, researchers have shown that ancient human...
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Scientists find the oldest known projectile points in the Americas
Archaeologists have uncovered projectile points in Idaho that are thousands of years older than any previously found in the Americas.
This helps fill in the...
Air pollution, traffic noise may raise heart failure risk in women
Long-term exposure to air pollution and road traffic noise may raise the risk of developing heart failure, especially among former smokers and people with...
The oldest rocks on Earth are more than four billion years old
Earth formed about 4.6 billion years ago, during the geological eon known as the Hadean.
The name “Hadean” comes from the Greek god of the...
What they don’t teach you about climate change
We all know about the greenhouse effect, but how many of us understand it?
Turns out, carbon dioxide is not a “blanket,” and saying it...
Your community could influence how long you’ll live
In a new study, researchers found while lifestyle choices and genetics go a long way toward predicting longevity, certain community characteristics also play important...
Why we may still be waiting for an alien signal
Since the first Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) experiment in 1960, scientists have been scanning the Milky Way for signs of advanced alien civilizations.
They...
Groundbreaking study demonstrates production of human insulin in cow’s milk
In a development from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the Universidade de São Paulo, a humble brown cow in the south of Brazil...
Why are New Year’s resolutions so hard to keep
It can be fun to make New Year’s resolutions, but hard for most of us to keep them. Gyms, for example, get crowded in...