Chaos terrains may get oxygen into Europa’s hidden ocean
Salt water within the icy shell of Jupiter’s moon Europa could be transporting oxygen into an ice-covered ocean of liquid water where it could...
Snowpack changes how a California volcano ‘breathes’
Thirty years ago, on the flanks of a volcano in California’s Sierra Nevada range, trees began to die en masse, suffocated at their roots...
Why are the arms of Tyrannosaurus rex so ridiculously short
Over the two decades paleontologist Kevin Padian taught a freshman seminar called The Age of Dinosaurs, one question asked frequently by undergraduates stuck with...
Researchers pick up the 25 happiest city park systems in the US
Feeling unhappy?
Go find a city park—the bigger the better—and try taking a walk outdoors.
That’s the upshot of a major new study that measures the...
Methane could be the first detectable sign of life beyond Earth
If life is abundant in the universe, atmospheric methane may be the first sign of life beyond Earth detectable by astronomers.
Although nonbiological processes can...
Is the current standoff in Ukraine another ‘calm before the storm’ moment?
The Russian ground offensive in Ukraine is starting to show signs of slowing down, as President Vladimir Putin’s forces assume a more defensive posture...
With Russia invading Ukraine, what’s the threat of nuclear war right now
During an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Putin’s chief spokesperson refused to rule out the possibility that Russia would consider using nuclear weapons.
Is Putin...
Scientists find new way to grow extremely tiny diamonds without explosives
Diamonds aren’t just glittery, sparkly gems for jewelry.
The smallest ones, only a few nanometers wide, are also crucial for drug delivery, sensors and quantum...
This giant carnivorous dinosaur could hunt underwater
Spinosaurus is the largest carnivorous dinosaur ever discovered on Earth. It’s even larger than T. rex.
A new study from University of Oxford and others...
The war in Ukraine is creating a massive grain shortage. What does that mean...
As the war in Ukraine marches into its fourth week, a bleak sort of accounting is underway:
So far, more than 900 civilians have been...