Precise solar observations fed millions in ancient Mexico
Before the Spanish arrival in 1519, the Basin of Mexico’s agricultural system fed a population that was extraordinarily large for the time.
How this hell planet got so hot
A new study sheds light on how the “hell planet” got so devilishly hot and how other worlds might become too toasty for life.
The Southern Hemisphere is stormier than the Northern, and we finally know why
For centuries, sailors who had been all over the world knew where the most fearsome storms of all lay in wait: the Southern Hemisphere.
Mars is not a dead planet. It’s more active than previously thought
Mars, like Earth and Venus, possesses an active interior, which challenges current views on the evolution of the red planet.
How Tyrannosaurus rex got its speed and endurance
How did Tyrannosaurus rex catch its food?
Looking at T. rex’s fossilized skull, the answer may seem obvious: monstrous jaws and sharp teeth capable of...
Modern birds evolved before the mass extinction that killed dinosaurs, shows study
One of the key skull features that characterizes 99% of modern birds evolved before the mass extinction event that killed all large dinosaurs.
Diamonds and X-rays open a new window into the Earth’s inner core
Scientists have succeeded, for the first time, in measuring the speed of sound of pure iron under pressures similar to the Earth's inner core boundary.
Our planet has generated lots of new lakes in recent years. That brings problems
The number of lakes on our planet has increased substantially in recent decades, according to a unique global survey of 3.4 million lakes.
Earth might be experiencing the seventh mass extinction, not sixth
Earth is currently in the midst of a mass extinction, losing thousands of species each year.
New research suggests environmental changes caused the first such...
Physicist strikes gold, solving 50-year lightning mystery
The chances of being struck by lightning are less than one in a million, but those odds shortened considerably this month.