Planet Earth

Active lava flows spilling out of the Erta Ale volcano in Afar, Ethiopia.

'Pulsing, like a heartbeat': Rhythmic mantle plume rising beneath Ethiopia is creating a new ocean

By Skyler Ware published

Scientists have detected rhythmic pulses of molten rock rising beneath eastern Africa, threatening to pull the continent apart.

Planet Earth
Looped slideshow of two satellite photos showing Las Vegas in 1999 and 2004

Final photo from iconic US satellite shows how Las Vegas has 'doubled' in size over the last 25 years

By Harry Baker published

Earth from space The final image captured by the recently decommissioned Landsat 7 satellite shows how "Sin City" has nearly doubled in size during the iconic spacecraft's 25-year lifespan.

Earth from space
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Space

Photo of Saturn with Titan and its shadows across its surface

You can see a giant 'hole' shoot across Saturn this summer — and it won't happen again until 2040

By Harry Baker published

There will be several chances to see the shadow of Saturn's largest moon, Titan, pass across the ringed planet's Earth-facing surface over the next few months. The rare spectacle is only visible every 15 years.

Astronomy

This supermassive black hole is eating way too quickly — and 'burping' at near-light speeds

By Robert Lea Partner Content Created With Space. published

Using the XMM-Newton telescope, astronomers have witnessed high-speed "burps" erupting from a distant overfeeding supermassive black hole.

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archaeology

Indigenous funeral urns discovered on human-made islands in Amazon rainforest

By Lobato Felizola published

Giant ceramic pots made centuries to millennia ago were found to hold human bones, while others held a mixture of seeds and the remains of fish, frogs and turtles.

Archaeology

We finally know why Queen Hatshepsut's statues were destroyed in ancient Egypt

By Owen Jarus published

Some of the female pharaoh's statues were "ritually deactivated," a new study finds.

Ancient Egyptians
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World of science

Health

Laboratory technician preparing blood sample for medical testing in laboratory.

Scientists discover entirely new blood type — in just one woman from Guadeloupe

By RJ Mackenzie published

After years of study, scientists have discovered a new blood type in a woman from Guadeloupe. They're now searching for more people with the characteristic.

Health

A man was stabbed through the throat and the base of the skull — by a fish

By Mindy Weisberger published

While on a fishing trip, a man sustained an unusual injury from a marlin.

Health
a researcher holds up a prototype of a breathalyzer device that detects diseases

New 'breathalyzer' could detect signs of disease in human breath, scientists say

By Ritoban Mukherjee published

Scientists have developed a device intended to detect disease markers in human breath, which could someday offer a potential alternative to blood, urine or saliva tests.

Health
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Animals

Night lizards survived dinosaur-killing asteroid strike despite living right next to impact site

By Patrick Pester published

Researchers found that night lizards survived the dinosaur-killing asteroid strike at the end of the Cretaceous, despite living near the impact site in Mexico.

Lizards
A pair of killer whales, one of which has kelp in its mouth.

Salmon-hat wearing orcas also give each other massages with kelp, scientists discover

By Chris Simms published

Orcas have been spotted giving each other rubdowns with kelp tools, rubbing pieces of the seaweed between their bodies.

Orcas

What animal has the best eyesight?

By Marilyn Perkins published

When it comes to exceptional eyesight, picking a clear winner is harder than you might think.

Animals
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Human Behavior

Girl reading books in front of a cartoon space scene

48 best science books for kids and young adults

By Ben Biggs last updated

Looking to inspire the next generation of curious minds? These are our picks of the best popular science books for children of all ages.

Human Behavior

Strikingly simple 'dial' in the brain may help it distinguish imagination from reality

By Payal Dhar published

Activity levels in a specific region of the brain predict whether we think something is real, irrespective of whether we've seen it or imagined it.

Human Behavior

People's mental health often improves after weight-loss surgery. A study pinpoints the real reason why.

By Marianne Guenot published

Feeling less stigma — not losing weight — was linked to better mental health and eating behaviors after bariatric surgery.

Human Behavior
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Physics & Mathematics

Where do atoms come from? A physicist explains.

By Stephen L. Levy published

Almost everything on Earth is made up of atoms, but where do these fundamental building blocks come from?

Physics & Mathematics

'Dreadful danger for all mankind': Einstein's powerful anti-war letter goes up for auction

By Joanna Thompson published

A fiery letter written by Albert Einstein in 1954 is going to auction. The letter details Einstein's thoughts on his part in developing atomic weapons, and hails Mahatma Gandhi as a political genius.

Physics & Mathematics

Mathematicians discover a completely new way to find prime numbers

By Rachel Crowell published

Using a notion called integer partitions, mathematicians have discovered a new way to detect prime numbers while also connecting two areas of math in an unexpected way

Mathematics
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Chemistry

A cross-section of the new copper alloy, with the orange dots representing copper atoms, the yellow tantalum atoms, and the blue lithium atoms.

Scientists create ultra-tough copper alloy that is stronger than steel and can withstand temperatures of 1500 F

By Ben Turner published

The new super-strong copper alloy can be used to build better airplanes and spacecraft.

Chemistry
a deer's breath is visible in the cold air

Why does nearly all life breathe oxygen?

By Harrison Tasoff published

Nitrogen comprises around 78% of Earth's atmosphere, so why do most lifeforms breathe oxygen?

Chemistry
Plastic waste by the ocean

Scientists break down cheap plastic using the air — and turn it into something far more valuable

By Ben Turner published

Scientists developed a new method for breaking down one of the most common plastics to a byproduct that can be upcycled into more valuable materials.

Chemistry
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Technology

Robot with bullhorn and fingers crossed behind back.

Threaten an AI chatbot and it will lie, cheat and 'let you die' in an effort to stop you, study warns

By Adam Smith published

In goal-driven scenarios, advanced language models like Claude and Gemini would not only expose personal scandals to preserve themselves, but also consider letting you die, research from Anthropic suggests.

Artificial Intelligence
Quantum control chip closeup.

Millions of qubits on a single quantum processor now possible after cryogenic breakthrough

By Owen Hughes published

Scientists in Australia have developed a quantum control chip that removes a key obstacle to getting qubits into practical, real-world computing systems.

Computing
Two versions of a new photosynthetic material. On the left we see a pineapple-shaped sample and on the right a cubic sample.

Scientists invent photosynthetic 'living' material that sucks CO2 out of the atmosphere

By Sascha Pare published

Scientists have developed a material with photosynthetic bacteria that convert carbon dioxide into a mineral skeleton. The material hardens over time, so it could be used for buildings, they say.

Engineering
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