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Rock found by a 6-year-old on a beach is actually a 50,000-year-old Neanderthal ax
By Margherita Bassi published
The 6-year-old boy found the rock and then didn't tell anyone for three years. But a new examination reveals it was made by some of the last Neanderthals.
Gut microbiome may have fueled the growth of humans' big brains, study suggests
By Emily Cooke published
A new laboratory study in mice suggests that primates like humans evolved large brains with a helping hand from microbes that live in the gut.
NASA delays historic Artemis missions — yet again
By Ben Turner published
The Space Launch System blasts off from its Florida launchpad.
'Eight billion bucks or bust': From pirates to 'stupid mistakes' — the wild story of how James Webb Space Telescope almost failed to launch
By Richard Panek published
"Budget overruns, bureaucratic malfeasance, congressional oversight, review-board reckonings, the whole process of rethinking how to test a space telescope from the ground up: Webb had survived them all. One other factor, however, continued to create havoc with the budget and the launch timeline deep into the 2010s — what Menzel called 'stupid mistakes.'"
100th woman in space, Emily Calandrelli, stands up to 'small men' on the internet: 'I should have expected this.'
By Pandora Dewan published
The astronaut and MIT engineer's monumental milestone was marred by misogyny: "Instead of being on cloud nine, I’m crying in my seat."
Most expensive dinosaur skeleton ever now on display in New York City
By Stephanie Pappas published
'Apex,' one of the most complete stegosaurus fossils ever found, is on display at the American Museum of Natural History.
'Mega momma' great white shark killed on drumline may reveal secrets about iconic predator
By Melissa Hobson published
Scientists hope the body of a pregnant great white shark killed on a drumline will reveal some of the mysteries of the species' reproduction.
Fossil Forest, Dorset: England's 145 million-year-old tree stump fossils preserved by ancient microbes
By Sascha Pare published
The Fossil Forest in Dorset is a stretch of southern English coastline peppered with living mounds of limestone that hide the remains of cypress trees from the late Jurassic period.
World's 2nd fastest supercomputer runs largest-ever simulation of the universe
By Keith Cooper published
The simulations will be used by astronomers to test the standard model of cosmology.
Tiny spoons could have measured out ancient Roman drugs, researchers suggest — but evidence is sparse
By Kristina Killgrove published
Spoon-like metal objects attached to Roman-era belts may represent drug dosing equipment, researchers suggest.
Why do worms come out in the rain?
By Charles Q. Choi published
Earthworms commonly come out when it's wet outside, but why?
Massive magnitude 7 earthquake strikes off California coast
By Laura Geggel published
A magnitude 7 earthquake struck off the coast of Petrolia, California on Thursday (Dec. 5).
A single gene mutation could enable H5N1 to spread between people, study finds
By Nicoletta Lanese published
A new laboratory study pinpoints a way H5N1 could evolve to spread from person to person.
'It looks like smoke': Mysterious chimneys spewing shimmering liquid discovered at the bottom of the Dead Sea
By Pandora Dewan published
The strange structures could serve as early warning signs of life-threatening sinkholes, scientists say.
Scientists make 1-of-a-kind immune cells to guard transplants from attack
By Tia Ghose published
Scientists have designed special immune cells that protect transplanted pancreatic cells from attack in mice.
A third of Earth's species could become extinct by 2100 if climate change isn't curbed
By Olivia Ferrari published
An analysis of research on most known species around the world finds climate change puts many species at risk of extinction, and the risk increases with more global warming.
Europe launches twin spacecraft to make daily solar eclipses in space. Here's what to know about Proba-3.
By Harry Baker last updated
On Dec. 5, 2024 the European Space Agency's Proba-3 mission sent two spacecraft into orbit around Earth. By aligning the probes, researchers will create 6-hour-long mini eclipses, allowing the sun's atmosphere to be studied like never before.
Miniature black holes could be hollowing out planets and zipping through our bodies, new study claims
By Ben Turner published
An artist's illustration of primordial black holes.
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