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This year, we learned that our Neanderthal cousins were a lot like us, despite treading their own path that ended in extinction.

Geographical barriers and cultural differences can prevent people from mingling with their neighbors, leading to genetic isolation — and the phenomenon is more common than most people think.

From the wheel 5,500 years ago to the birth control pill, these 20 inventions had huge ramifications and have helped humans shape the world around us.

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

In recent years, scientists have successfully grown a range of miniature organs and human body parts in the lab.

Scientists have been searching for evidence of extraterrestrial life for decades. So, where are all the aliens? Here are 12 intriguing theories ...

From the humble trillion to Graham's number, here are some of the most massive numbers ever conceived by humans.

From the discovery of gravity to the first mission to defend Earth from an asteroid, here are the most important physics experiments that changed the world.

The more scientists study the Red Planet, the more they find unusual objects and patterns scattered across Mars' surface. Here are some of the most baffling.

Beyond our solar system, countless alien worlds of lava, ice, water and noxious gas swirl through the cosmos. Here are some of the strangest exoplanets that scientists have discovered so far.

From "MooLoos" to painting mountains, these silly scientific suggestions could actually help with climate change.

Though measuring animal intelligence is tricky, some animals show remarkable cognitive abilities that may rival our own.

Conspiracy theories that have taken hold range from a faked moon landing to Barack Obama's birthplace to chemtrails.

Reference Your brain and behaviors tell you you're in love in a variety of ways. Here's 14 signs you've been struck by Cupid.

De-extinction — the science of resurrecting extinct species — is progressing in leaps and bounds. Here are six creatures that researchers could bring back to life.

From worms with squid-like tentacles to fish with teeth on their tongues, here are some of the most alien-looking creatures in the deep ocean.

Google Earth has captured images of rotting and rusting hulls that are wasting away in shallow waters the world over.

These bacteria have evolved the ability to resist treatment with antibiotics, leaving doctors scrambling to help patients who are infected.

Venom evolved hundreds of millions of years ago, creating a chemical arms race between predatory and prey. Here are some of the most venomous animals living on Earth.