Latest articles by Joanna Thompson
Mount Everest: The deadly history of the world's highest peak
Mount Everest towers more than 29,000 feet above sea level.
Why do cats 'play' with their prey?
Here's why cats 'play' with their prey before dealing the death blow.
Ginormous Jurassic fossil in Portugal may be the biggest dinosaur ever found in Europe
While researchers have not yet identified the species of an enormous newfound dinosaur, the sauropod is already breaking size records.
Oldest African dinosaur ever found unearthed in Zimbabwe
Meet Mbiresaurus raathi, the oldest African dinosaur (and one of the world's earliest) whose neighbors lived in Brazil.
Tiny 'immortal' crab entombed in amber discovered in a first of its kind
A fossil crab was discovered perfectly preserved in Burmese amber.
Rare 'triple-dip' La Niña could bring another year of intense hurricanes and drought to the US
The cooler climate pattern is predicted to persist for the third winter in a row, bringing an increased risk of powerful hurricanes to the eastern U.S. and flooding to Australia.
Can we think without using language?
Science suggests that words aren't strictly necessary for reasoning.
Massive bulldog-faced dinosaur was like a T. rex on steroids
A hefty abelisaurid is the fourth large, predatory dinosaur discovered in Egypt's Bahariya Formation, alongside other sizable Cretaceous carnivores.
Broken pieces of rare Viking sword reunited after 1,200 years apart
Two sleuths in Norway uncovered the pieces of an extremely rare type of sword from the Viking Age.
'Demon ducks of doom' laid melon-size eggs in prehistoric Australia
Melon-size eggs belonging to an extinct and flightless giant 'thunder bird' were eaten by the first Australians.
Which British monarch has reigned the longest? (What about the shortest?)
Here's a historical look at the U.K.'s longest (and shortest) ruling monarchs.
Do extraterrestrial auroras occur on other planets?
Auroras don't just exist on Earth. Here's what we know about auroras on other planets in the solar system.
'Ghost' fossils preserve haunting record of ancient life on a hellish Earth
Ghostly imprints of very tiny "nannofossils" can offer a valuable window into our planet's past — and hint at its possible future.
Meet 'Fiona' the pregnant ichthyosaur, Chile's oldest marine reptile mom
Paleontologists recently excavated a marine reptile known as an ichthyosaur that died while pregnant. The fossil provides a rare glimpse of the life cycle for this extinct ocean species.
Colossal 300-pound alligator gar caught (and released) in Texas bayou
A conservation educator caught a record-breaking alligator gar in a bayou near Houston.
Giant squid that washed up on a South African beach was 'incredible to see'
Residents of Kommetjie, South Africa were treated to a rare sight this weekend: a giant squid measuring 11.5 feet (3.5 meters) long.
When humans are gone, what animals might evolve to have our smarts and skills?
If humans suddenly went extinct, what animals are most likely to develop human-like societies?
Dark matter may spawn more of itself from ordinary matter, like a cosmic ice-9
A new mechanism for dark matter creation could explain the current six-to-one ratio of dark matter to matter.
Exquisitely-preserved mammoth tusk found 10,000 feet underwater
Researchers discovered the 100,000 year old tusk of a mammoth off the coast of California
How would we give aliens directions to Earth?
Giving aliens directions to Earth might be tricky, but scientists have some ideas for how to do it.
Patient's immune system 'naturally' cures HIV in the second case of its kind
Two patients' immune systems have now naturally rid themselves of the infection.
Lost' Adélie penguin wanders nearly 2,000 miles off-course, ends up on New Zealand beach
A lost Adelie penguin ended up almost 2,000 miles off course.
Metal detectorist unearths largest Anglo-Saxon treasure hoard ever discovered in England
The largest Anglo-Saxon hoard ever discovered in England was unearthed by a metal detectorist in Norfolk.
