Latest news
Roman scutum: An 1,800-year-old shield dropped by a Roman soldier who likely died in battle
A wood and leather shield dating to around A.D. 250 is one of only a few complete Roman scuta ever found.
'An existential threat affecting billions': Three-quarters of Earth's land became permanently drier in last 3 decades
A car driving by a raging wildfire in Orange County, California.
Mysterious fast radio bursts could be caused by asteroids slamming into dead stars
An asteroid hitting a neutron star could release enough energy to power humanity for 100 million years, more than enough to explain fast radio bursts.
Scientists reveal genes that make cats orange
Two new studies have revealed why some cats are orange — an enduring enigma of genetics, until now.
'It explains why our ability to focus has gone to hell': Screens are assaulting our Stone Age brains with more information than we can handle
Modern technology has fundamentally changed how our ancient minds work.
Did Venus ever have oceans to support life, or was it 'born hot'?
"We would have loved to find that Venus was once a planet much closer to our own, so it’s kind of sad in a way to find out that it wasn't."
Space photo of the week: Astronaut spots 2 nearby galaxies from SpaceX capsule
NASA astronaut Don Pettit imaged the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds as the International Space Station cruised 260 miles above the Pacific Ocean.
What does a weather report of 30% chance of rain mean?
A percent chance of precipitation shows the probability there will be at least 0.01 inch of rain, snow or sleet at a given location.
You're born with most of your neurons — but the brain makes some mysterious new ones in adulthood
Understanding how new neurons affect brain function throughout adulthood can offer new approaches to treating epilepsy and dementia.
Turuchan pika: The adorable ball of fluff that just loves to play
Turuchan pikas play all sorts of games, including swinging from branches, throwing food around and hiding them jumping out at each other.
Destroyed observatory helped SETI unlock the secrets of 'cosmic lighthouses' powered by dead stars
"Even years after the Arecibo Observatory's collapse, its data continues to unlock critical information that can advance our understanding of the galaxy."
World's 1st mechanical qubit uses no light or electronics. It could lead to ultra-precise gravity-sensing tech.
Scientists have created a single unit of quantum information using a superconducting circuit and a vibrating sapphire crystal.
Tiny, portable 'laboratories' sort germs using electricity
Pathogens have distinct electrical charges, shapes and sizes. Measuring how quickly they move through an electric field can help researchers separate different species in a sample in minutes.
Do cats communicate with their tails?
From tail up to tail down, what do different cat tail positions and movements mean?
'A challenge and an opportunity for evolution': The extreme, hidden life thriving in Earth's most acidic and alkaline lakes
"The most acidic natural inland waters are the lakes that lie in the craters of volcanoes, like Kawah Ijen in Indonesia. These lakes are so rich in sulfuric acid that they may have a pH as low as 0.1. To put this in context, fresh battery acid has a pH of about 0.7. "
Raw milk from US dairies must now be tested for bird flu
A new federal order requires that U.S. dairies provide milk samples to the USDA so the agency can test the milk for bird flu prior to pasteurization.
Rock found by a 6-year-old on a beach is actually a 50,000-year-old Neanderthal ax
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
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
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
"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.'"
