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'Unusual' and weak La Niña finally here, NOAA confirms
By Patrick Pester published
NOAA has declared that a La Niña is underway. This cool weather event is likely to be shorter and weaker than usual, but will still affect global weather and climate.
How to watch the full Wolf Moon 'swallow' Mars in the sky tonight — no telescope required
By Gretchen Rundorff last updated
Tonight (Jan. 13), bright Mars will disappear behind the full Wolf Moon for several hours before reappearing on the other side. It's the only lunar occultation of Mars visible from the U.S. this year. Here's how to get the most out of it.
10th-century woman buried with weapons in Hungary is 1st of her kind, but researchers are hesitant to call her a warrior
By Kristina Killgrove published
A woman buried with archery equipment in 10th-century Hungary is unusual but may not necessarily have been a warrior.
New treatment for most aggressive brain cancer may help patients live longer
By Stephanie Pappas published
Glioblastoma often kills within months. A new targeted radiation therapy may help patients live longer.
See Mercury's frigid north pole in extraordinary new images from the BepiColombo spacecraft
By Stephanie Pappas published
A joint Japanese-European mission to Mercury just made its sixth flyby of the planet, revealing stunning close-ups of the permanently shadowed craters at Mercury's north pole.
Excavations at Queen Hatshepsut's mortuary temple reveal elaborate burials, decorated blocks and ancient tools
By Owen Jarus published
A number of new discoveries have been made near the mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut in Egypt.
Enormous skull of 200-million-year-old giant dinosaur discovered in China
By Richard Pallardy published
The well-preserved skull belongs to a never-before-seen species of sauropodomorph that potentially grew up to 33 feet long.
Tiny AI chip modeled on the human brain set to boost battery life in smart devices
By Keumars Afifi-Sabet published
The Spiking Neural Processor T1 is an AI chip that's modeled on the way the brain detects patterns and could extend the battery life in smart devices.
Why we need parasites, despite them leeching life from others
By Euan Ritchie published
An ecologist shares his passion for parasites. From their vital roles in nature, to strange super powers and extraordinarily complex life cycles, parasites are natural wonders worthy of protection.
Giant 'kidney beans' spotted in Mars satellite images could point to signs of water and life
By Damien Pine published
A NASA satellite has spotted frozen "kidney beans" on Mars' sand dunes trapped in place until springtime. Photographing them can help us determine if there was ever enough water on Mars to sustain life.
Doban-kun: A 'cute' human-shaped counting tool from prehistoric Japan
By Kristina Killgrove published
This anthropomorphic clay tablet was likely used in an ancient ritual by the Jōmon culture in Japan.
'Red flags' raised over ancient sea monster pulled from Moroccan mine
By Jeanne Timmons published
A mosasaur species with saw-like teeth that was described by scientists in 2021 may have been based on forged fossils, and researchers are now calling for CT scans to determine the creature's origin.
Nuclear fusion could be the clean energy of the future — but these 'tough' challenges stand in the way
By George R. Tynan, Farhat Beg published
Even once researchers can reliably get more power out of a fusion reaction than they put in, they'll still need to overcome engineering challenges to scale up fusion energy.
Space photo of the week: The tilted spiral galaxy that took Hubble 23 years to capture
By Jamie Carter published
In this special Hubble image 23 years in the making, the sparkling spiral galaxy UGC 10043 reveals the secrets of its unusually big bulge.
Do bay leaves actually add flavor, or is it all a con?
By Donavyn Coffey published
Some say bay leaves are full of flavor, others call them a fraud.
1st-of-its-kind database reveals how DNA mutations 'destabilize' proteins, triggering genetic disease
By Emily Cooke published
A new mega-database of half a million mutations may flag new ways of treating genetic disease, scientists say.
'I was shaking when I first unearthed it': 11th-century silver coin hoard unearthed in England
By Sascha Pare published
Archaeologists have discovered 321 silver coins still wrapped in a cloth and lead pouch from a time in English history marked by upheaval due to the coronation of a new Anglo-Saxon king.
Ancient 'Stonehenge' in Golan Heights may not be astronomical observatory after all, archaeologists say
By Tom Metcalfe published
A new analysis of the 6,000-year-old stone circle known as Rujm el-Hiri (also Gilgal Refaim) in Golan Heights suggests that it was not built to observe the heavens.
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