The First People to Settle in The Americas Brought Their Dogs With Them
How far back can the story of humans and dogs be told? When and where did this ancient relationship begin? New DNA evidence suggests our connection with canines can be…
One of The Largest Whale Carcasses Ever Found Has Washed Up in Italy
The carcass of an enormous finback whale (Balaenoptera physalus) was discovered near the Italian port of Sorrento earlier this week, the Italian Coast Guard said in a Facebook post. Officials…
How Mutualistic Bonds Between Species Can Morph Into Evolutionary Battles
If you saw the first episode of David Attenborough‘s new BBC series Perfect Planet, you will have seen the astounding bloodsucking behaviour of the vampire finches. These small birds exist…
Unusual Wasp Partnerships Help Non-Native Figs to Thrive in Hawaii
While surveying the Hawaiian island of Kauai in search of invasive plants in 2017, botanist Kelsey Brock spotted something unusual: a few nonnative species of figs seemed to be settling…
Change Doesn’t Happen Overnight, But Research Shows How Social Movements Succeed
One was kickstarted by a school kid and her placard; another took flight after a hashtag went viral. Years later, these powerful social movements – demanding action on climate and…
Your Body Makes 3.8 Million Cells Every Second. Most of Them Are Blood
Deep within, on a cellular scale, your body is in a constant state of activity to keep you alive. Among those processes is the turnover of cells, replacing the cells…
Super Efficient Jellyfish-Inspired Robot Could Become a Restorer of Coral Reefs
A robot inspired by the shape and delicate underwater movements of a jellyfish, allowing it to safely explore endangered coral reefs, was unveiled by British scientists on Wednesday. According to…
COVID-19 Recovery Plans Must Be Green to Meet Paris Climate Goals, Say Scientists
The amount of carbon dioxide that we can still emit while limiting global warming to a given target is called the “remaining carbon budget,” and it has become a powerful…
Spitting Cobra Venom Didn’t Evolve to Kill – Just to Put Us in a World of Pain
Like pappy used to say: if you see it writhe and hiss, give it a miss. Humans have passed on similar nuggets of wisdom since time immemorial, giving us a…
A New Method Has Been Enlisted to Help Save Elephants, And It Involves Space
Conservationists have started using satellite imagery to count elephants from space, a technique that British experts hope will help protect threatened populations in Africa. Researchers at the University of Oxford…
Ingenious ‘Wrinkled’ Graphene Could Be The Most Promising Water Filter Yet
Graphene continues to dazzle us with its strength and its versatility – exciting new applications are being discovered for it all the time, and now scientists have found a way…
Mind-Blowing Video Reveals The Formation of Salt Crystals From Individual Atoms
The formation of crystals is one of the most commonplace processes you can probably think of. Every time you freeze water into ice cubes, for instance, you’re creating crystalline structures.…
How to Have a COVID-Safe Car Ride, According to Science
Sharing a car with someone is one of the riskiest things you can do without cohabitating, as far as coronavirus transmission goes. While taking a car may feel like a…
Groundbreaking New Laser System Cuts Through Earth’s Atmosphere Like It’s Nothing
To artists and romantics, the twinkling of stars is visual poetry; a dance of distant light as it twists and bends through a turbulent ocean of air above our heads.…
Scientists Think These Ridiculous Bones May Belong to New Largest-Ever Dinosaur
Scientists have unearthed massive, 98-million-year-old fossils in southwest Argentina they say may have belonged to the largest dinosaur ever discovered. Human-sized pieces of fossilized bone belonging to the giant sauropod…
Climate Change Could Shift Earth’s Tropical Rain Belt, Threatening Food Security For Billions
A new study suggests a potential change in tropical rain belt patterns could threaten the livelihoods and food security of billions of people. Today, the tropical rain belt brings with…
Giant Predatory Worms Once Roamed The Ancient Seabed, Scientists Say
Through a careful analysis of fossilised seafloor layers dating back some 20 million years, scientists have reconstructed the lair of a giant underwater worm that would most probably have lain…
A Horrible Condition Turning Starfish Into Goo Has Finally Been Identified
In 2013, the lives of millions of sea stars were mysteriously extinguished. Limbs that were once strong, probing arms searching for sustenance, shrivelled and tore themselves away from the rest…
‘Brain Androgyny’ Is Surprisingly Common And May Boost Mental Health, Scientists Say
From advertising to the workplace, it is often assumed that men and women are fundamentally different – from Mars and Venus, respectively. Of course, we all know people who are…
Male Mantises Evolved a Vital Trick to Avoid Being Decapitated After Sex
A male Springbok praying mantis looking for a hook-up doesn’t have to worry about a female stealing his heart away. There is, however, a very good change she’ll bite his…