Will Sullivan

Will Sullivan

 

Will Sullivan is a science writer based in Washington, D.C. His work has appeared in Inside Science and NOVA Next.

An artist's rendering of the newly identified species, called Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis. The species may be the closest known relative of T. rex.

Fossils Reveal a Possible New Tyrannosaur Species, the Closest Relative of T. Rex

The remains, dug up in the 1980s, might shed light on T. rex's mysterious origins, according to a new paper

Genes that significantly increase risk of developing multiple sclerosis were introduced to northwestern Europe by herders who migrated from the east around 5,000 years ago.

Ancient DNA From Eurasian Herders Sheds Light on the Origins of Multiple Sclerosis

Genetic variants linked to the risk of MS were brought to Europe during a migration around 5,000 years ago, a new study finds—and they might have helped herders survive

From left to right: Artemis 2 astronauts Christina Hammock Koch, Victor Glover, Jeremy Hansen and Reid Wiseman.

NASA Delays Artemis 2, Artemis 3 Moon Missions for Safety Reasons

Artemis 2 has been pushed from later this year to no earlier than September 2025, and the Artemis 3 moon landing will not occur before September 2026

The silk dress, which dates to the mid-1880s, in which the pieces of paper containing the code were found. They were tucked in a hidden pocket, the opening of which was hidden by an overskirt.

'Unsolvable' Code Hidden in Antique Dress Pocket Is Finally Cracked

Short, handwritten lines of unrelated words contained coded weather reports to send via telegraph in the late 19th century

An image of the moon taken by NASA's Galileo spacecraft on December 7, 1992. Payloads on next week's commercial mission to the surface include NASA scientific instruments, as well as human remains and DNA launched by private companies. 

Navajo Nation President Asks for Delay of Moon Mission Carrying Human Remains

The commercial launch, scheduled for January 8, is slated to carry human remains to the lunar surface, which the Navajo Nation president calls a "desecration of this sacred space"

Cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, on the surface of a lake. Bacteria were the first organisms to photosynthesize, creating the oxygen essential for the evolution of life on Earth.

Scientists Uncover the Earliest Fossil Evidence of Photosynthesis

Ancient cyanobacteria contained structures for producing oxygen around 1.75 billion years ago, according to a new study

A view of Jupiter's moon Io captured by NASA's Juno spacecraft on December 30, 2023.

NASA Captures Stunning Images of Jupiter's Moon Io on Closest Flyby in 20 Years

The Juno spacecraft's instruments will help scientists better understand volcanic activity on the volatile moon's surface

A photo of Saturn taken by the Hubble Telescope last October. Small dark marks called ring spokes are visible on the planet's left side, just inside the widest black band of space between rings.

What Are These Mysterious Dark 'Spokes' on Saturn's Rings?

A Hubble image highlights the seasonal features, which scientists think could be caused by interactions between the planet's magnetic field and solar wind

A colored image of an anthrobot. Hairlike structures called cilia enable the bots to move.

Tiny 'Robots' Made From Human Cells Show Wound-Healing Potential

The so-called "anthrobots" can self-assemble and move on their own, and they prompted damaged neurons to regenerate in a recent study

Saturn's moon Enceladus, represented in a composite of several images taken by NASA's Voyager 2 probe

Life-Sparking Gas Strengthens Evidence That Enceladus, a Moon of Saturn, Could Be Habitable

Evidence of hydrogen cyanide in data from the Cassini spacecraft adds to a growing list of molecules that could, in theory, support life on the icy moon

Around 80 percent of pregnant people experience morning sickness, or bouts of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy.

Why Most Pregnant People Experience Morning Sickness—and How It Could Be Treated

A hormone produced by the fetus may induce nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, a new study finds

COP28 president Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber and others applaud after nations adopted the first climate deal calling for a transition away from fossil fuels. A lead negotiator for 39 small island nations noted that the group was not in the room when the final agreement was reached.

Nations Agree to 'Transition Away From Fossil Fuels' in Landmark Climate Deal

The agreement, which ended the COP28 climate conference, is not legally binding, but it's the first to explicitly call for moving away from fossil fuels

The supernova remnant Cassiopeia A, captured by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope in near-infrared light. The image shows the expanding material from the blast colliding with gas released by the star before the explosion.

James Webb Telescope Captures Image of Supernova That 'Absolutely Shattered' a Star

The new image gives astronomers a near-infrared look at the stellar explosion called Cassiopeia A, located around 11,000 light years away from Earth

The consellation Orion and other stars in the sky in Alberta, Canada, in 2019.

An Asteroid Will Eclipse a Red Star in the Constellation Orion Monday Night

In the U.S., the rare event will only be visible from southern Florida, but it will be livestreamed from Italy for viewers everywhere

A wildfire in British Columbia, Canada, this summer. Global warming increases the likelihood of extreme events like wildfires.

2023 Will Officially Be the Hottest Year on Record, Scientists Say

A new report finds the global average temperature so far this year is 1.46 degrees Celsius warmer than the pre-industrial average

Female mosquitoes need to drink blood in order to produce their eggs.

Male Mosquitoes May Have Once Sucked Blood, Amber Fossils Suggest

Today, only female mosquitoes feed on the blood of animals, while males are satisfied with plant juices

Researchers studied brainstem activity of mice while the animals were awake and eating.

Scientists Examine Brain Cells That Control How Much Mice Eat

The study—the first to look at these neurons while animals are awake and consuming food—could tell us about our own appetites

A group of gray wolves in Canada. Before a wolf pack recently migrated to Colorado, gray wolves were last known to live in the state in the 1940s.

Colorado Will Reintroduce Endangered Gray Wolves This Month

In 2020, voters narrowly passed a measure in favor of wolf reintroduction, and now, wildlife officials are about to begin the controversial effort

A De Winton's golden mole. A member of the species hadn't been definitely seen since 1936.

Scientists Uncover a Golden Mole Species Thought to Be 'Possibly Extinct'

A scent-detecting dog led the team to the discovery in South Africa, and traces of mole DNA helped confirm it

For the inner four planets in this solar system, each planet orbits the sun three times for every two orbits of the planet immediately to its outside. For the fourth, fifth and sixth planets, they orbit four times for every three orbits of its outer neighbor.

Astronomers Discover Rare Solar System Where Planets Orbit in Mathematical Harmony

The "resonant" planets could provide insight about how such systems form and evolve—and why our own solar system is not synced up

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