New Research

Jupiter with moons Io and Europa as seen by the Voyager I probe

Jupiter Made Our Solar System Weird

The gas giant just had to throw its mass around

Here’s Why Your Eyes Seem to Be Wired 'Backward'

Light has to pass through nerve cells to get to the rods and cones, but that order is no mistake

Here’s Why the Navy Designed a New Diving Suit

New design spurred by a global helium shortage

Got Allergies? Air Pollution Could Be to Blame

New research suggests that ozone and nitrogen dioxide can alter allergens, creating more potent immune responses

The Rules of Wrinkling, From Brain Folds to Pumpkin Ridges

Creases, ridges, folds and "delaminated buckles" are all different forms of wrinkling

Illustration of Macrauchenia from the forthcoming book "Biggest, Fiercest, Strangest" W. Norton Publishers (in production)

Mystery Mammals' Ancestry Was Revealed by Proteins, Not DNA

The huge rhino-like animal and trunked llama-like animal posed a mystery until now

There's a Good Reason Why People Really Hate Paying Their Taxes

In a word: corporations

Center pivot irrigation in Blythe, California

We’re Taking All the Water Out of the Ground And Causing Sea Levels to Rise

Pumping water out of aquifers at the rate we do doesn’t just threaten the water supply, it also exacerbates the effects of climate change

Walruses in Svalbard

It's Hard to Protect Arctic Mammals When We Don’t Know How Many Live There

Only a handful of animal populations are well counted — leaving researchers in the dark about how threatened the others are

Too Much Tech Could Be Causing Nearsightedness…But Not in the Way You Might Think

Forget eye strain—too much time indoors could cause myopia

It's a beetle invasion! These lady beetles (also known as lady bugs) are just one of Earth's family of beetles.

Beetle Species, Weirdly, Almost Never Go Extinct

The world is disproportionately filled with beetles—now, a new study suggests that’s because few species have ever been wiped out

Wikipedia Editing Shows That Different Countries Have Different Sets of Interests

New analysis shows that interests are local, not global

You Can Thank the Ancient Maya for Your Grocery Store’s Papaya

New research suggests the Mesoamerican civilization was responsible for first cultivating the hermaphrodite version of the plant favored by growers

Could Your Browser Make You a Better Employee?

The answer could be yes…if you use Firefox or Chrome

35-year old male chimp Frodo enjoying Mbula fruit he collected in Gombe National Park, Tanzania

Chimps Will Work Harder to Get Their Favorite Foods

An experimental setup shows that chimps will travel farther to get a more preferred reward

Watching Cooking Shows Could Make You Fat

Put down the remote—new research links cooking shows, higher BMI

This detail from Rome's Trajan's Column hints at what the Roman soldiers who built the fort recently discovered near Trieste may have looked like.

The Oldest Known Ancient Roman Fort Has Been Discovered in Italy

Researchers use laser scanners to identify a Roman military camp that may have initiated the settlement of the modern Italian city of Trieste

Parasites Linked to Cannibalism

A tiny creature makes shrimp more likely to eat their own

People Ate Pork in the Middle East Until 1,000 B.C.—What Changed?

A new study investigates the historical factors leading up to the emergence of pork prohibition

Researchers strapped electronics onto giant flower beetles to better understand how they direct themselves during flight.

Remote Controlled Bug-Bots Could be First Responders of the Future

Scientists studying how beetles steer themselves in flight gather research that may have implications far beyond understanding bug biology

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