Alex Fox

Alex Fox

 

Alex Fox is a freelance science journalist based in California. He has written for the New York Times, National Geographic, Science, Nature and other outlets. You can find him at Alexfoxscience.com.

Researchers inspired by kirigami, the Japanese art of cutting and folding paper, create a friction-boosting material that could give shoes a stronger grip on ice and other slippery surfaces.

New No-Slip Sole Takes Inspiration From the Japanese Art of Kirigami

Compared to regular shoes, the grippy shoe bottom dramatically enhanced friction on ice

A forest in Koenigshain, Germany.

Forests Are Getting Shorter and Younger All Over the World

The loss of the oldest, tallest trees makes forests store less carbon dioxide and diminishes the wildlife they can support

Shot in 1935, this is a still from a newly rediscovered bit of footage depicting Benjamin, the last captive thylacine on Earth. He was on display at the Beaumaris Zoo in Hobart, Tasmania.

'New' Footage of Benjamin, the Last Tasmanian Tiger Ever Seen Alive

The short video hasn’t been seen in more than 80 years and shows the animal pacing its enclosure in Hobart, Tasmania

Experts are now conducting a full excavation of the property.

Home Renovations in Norway Unearth Viking Burial

A local couple found an iron axe head and glass bead that archaeologists say may date to the ninth century

Washington State Department of Agriculture entomologist Chris Looney holds a dead invasive Asian giant hornet alongside the smaller, native bald-faced hornet. With the addition of two new sightings recorded in the last month in Washington and British Columbia, there have now been six confirmed sightings of the world's largest hornet in North America.

Two New Asian Giant Hornet Sightings in Pacific Northwest

The sightings, both of individual dead hornets, expand the area currently being patrolled by scientists hoping to track and eradicate the invasive insect

Scientists discovered the remains of some 60 mammoths during excavations for a new airport in Mexico.

Remains of 60 Mammoths Discovered in Mexico

Archaeologists found the trove of bones just six miles from recently discovered human-made 'mammoth traps'

A storm on the Great Salt Lake in Utah exposed the wreckage of what may be a 100-year-old boat.

Storm Unearths Wreck of Century-Old Boat in Utah's Great Salt Lake

The vessel may belong to a fleet used to construct and maintain a railroad causeway that crosses the briny body of water

An aerial view of one of the circular enclosures at Göbekli Tepe in Turkey

Did Geometry Guide the Construction of the World's Oldest Temple?

New research suggests the center points of three stone megalith circles at Göbekli Tepe form a near-perfect triangle

Discovered at the Yilbilinji rock shelter in northern Australia's Limmen National Park, the drawings are between 400 and 500 years old.

Rare Form of Miniature Stenciled Rock Art Found in Australia

New research suggests the small-scale illustrations may have been made with beeswax

The glass frog's translucent stomach skin offers a window into its internal organs. New research finds this odd seeming trait may help the frogs evade predators.

Scientists Discover the Reason Behind the Glass Frog's Translucent Skin

Glass-like skin helps break up the frog's outline and matches the frog's brightness to its leafy perch, making it harder for predators to spot

The earliest evidence of mice making themselves at home alongside human settlements comes from 14,500-year-old bones found among the Natufians.

The House Mouse First Invaded Europe 6,500 Years Ago

New research suggests the rodents arrived on the continent some 2,500 years earlier than previously thought

A satellite photo of Tropical Storm Arthur in the Atlantic Ocean on July 2, 2014. Another tropical storm named Arthur threatened the Outer Banks of North Carolina earlier this week.

NOAA Predicts ‘Busy’ Atlantic Hurricane Season for Fifth Year in a Row

Disaster responses are also likely to be complicated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, according to FEMA and the Red Cross

Filmmaker Taika Waititi will lead celebrities in a virtual reading of Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach to raise funds for the fight against COVID-19.

Join Meryl Streep, Taika Waititi for Roald Dahl Charity Read-Along

Mindy Kaling, Liam and Chris Hemsworth, and Benedict Cumberbatch are among the celebrities collaborating to raise money for COVID-19 relief efforts

Elephants are missing a gene to digest alcohol, which might mean they probably can't handle their liquor.

Despite Folklore, Elephants Might Be Lightweights When It Comes to Booze

New study finds elephants lack a genetic mutation that allows humans to efficiently break down alcohol

The interstate was empty in San Francisco after stay at home orders were issued in California in early April.

Carbon Emissions Are Decreasing During the Pandemic but Could Bounce Back Fast

At the height of COVID-19 restrictions, daily carbon emissions declined 17 percent compared to 2019

The 2,000-year-old subterranean system consists of a courtyard and two rooms.

Underground Chambers Discovered Near Jerusalem's Western Wall

Carved into bedrock, the mysterious rooms spent 1,400 years hidden beneath the mosaic floor of a Byzantine building

With 650 million cubic yards of dirt and stone, the unstable hillside identified by researchers at Barry Arm would possibly lead to one of the largest tsunamis the area has ever endured.

Potential Landslide Could Trigger Destructive Tsunami in Alaska, Scientists Warn

The natural disaster could strike Prince William Sound at any point within the next 20 years

A Bar Kokhba revolt coin inscribed with the word "Jerusalem" and a picture of a date palm

This 2,000-Year-Old Coin Commemorates a Jewish Rebellion Against Rome

Of more than 22,000 coins found in Jerusalem to date, just four are from the time of the Bar Kokhba revolt

An artist’s rendering of what an elaphrosaur may have looked like.

Rare 'Light-Footed' Dinosaur Discovered in Australia for the First Time

A single vertebra spotted by a dig volunteer was identified as a strange, slender-necked dinosaur called an elaphrosaur

Nickelodon's slime in Space in the cupola of the International Space Station.

Astronauts Got Slimed in Space for Science

Nickelodeon teamed up with NASA to send packets of green slime into space to test its behavior in microgravity and to create a virtual field trip for kids

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