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Stories from Sarah Kuta

A mother floating belly-up next to her calf

Why Are These Whales Floating Upside-Down? They Might Just Be Moms Who Need a Break From Feeding Their Babies

Each year, southern right whales migrate thousands of miles from their feeding grounds to breed, give birth and raise their young. Taking rests and regulating their calves’ nursing schedules might help mothers conserve energy while they’re far from food

Overall, the 16 participants of the study were “largely positive” about their interactions with griefbots, the scientists write in the paper.

Would You Chat With an A.I. ‘Ghost’ of a Deceased Loved One? New Research Suggests That the Tech Can Provide Comfort and Closure

Commercial “griefbots” are becoming more popular, and many experts have questions about their psychological and ethical impacts. A new study aims to ensure that the bots are designed responsibly

Researchers discovered burned, ashy layers surrounding a standing stone that was placed in the cave 2,000 years ago.

Aboriginal Spiritual Leaders Performed ‘Magic, Healing, Cursing’ Rituals in This Australian Cave for 25,000 Years, New Research Finds

Archaeologists collaborated with members of the GunaiKurnai Aboriginal community to explore layers of ash from burned grasses dating back thousands of years inside Cloggs Cave

The Clipper Endeavor was about the same size as a Boeing 737.

This 1950s Airplane Disaster Prompted the Flight Safety Demonstrations Passengers Know Today. Searchers Just Found the Wreckage in the Atlantic Ocean

A team of explorers used an autonomous underwater vehicle to locate the remains of the Pan American ‘Clipper Endeavor’ about five miles off the coast of Puerto Rico

When they hatch, echidna puggles are about the size of a jellybean and weigh half as much as a mini marshmallow.

Double Puggles: See the Adorable ‘Twin’ Echidnas Born at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park

The two babies hatched this year to one mother during the same breeding season—an extremely rare occurrence, according to the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance

Located on the River Thames in London, the Tower of London has stood for nearly 1,000 years.

The Tower of London Plans to Turn Its Moat Into a ‘Green Classroom’ and Show Off Its Architecture Archives in a Major Renovation

The landmark, nearly a millennium old, has housed kings, hosted royal executions and safeguarded Britain’s crown jewels. New education centers aim to invite more people to learn about that history

Kiana Hall, a 33-year-old marketing specialist, captured a viral clip of Jimothy while out for a walk in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood.

An Unusual-Looking Raccoon Nicknamed Jimothy Is Winning Hearts Across the Internet for His Short, Round Body

Jimothy has become a local celebrity in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood and likely has a rare congenital spine condition

Koala conservation is a complex balancing act in Australia. In some regions, populations are in steep decline, but in others, the animals are overabundant.

Koalas Are at Risk of Extinction in Some Parts of Australia. Can Freezing Their Sperm and Eggs Help Save the Iconic Marsupials?

Scientists are preserving the animals’ reproductive cells in liquid nitrogen in a bid to boost genetic diversity in future populations

Commercial whalers hunted southern right whales to the brink of extinction. Though the species has rebounded, its recovery has been uneven.

Poop From Southern Right Whales Reveals That the Animals Might Be More Resilient to Climate Change Than We Thought

Scientists long believed that these whales, which swim throughout the Southern Hemisphere, mainly feasted on krill and small crustaceans called copepods, which are disappearing from the warming ocean. A new study suggests that the cetaceans have a more varied, flexible diet

Princess Ita was buried with this dagger.

Did These Ancient Egyptian Princesses Wield Weapons and Train in Martial Arts, Just Like the Men of Their Time?

A new analysis of their bones suggests they were buried alongside arrows, maces and daggers because they had repeatedly used those weapons in life

Scientists first spotted the creatures in 2008.

Meet the Orange-Lipped ‘Likweli’ Monkey, a New Species That Was Discovered in the Congo Rainforest

The creatures, which weigh about the same as a small dog, have spiky black hair, orange-cream skin around their mouths and a white patch on their rear ends. Scientists say that they’re probably endangered

The pen and the broken circuit breaker switch sold at auction.

Buzz Aldrin Used This Humble Felt-Tip Pen to Save the Apollo II Astronauts. It Just Sold for More Than $850,000

In July 1969, a quick-thinking Aldrin used the writing instrument to rearm the engine arm circuit of the lunar module “Eagle” after the switch broke off during the moon landing

Investigators say a man stole Chinese manuscripts worth more than $200,000 from UCLA.

Man Sentenced for Stealing ‘Rare and Unique’ Chinese Texts, Valued at More Than $200,000, by Using Aliases, Fake IDs and Dummy Manuscripts

The works were stolen from the University of California, Los Angeles, over the course of several years

Researchers showed each giraffe the contents of several containers, which held varying numbers of carrots, then added extra pieces to one of them. Afterward, the animal would choose a container to get the treats inside.

Giraffes Might Be Even Smarter Than We Thought. Some Can Solve Simple Math Problems, a New Study Suggests

Two of four tested giraffes seemed to be able to mentally combine numbers to get one of their favorite treats: carrots. But all the animals failed at tasks involving subtraction or multiple calculations

At the end of the calculation, researchers found two symbols they deciphered to mean “so says Sak Tahn Waax.”

Meet Sak Tahn Waax, a Maya Math Whiz Who Lived More Than 1,000 Years Ago and Left Behind a ‘Really Elegant, Complex’ Formula

For the first time, archaeologists identified one of the culture’s famed Classic era mathematicians and astronomers

Andean leaf-eared mice can survive in extremely high-altitude environments with frigid temperatures and little oxygen.

Here’s How These Adorable Mice Can Live at an Extremely High Elevation Where No Other Mammal Is Known to Reside

The Andean leaf-eared mouse has adaptations that help it generate body heat efficiently in frigid, low-oxygen conditions at 22,000 feet above sea level, according to a new study

Archaeologist Andrew Birley found the relief carving while excavating a fourth-century barrack at Vindolanda, a Roman fort near Hadrian's Wall in northern England.

Ancient Romans Put Their Faith in Guardian Spirits. Archaeologists Just Found a Rare 1,600-Year-Old Carving of One in Northern England

Known as a “genius,” the protective spirit or deity was believed to bring good fortune and prosperity to a particular person, household or place. Archaeologists haven’t found many depictions of them across Roman Britain

Gray whales, like this one that washed up dead in Los Angeles in April 2025, are grappling with malnutrition and ship strikes.

Nearly 150 Gray Whales Have Been Found Dead Along North America’s Pacific Shore This Year, Prompting Scientists to Sound the Alarm

The population of eastern gray whales, which migrate annually along the West Coast between the Arctic and Mexico, has been declining in recent years. Conservationists say 2026 could be one of the deadliest years on record for the marine mammals

The bones were discovered in a cave on the Swedish island of Stora Karlso.

How Did Two Wolves End Up on This Remote Island Thousands of Years Ago? Researchers Think Humans Brought Them There, Then Cared for Them

The discovery suggests humans may have maintained relationships with wolves long after domesticated dogs came on the scene

Researchers found evidence that the wound healed.

Roughly 100,000 Years Ago, This Man Got Stabbed in the Face—and Survived. He’s Likely One of the First Known Victims of an Attack With a Sharp Weapon

Researchers who investigated the remains of a young adult male found in the Qafzeh cave say the injury healed over time, which means the victim’s community may have tended to him

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