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The treasure trove discovery began when park ranger and naturalist Greg Francek from the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) first stumbled upon a petrified forest while on patrol in the Mokelumne River Watershed, located in the Sierra Nevada.

Park Ranger Stumbles Upon Treasure Trove of Several-Million-Year-Old Fossils in Northern California

Paleontologists found hundreds of Miocene fossils, including an 8-million-year-old mastodon, at an undisclosed location in the Sierra Nevada foothills

A ghost forest on Capers Island, South Carolina.

New Research

‘Tree Farts’ Raise Ghost Forests’ Carbon Emissions

As sea level rise poisons woodlands with saltwater, more work is needed to understand these ecosystems’ contributions to climate change

Hurricane Laura as it approached the Gulf Coast on August 26, 2020

NOAA Predicts Another Above-Average Atlantic Hurricane Season

Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30 and NOAA predicts it will see between 13 and 20 named storms

Researchers found that the bears could withstand an impact of up to 900 meters per second and shock pressures of up to 1.14 gigapascals (GPa). Any higher than those speeds, the seemingly invincible water bears turned to mush.

Water Bears Can Survive Impact Speeds of 1,845 Miles Per Hour

Tardigrades thrive in a variety of extreme conditions, so researchers wanted to know if they could withstand simulated space landing impacts

This sample of red trinitite contained the quasicrystal described in a new study.

New Research

Study Plucks Rare Quasicrystal From Wreckage of First Atomic Bomb Test

Researchers found the strange material inside a piece of red trinitite, a glass-like amalgam formed by the blast’s intense heat and pressure

While erosion is a natural occurrence that happens over time, the Galàpagos Islands are more at risk to threats of erosion because of climate change.

Iconic Natural Rock Feature in the Galápagos Islands Crumbles Into the Ocean

The top of the Darwin’s Arch, a natural stone archway, fell as a result of natural erosion

When male cicadas are infected with Massospora, they exhibit both male and female mating behavior: singing to attract females and flicking their wings to attract males.

Cicadas Fall Prey to a Psychedelic-Producing Fungus That Makes Their Butts Fall Off

This ‘zombie’ fungus isn’t going after the bugs’ brains—it’s after their genitals

A photograph captures the total lunar eclipse of January 21, 2019

Get Ready for the Super Flower Blood Moon Eclipse Next Week

Much of the western U.S. will see an extra-large, eerily red full moon on May 26

Experiments showed that pigs and mice can absorb oxygen through their rectums.

New Research

Anally Delivered Oxygen Kept Suffocating Pigs and Mice Alive in the Lab. Could the Method One Day Save Human Lives, Too?

The technique may provide doctors with a new way of providing supplemental oxygen for patients with failing lungs

Several male jaguars have been spotted in Arizona and New Mexico over the last twenty years, but no evidence of breeding pairs establishing territories beyond Mexico has been seen or reported.

It’s Time to Reintroduce Jaguars in the U.S. Southwest, Scientists and Conservation Groups Say

Hunting decimated the big cat’s population in the United States by the mid-20th century

The administration has not yet announced how the 80 million doses will be distributed, but intends to do so by the end of June.

U.S. Commits to Sharing 20 Million More Vaccine Doses With Countries in Need

The new commitment adds 20 million Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson doses to the previously promised 60 million AstraZeneca doses

The researchers identified 65 species that make noise when they play by looking at existing studies. They estimate there certainly could be more chuckling critters out there.

New Research

Dogs Do It, Birds Do It, and Dolphins Do It, Too. Here Are 65 Animals That Laugh, According to Science

Researchers suggest that laughter in the animal kingdom may help creatures let each other know when it’s playtime, so that play fights don’t escalate

Researchers found that the House Sparrow Passer domesticus had the biggest population out of the total bird species surveys at 1.6 billion individuals.

An Estimated 50 Billion Birds Populate Earth, but Four Species Reign Supreme

House sparrows, European starlings, barn swallows and ring-billed gulls all occupy the billion-bird club with gargantuan population numbers

In the images, the Great Red Spot, Jupiter's superstorm, is seen in both visible and ultraviolet light, but it disappears into the background as a black splotch in the infrared image.

Peer Into Jupiter’s Gassy Atmosphere With These Stunning New Photos

The images taken at various wavelengths reveal details about the gas giant’s stormy atmosphere

Oxitec placed six hexagonal boxes of mosquitoes on private properties in the Florida Keys.

Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Take Flight to Fight Invasive Species in Florida

Invasive Aedes aegypti mosquitoes can carry disease, so Oxitec’s modified strain is designed to reduce their numbers

Mars as photographed by China’s Tianwen-1 probe after it entered the planet's orbit in February.

China’s Zhurong Rover Lands on Mars

The achievement cements China as a major player in modern space exploration and could soon deliver discoveries about Mars’ geology

Remnants of a supernova called Cassiopeia A, located in our galaxy about 11,000 light-years from Earth. Scientists have long thought that supernovae were responsible for the creation of the heaviest elements, but new research suggests other types of stellar events may also be in play.

New Research

Scientists Find Plutonium Made in Outer Space on Ocean Floor

Research suggests the rare, heavy element may have been created by the collision of two neutron stars

Stress-relief programs that integrate therapy pets can help students relax as they talk and think about their stressors without overwhelming themselves and may be more effective at providing relief than academic approaches to stress management.

For Stressed-Out College Students, Petting Therapy Dogs Has Long-Lasting Benefits

Compared to other experimental groups, undergrads who interacted with pups experienced improved executive functioning skills

New research estimates that Brazil's Atlantic Forest has regrown 4.2 million hectares of forest since 2000.

New Research

Globally, Forests the Size of France Have Grown Back Since 2000

New research illustrates the capacity of forests to regenerate if given the chance

At the end of April, the CDC released guidance that said fully vaccinated people could safely go outdoors without wearing masks; the new guidance expands on that to include most indoor activities.

New CDC Covid-19 Guidance Says Fully Vaccinated People Can Safely Go Maskless

In healthcare settings, mass transit, and where local laws require it, people should continue to wear masks

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