New Research

An artist's renditon of the "alien goldfish." Scientists identified a toothy structure in the animal's gut, suggesting it was some kind of mollusk.

Mysterious ‘Alien Goldfish’ May Have Been a Mollusk

The bizarre creature’s anatomy had stumped scientists for decades

Some of the 14th-century B.C.E. vessels found at the Tel Yehud burial site

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Discover Evidence of Earliest Known Opium Use

At a burial site in Israel, pottery from the 14th century B.C.E. contained traces of the drug

An X-ray of the Dancing Horse earthenware sculpture, which dates to 608 to 907 C.E. during China's Tang dynasty

Art Meets Science

Chemistry Reveals the History of an Ancient Dancing Horse Sculpture

The artwork dates to China's Tang dynasty, when horses were a symbol of prosperity

Ants have several key roles in keeping their environments in balance, including aerating the soil, dispersing seeds, decomposing organic material and serving as a food source. 

An Estimated 20 Quadrillion Ants Live on Earth

The weight of the world’s ants exceeds that of all wild birds and mammals combined

The blood test screens for over 50 types of cancer, some of which can not be screened for currently.

Could a Blood Test Effectively Screen for Cancers?

The innovation shows promise, but so far, it returns many false positives

A photo of Saturn taken by NASA's Voyager 1 space probe from a distance of 34 million kilometers in 1980. 

What Caused Saturn’s Rings and Tilt? Perhaps the Destruction of a Moon

Scientists propose that about 160 million years ago, the moon was torn apart, creating the planet’s iconic rings

A rendering of the MICROSCOPE satellite in space. 

Scientists Test How Objects Fall in Space

In the most precise experiment to date, researchers confirm a principle of Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity

The newly discovered Opisthiamimus gregori preys on a now-extinct water bug.

Scientists Discover Bug-Eating Reptile That Lived Among Dinosaurs

Delicate fossil reveals a cousin of the modern tuatara

The artificial intelligence has looked for patterns between audio recordings and the brain activity of people listening to those recordings. 

By Reading Brainwaves, an A.I. Aims to Predict What Words People Listened to

The research is a long way off from practical use, but researchers hope it might one day aid communication for people who experienced brain injuries

Skull of a Neanderthal, or Homo neanderthalensis

What's the Difference Between a Human and Neanderthal Brain?

One small variation in DNA may have helped Homo sapiens out-compete our ancient relatives

Joy Milne can smell Parkinson's Disease.

Woman Who Can Smell Parkinson’s Helps Develop a Skin Swab Diagnostic Test

The test, which would be the first of its kind for this disease, can make a diagnosis in about three minutes

The chimpanzees only share their identity while traveling, which may help avoid confrontations.

Chimpanzees Play Their Own Signature Drumbeats to Stay in Touch

New research suggests the animals broadcast their identity and location to find each other while traveling

The lava lake that sits atop Mount Nyiragongo in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the largest in the world. 

How a Volcanic Eruption Caught Seismologists by Surprise

Scientists reveal why Africa's Mount Nyiragongo erupted without any perceived warning signs in May last year

Immortal jellyfish (Turritopsis dohrnii) are smaller than the nail on your pinky finger.

‘Immortal Jellyfish’ Could Spur Discoveries About Human Aging

After reaching maturity, these deep-sea creatures can revert to a juvenile stage and repeat their life cycle

Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins off the coast of Western Australia

Male Dolphins Have (Lots of) Wingmen

To find a mate, male dolphins work together in complex social networks that dwarf those of any other animal, except humans, study finds

Digital facial reconstructions of two of the individuals found in the well, based on skeletal remains and DNA

Bones Found in Medieval Well Likely Belong to Victims of Anti-Semitic Massacre

A new DNA analysis suggests the 17 individuals were Ashkenazi Jews murdered in Norwich, England, in 1190

Ice collapsing off the Russell Glacier in Greenland. Researchers agree that ice-sheet melt in Greenland will lead to at least several inches of global sea-level rise by the end of the century. 

Melting Greenland Ice Sheet Will Cause at Least Ten Inches of Sea-Level Rise, Study Finds

Experts break down the new finding, which provides a higher estimate of meltwater than previous research

A Jorō spider, which was the victim of sensationalized reporting in the U.S. earlier this year

Spider Slander Runs Rampant Online

Nearly half of news stories about spider bites contain misinformation, which experts say can hurt conservation efforts

A night of tossing and turning might lead to more selfish behvaior the next day, a new study suggests. 

Sleep Deprivation Could Make People More Selfish, Study Finds

Researchers measured charitable donations, looked at brain scans and conducted questionnaires to track changes in generosity

Magic mushrooms remain illegal in the U.S. for recreational use, but researchers have tested psilocybin as a treatment for a variety of mental illnesses. 

Psychedelic ‘Magic Mushroom’ Ingredient Could Help Treat Alcohol Addiction

Study participants taking the drug psilocybin with talk therapy showed an 83 percent decline in heavy drinking

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