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New Research

The spectacled tyrant (Hymenops perspicillatus) inhabits harsh, dry deserts, which new research suggests tend to produce new species at a higher rate than lush, biodiverse places like the Amazon.

New Research

Earth’s Harshest Ecosystems May Birth New Species Fastest

A genetic study of nearly 1,300 different birds suggests places with fewer species spit out new ones more frequently than biodiversity hotspots

Researchers recorded 38 instances of pandas covering themselves in horse manure between June 2016 and June 2017.

New Research

In Winter, Pandas Love to Roll in Horse Poop

To deal with crappy weather, the black-and-white bears may be slathering themselves in feces to stay warm

Marine mammals could contract the virus through their mucus membranes, like their blowholes, eyes and mouths.

Can Marine Mammals Catch Covid-19 via Wastewater? The Evidence Is Murky

Whales, and other species, may have the same cellular vulnerability to Covid-19 as humans, but experts say the risk of infection is incredibly low

Coho salmon returning from its years at sea to spawn, seen near the Suquamish Tribe's Grovers Creek Hatchery.

New Research

Researchers Reveal Why Seattle Salmon Bite the Dust After Rainstorms

A chemical found in car tire debris washes off roads into waterways, killing coho salmon returning to spawn

The researchers worked with otters at Newquay Zoo, Tamar Otter and Wildlife Centre and New Forest Wildlife Park.

New Research

Otters Solve Puzzles Faster After Seeing a Friend Do It First

Conservation scientists could use the information to teach previously captive animals how to live in the wild

AlphaFold's protein structure in blue is shown overlaid with the lab results in green for two kinds of proteins.

New Research

Breakthrough A.I. Makes Huge Leap Toward Solving 50-Year-Old Problem in Biology

Proteins are vital biological molecules, and it can require years of lab-based experiments to tease out the 3-D shape of just one

Over the last 30 years, rainfall on Hawai'i's islands has decreased by 18 percent while the number of residents has doubled since the late 1950s, leading to a high demand for an already scarce resource.

New Research

Newly Discovered Underground Rivers Could Be Potential Solution for Hawai’i’s Drought

The reservoirs could provide twice as much fresh water to tap into

A keyhole wasp can block up an airplane's external sensor in as little as 30 minutes.

New Research

In Australia, Just One Wasp Can Ground an Airplane With a Strategically Placed Nest

Invasive keyhole wasps were building nests in the equipment pilots use to measure how fast they’re flying

This discovery offers a new theory to how the world's most ferocious predator went extinct more than 3 million years ago.

Megalodons, the Ocean’s Most Ferocious Prehistoric Predators, Raised Their Young in Nurseries

The fossils shed light on how these sharks were raised and what led to their ultimate demise

Tomova used a functional magnetic resonance imaging machine to see how participants' brains responded to images of drool-worthy food and social gatherings.

Why Hunger and Loneliness Activate the Same Part of the Brain

The study suggests that social interaction isn’t just comforting or fun—it’s a human need

70 percent of drowning deaths in Canada involve lake ice, and these accidents are becoming more common as climate change causes more temperature swings and moderate weather

New Research

Climate Change Causes Weaker, More Dangerous Lake Ice

Global warming causes temperature swings that leave ice weakened for days, with deadly consequences

The highest concentration of microplastics—119 particles per quart of water—were found around Everest Base Camp, where climbers spend time resting, regrouping and acclimatizing to the high elevation.

Even Mount Everest, the World’s Tallest Peak, Can’t Escape Microplastics

At 27,690 feet in elevation, the mountain is the highest point above sea level where microplastics have been detected

The Blue Ring Nebula is invisible to the human eye, but telescopes can measure the ultraviolet light, which is shown here in blue.

New Research

Astronomers Crack the Case of the Blue Ring Nebula

The source of the dazzling display puzzled scientists for more than a decade

The study was small, lacked diversity in its participants and may have been affected by the volunteers’ expectations of taking the psychedelic drug. However, it suggests that this may be a fruitful path in the search for new antidepressants.

New Research

Active Ingredient in ‘Shrooms’ Shown to Help Treat Depression

A small study on the effectiveness of psilocybin and psychotherapy presents promising evidence

A white cloud floats over the top of Mount Everest at dusk.

Into Thicker Air and Onto Thinner Ice: How Climate Change Is Affecting Mount Everest

Researchers have documented that the high-altitude air is gaining more oxygen and large glaciers are melting at rapid rates

Scholars will use A.I. to identify references to specific scents in artwork and texts.

Researchers Are Recreating Europe’s Centuries-Old Scents

A team of scientists will curate an “encyclopedia of smell heritage” that spans the 16th through early 20th centuries

Researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology designed a peer-reviewed tool to estimate the risk of attending an event with someone infected with the coronavirus that causes Covid-19.

Five Online Tools for Evaluating Covid-19 Risk Ahead of the Holidays

Of course, the safest option is holding events virtually and skipping in-person, indoor gatherings altogether this year

Ruins of farms on Fuaigh Mòr, an island evicted during the Highland Clearances

How Profits From Slavery Changed the Landscape of the Scottish Highlands

Money earned through enslavement played a key role in the eviction of Highlanders in the 18th and 19th centuries, study finds

The sealed wooden coffins, unveiled at Saqqara amid fanfare, belonged to top officials of the Late Period and the Ptolemaic period of ancient Egypt.

Archaeologists Are Just Beginning to Unearth the Mummies and Secrets of Saqqara

The latest finds hint at the great potential of the ancient Egyptian pilgrimage site

Astronaut Luca Parmitano uses a sample-spinning centrifuge on the I.S.S. to expose the bacteria to the equivalent of Mars' gravity.

New Research

Space Station Experiments Show How Microbes Could Be Used for Mining on Mars

Researchers sent bacteria and basalt rock to the ISS to figure out which microscopic organisms can extract useful metals in reduced gravity

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