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New Research

The Small Magellanic Cloud, where some of your atoms likely originate

New Research

Half of Our Atoms May Come From Other Galaxies

According to computer simulations, large galaxies may grow by sucking in matter smaller star clusters expel

Die Hermannsschlacht, Gemälde von Friedrich Gunkel, 1862–1864

New Research

New Excavation Will Examine Germany’s Legendary “Founding Battle”

The dig hopes to find conclusive evidence that Kalkriese is the site of the Battle of Teutoburg Forest

Blue chrysanthemums

New Research

The Scientific Feat That Birthed the Blue Chrysanthemum

In a world first, scientists engineered the flowers to take on an azure hue

Ramazzottius varieornatus, a species of tardigrade, photographed with scanning electron microscope

New Research

Why Are Tardigrades the World’s Hardiest Creature? DNA Offers Clues

They may be tiny, but don’t let their stubby stature fool you

The fin of a blacktip shark glides through the waters in the Bahamas.

New Research

Ten Things We’ve Learned about Sharks Since Last Shark Week

In light of Shark Week 2017, here are some revelations about the fearsome fish we’ve made in the past year

New Research

Yes, Sperm Counts Have Been Steadily Declining—But Don’t Freeze Your Sperm Yet

The study is a striking reminder of how much science has to learn about these little wrigglers

The degenerative disease, chronic traumatic encephalopathy or CTE, is common in football players, boxers, veterans and others exposed to head trauma.

New Research

Disease Found in 99 Percent of Brains Donated by NFL Families

The degenerative brain disease develops after repeated concussions or blows to the head

Little does it know, but getting eaten by a great tit is the least of this grub's worries.

New Research

Meet the Supervillain Worm That Gets By With a Little Help From Its Friends

This deadly nematode and its sidekicks reveal the power of bacterial symbiosis

Here, wildebeest find themselves trapped by high cliffs while crossing the Mara River in Africa's Serengeti. Every year thousands of wildebeest die while crossing the river due to strong currents or crossing at dangerous sites.

New Research

The Upside of Rotting Carcasses

Large animals dying en masse are crucial to the the Serengeti—and they aren’t the only ones

Cool Finds

World’s Oldest Smiley Face May Decorate a Hittite Jug

Researchers did not notice the cheery, 3,700-year-old expression until they restored the ceramic

Marianne Nyegaard poses next to a beached hoodwinker sunfish near Christchurch, New Zealand.

Cool Finds

Found: New Species of Ocean Sunfish, the World’s Largest Bony Fish

After identifying genetic traces of the creature, one researcher spent years searching for the aquatic beast

A later copy of the Bixby Letter

New Research

Was This Famous Lincoln Letter Written by His Secretary?

After a century of rumors, textual analysis suggests the Bixby letter sent to a grieving mother was penned by John Hay

Of the 9 billion tons of plastic the world has produced, only nine percent is recycled.

Humans Have Produced Nine Billion Tons of Plastic and Counting

Over half of that material was created in the last decade

Axe head and grindstone found at Madjedbebe

New Research

Humans May Have Ventured Into Australia 20,000 Years Earlier Than Thought

High-tech dating of sediments at an Australian rock shelter offers insights into ancient human migration

One wave of domestication or two? The debate rages on.

New Research

New Study Has a Bone to Pick With Dog Domestication Findings

Contrary to past research, a new DNA study suggests fido was only tamed once

An artist's rendering of a star colliding with the surface of a supermassive sphere. In recent years some scientists have surmised that black holes may be hard objects rather than a region of intense gravity and compressed matter.

Could You Crash Into a Black Hole?

Probably not, but it’s fun to think about

A red fox listening for prey under the snow in Yellowstone National Park. Noise can affect foxes and other animals that rely on their hearing when they hunt.

How Human Noise Ruins Parks for Animals and People

Even in America’s most pristine wildernesses, unwanted sound is changing landscapes

New Research

“Space Archaeologists” to Examine the International Space Station

Using millions of photos and documents, researchers will reconstruct life on the ISS to see how visitors interact with their tools and each other

New Research

What Is the Key to Predict Animal Speed?

The biggest animals aren’t always the fastest

Not a birdbrain.

New Research

Like Humans and Apes, Ravens Can Plan for the Future

The birds were able to choose and hold onto a tool that could unlock an eventual reward

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