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New Research

Thanks to millions of microscopic hair-like structures, a gecko's foot can resist pulling forces up to 20 times the lizard's own weight.

New Research

Geckos Have a Surprisingly Strong Death Grip

Gecko toes remain firmly stuck in place even after the animal dies, implying that the lizards do not actively control their clinginess

An engraving of "Mr. Garrick" as Richard III in a production of Shakespeare’s play

New Research

Richard III’s DNA Analysis Reveals Cuckoldry in the Family

Researchers can trace the monarch’s maternal lineage to modern relatives, but not the male side

An artist's interpretation of HIV in the bloodstream

New Research

HIV’s Ability to Cause AIDS Is Weakening

A combination of advanced treatments and viral evolution are slowing virus’ reproduction

New Research

Most College Students Don’t Graduate on Time

The vast majority of students take more than 4 years to earn a bachelor’s degree

New Research

Manhattan Insects Eat the Equivalent of 60,000 Hot Dogs Each Year

Millions of urban insects act as efficient, largely unnoticed garbage disposals

New Research

Why Do Families Move for Men’s, But Not Women’s, Careers?

Men choose jobs that are less flexible in location

New Research

Older People’s Brains Notice More But Filter Less

A small study shows that elderly people notice patterns even when those patterns aren’t useful

Who is this random guy? It's John Tyler, the tenth president of the United States.

New Research

Soon Enough No One Will Remember Bill Clinton

People mostly remember first and recent US presidents, forgetting almost all the ones that came between

This relatives and friends of this 30-something-year-old woman suspected she might come back from the grave as a vampire, as indicated by the sickle placed directly across her neck, and meant to keep her in the ground.

New Research

The 17th-Century Polish Vampire Next Door

In 17th century Poland, people pegged as vampires weren’t weirdo foreigners but locals who freaked their neighbors out

An artists' rendition of a different species of Pentaceratops alongside a modern white rhinoceros for scale

New Research

Reexamining Fossils Revealed a New Dinosaur Species

A distinct species of Pentaceratops was hiding in a museum’s fossil collection

Artifacts from the Antikythera Shipwreck, the famous mechanism in the center, as exhibited in Athens, Greece

New Research

Mysterious Antikythera Mechanism Is Even Older Than We Thought

This ancient astronomical calculator is now dated to 205 B.C. and is 1,000 years more advanced than anything else found from that time

The world's favorite edible bird.

Anthropocene

Chinese Chickens May Have Been Domesticated 10,000 Years Ago

Bones found in ancient farming sites are lending insight into the origins of our favorite fowl

New Research

We Weigh the Most on Mondays

The weekend’s excesses can pack on a few extra pounds, but routine during the week tends to strip them away again

A Coptic depiction of Christ and of Abbot Mena dating to around the same time as the recently translated book of rituals.

New Research

An Ancient Egyptian Spellbook Has Been Translated

It’s like the researchers have never seen a horror movie

New Research

A Simple Way to Reduce Car Crashes: Start the High School Day Later

A later roll-call time for teens also means improved health, mood, and grades

Ariel view of the Hoover Dam captured in 1967

New Research

Americans Are Using Less Water Than We Did in 1970

Peak water was decades ago

New Research

In the U.S., Few Heavy Drinkers Are Actually Alcoholics

About 90 percent of people who drink excessively—more than eight drinks a week for women, 15 for men—are not alcohol dependent

The worm's progression through the man's brain, over a four year period.

New Research

A Tapeworm Crawled Around In This Man’s Brain for Years

Studying the extracted parasite might help others avoid a similar infestation

New Research

How One Crop Allowed Humans to Conquer the Himalaya

Hardy barley enabled us to survive at altitudes that were previously beyond reach

An optical light image of a black hole’s jet from the galaxy M87

New Research

The Rotational Energy of Black Holes Spits Out Powerful Particle Streams

Researchers are getting closer to answering some heavy questions about how supermassive black holes work

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