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New Research

A killer whale in the Salish Sea is observed harassing a porpoise.

Why Do Orcas Keep Harassing Porpoises?

An endangered group of killer whales in the Pacific Northwest has been toying with porpoises for decades—and new research offers some possible explanations

The oldest hunter-gatherer basketry in southern Europe, dating to 9,500 years ago.

Archaeologists Uncover 9,500-Year-Old Woven Baskets and Europe’s Oldest Sandals

Items found in a Spanish cave are older than previously thought, a new study suggests, calling into question “simplistic assumptions” about early humans

Researchers studied tree rings to determine that a single earthquake along two fault zones may have occured near Seattle around 1,100 years ago.

A Massive, Two-Fault Earthquake May Have Struck the Pacific Northwest 1,100 Years Ago

The region needs to be prepared for the possibility of more intense quakes than previously thought, a new study of tree rings finds

Scientists found inspiration in octopus suckers, which can hold onto surfaces underwater, to design a new drug-delivery method that sticks to the inner cheek.

New Patch Inspired by Octopus Suckers Could Deliver Drugs Without Needles

Medicine-filled suction cups attached to the inside of the cheek could be an effective alternative to oral tablets or injections, study finds

The life cycle of the parasitic rat lungworm involves rats spreading it to snails and slugs, which pass it back to rats.

Parasitic, Invasive Worm Found in Rats in Georgia

While the worm can sicken people, few human infections have been reported in the U.S., and it typically doesn’t require treatment

Rafflesia kemumu in the rainforest of Sumatra.

The World’s Largest and Smelliest Flower Is at Risk of Extinction, Scientists Say

Researchers are calling for urgent protections for corpse flowers in the Rafflesia genus, which live only in remote rainforests of Southeast Asia

Human bone inside Cueva de los Marmoles, the cave in Spain where the study took place.

Prehistoric Humans May Have Dug Up Bodies to Make Tools

A study of bones from a Spanish cave suggests humans might have fashioned tools from the remains of recently deceased community members or relatives

Warming spurred by Earth's next supercontinent could lead to widespread desert conditions, a new modeling study suggests. Pictured is the Tengger Desert in Inner Mongolia, an autonomous region of China.

Earth’s Next Supercontinent Could Wipe Out Mammals in 250 Million Years

Termed “Pangea Ultima,” the predicted future landmass might be extremely hot, plagued by volcanoes and largely inhospitable, per a new modeling study

Box jellyfish are about the size of a grape.

Brainless Jellyfish Are Capable of Learning, Study Suggests

Scientists provide evidence that tiny Caribbean box jellyfish—which lack a central nervous system—can learn to navigate through mangrove roots

The excavation team uncovering the wooden structure. It was unearthed along the Kalambo River in Zambia at a site called Kalambo Falls.

Archaeologists Uncover Notched Logs That May Be the Oldest Known Wooden Structure

The interlocking pieces, found near a waterfall in Zambia, date to 476,000 years ago—before Homo sapiens evolved

A Tasmanian tiger at the Hobart Zoo in Tasmania. The last known living Tasmanian tiger died at the zoo in 1936.

Scientists Collect First RNA From an Extinct Tasmanian Tiger

No other RNA has ever been extracted from an extinct species, so the breakthrough opens doors to understanding the biology of long-gone organisms

Methuselah, the oldest fish living in an aquarium, was transported to California in 1938.

Methuselah, the World’s Oldest Living Aquarium Fish, Could Be More Than 100

Using a new and noninvasive technique, researchers analyzed the DNA of 33 lungfish in institutions across the U.S. and Australia to determine their ages

Study participants experienced cardiac arrest while in the hospital and received CPR in an attempt to resuscitate them.

Scientists Search for Near-Death Experiences of Cardiac Arrest Patients

Through survivor interviews and brain scans during CPR, researchers looked for evidence of awareness when people’s hearts had stopped

Patrons at the Eldorado, a popular LGBTQ cabaret in Berlin during the Weimar years

New Research Reveals How the Nazis Targeted Transgender People

Last year, a German court acknowledged the possibility that trans people were persecuted by the Nazis

Pink diamonds form when the gems' crystalline structure gets bent under intense pressure.

Geologists Unravel the Mysteries of Australia’s Rare Pink Diamonds

The dazzling, blush-colored gems likely emerged from Earth’s mantle some 1.3 billion years ago, when a supercontinent named Nuna broke up, study suggests

Two types of white blood cells, a neutrophil (top) and a lymphocyte (bottom), in human blood.

Human Cells Display a Mathematical Pattern That Repeats in Nature and Language

New research suggests adult humans have between 28 trillion and 36 trillion cells, which follow a commonly seen distribution of size and mass

Some birds—including blue jays—are strong vocal learners that can mimic other birds and make lots of different sounds.

Songbirds That Learn to Make New Sounds Are the Best Problem-Solvers

Birds—and humans—are vocal learners, meaning they can imitate new vocalizations and use them to communicate

Engravings at the study site depict animal tracks.

Stone Age Engravings of Animal Tracks Reveal New Details in Namibia

Indigenous tracking experts determined the species, sex, age group and leg of depicted animals in hundreds of carvings of footprints

MDMA, also called molly or ecstasy.

MDMA Moves Closer to Approval for PTSD Treatment After New Clinical Trial

If endorsed by the FDA, the drug would become the first psychedelic approved for mental health treatment in the United States

A quarry in the Cerro Blanco Forest in southern Ecuador, which is facing threats from construction and deforestation.

Humans Have Exceeded Six of the Nine Boundaries Keeping Earth Habitable

Scientists find we are “well outside the safe operating space for humanity” in a new study meant to assess the health of our planet

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