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New Research

Sharpshooters use an appendage called an anal stylus to catapult droplets of pee.

These Tiny Bugs Urinate by Flinging Droplets of Pee

Sharpshooters are the first example of “superpropulsion” in a living organism, according to new research

Some scientists think that Earth's inner core is actually made up of two similar but distinct layers.

Scientists Find Evidence of Another Core Within Earth’s Center

The newly proposed layer might have a different structure from the rest of the inner core

The hazy quality of works like Turner's Rain, Steam and Speed (1844) was influenced by air pollution, a new study says.

Art Meets Science

Did Air Pollution Influence Famous Impressionist Painters?

Artists like Turner and Monet painted the smog they saw in London and Paris, a new study says

First discovered in 1992, the phallus is 6.3 inches long and made of ash wood.

Is This Wooden Artifact an Ancient Roman Phallus?

Thirty years ago, researchers thought that the 2,000-year-old object was a darning tool

An artist's depiction of Macronectes tinae, a newly identified extinct species of giant petrel that lived in New Zealand.

The Wonderful World of Birds

Amateur Fossil Hunter Discovers New Species of Giant Petrel in New Zealand

The now-extinct birds, which lived roughly three million years ago, likely used their hooked bills to feast on seal carcasses

Images of the six objects thought to be massive galaxies from the early universe

Webb Telescope Finds Evidence of Massive Galaxies That Defy Theories of the Early Universe

The six “universe breakers” appear much larger than what scientists thought was possible at that time

Dog waste bags outside a park in Queens, New York. The maximum fine for not picking up your dog's waste in New York City is $250.

Shoes Carry Poop Bacteria Into NYC Buildings, Study Finds

With “absolutely astonishing” amounts of fecal bacteria on city sidewalks, an expert recommends removing shoes before entering homes

An image taken through a microscope of bone marrow tissue. To cure the patient of HIV, researchers destroyed his bone marrow cells and gave him a donation of stem cells with an HIV-resistant mutation.

Patient Cured of HIV After Stem Cell Transplant, Researchers Say

He is at least the third person cured in this way, which would likely be too risky for patients who don’t also have cancer

In a new study, 300 volunteers collected data on almost 700 European hedgehogs across Denmark for research on their lifespan and inbreeding.

World’s Oldest European Hedgehog Found by Citizen Scientists

The species faces several threats, but the 16-year-old mammal is “really good news for conservation”

Baofeng Su, a fish genetics researcher at Auburn University, is part of a team of scientists studying the effectiveness of injecting alligator genes into farm-raised catfish.

Scientists Are Injecting Alligator Genes Into Catfish

The technique could help prevent infections in the millions of pounds of farmed catfish raised for human consumption

Researchers use a hot water drill on Thwaites Glacier, which two new studies show is melting in an unexpected manner.

A Rare Look Below the ‘Doomsday Glacier’ Reveals Surprising Melting

Researchers sent a robot through 2,000 feet of ice to study the quickly receding ice shelf

The experimental treatment inhibits an enzyme that is needed for sperm to move.

Male Birth Control Drug ‘Stops Sperm in Their Tracks’ in Study of Mice

The drug served as a quick-acting, temporary contraceptive with no noticeable side effects, researchers say

NASA’s Space Launch System sent the uncrewed Orion spacecraft into orbit around the moon in November 2022.

The Revolution in Moon Exploration

How Loud Was NASA’s Artemis 1 Launch?

The Space Launch System rocket produced crackling sounds 40 million times louder than a bowl of Rice Krispies cereal in milk, researchers say

As it turns out, it may not be such a bad idea to share food with your dog.

Eating Table Scraps and Raw Food May Help Protect Dogs Against Stomach Issues

New research finds a link between the foods puppies eat and their gut health later in life

The moon contains lots of dust, which scientists say could help block some sunlight from reaching Earth, cooling the planet.

Launching Dust From the Moon Could Help Cool Earth, Scientists Say

Proposals to fight climate change by blocking sunlight aren’t new, but some experts argue the answer lies closer to home

All but seven of the letters were previously thought to be lost.

Cool Finds

Code Breakers Discover—and Decipher—Long-Lost Letters by Mary, Queen of Scots

The deposed monarch wrote the 57 encrypted messages during her captivity in England

Personnel bury pelicans that may have died from avian flu in Lima, Peru, on December 7, 2022. At least 585 seals and 55,000 birds have been found dead in Peru, likely due to avian flu.

As Bird Flu Spreads to Mammals, Health Officials Urge Caution

Transmission between minks has called attention to the potential risks to humans, though experts say not to panic

Dig Tsho, a glacial lake in Nepal that burst in August 1985

Fifteen Million People at Risk of Severe Floods From Melting Glaciers

Rising temperatures could worsen glacial lake outbursts, unleashing massive inland waves on downstream communities, a study finds

An artist's concept of Kumimanu fordycei and Petradyptes stonehousei

The Wonderful World of Birds

Fossils of a 340-Pound Giant Penguin Found in New Zealand

Paleontologists unearthed the bones of two new penguin species that lived 50 million years ago

A fossil hippo skeleton and associated Oldowan artifacts were exposed at the Nyayanga site.

Who Made the First Stone Tool Kits?

A nearly three-million-year-old butchering site packed with animal bones, stone implements and molars from our early ancestors reignites the debate

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