Planet Earth

Aerial view of Lake Natron with its red water.

Lake Natron: The caustic, blood-red lake in Tanzania that turns animals to 'stone'

By Sascha Pare published

Lake Natron is a soda lake in northern Tanzania with a volcanic geology that maintains the water's pH around 10.5, which is almost as caustic as ammonia. Some life-forms thrive there nevertheless.

Geology

Human evolution news, features and articles

By Live Science Staff published

Come, see and conquer the latest news, features and articles about the Romans from Live Science.

Evolution
VIEW MORE

Space

Two stunning conjunctions will light up the sky later this month. Here's how to view them.

By Jamie Carter published

This month will usher in two separate conjunctions — one between the moon and a rarely-visible Mercury, and another between the moon and Mars.

Space

Long, dark 'streaks' spotted on Mars aren't what scientists thought

By Ben Turner published

A set of dark streaks that regularly wind across the Martian surface are more likely to be formed by dust and wind than by water, a new artificial intelligence analysis has revealed.

Mars
VIEW MORE

archaeology

​​3 ancient Maya cities discovered in Guatemala, 1 with an 'astronomical complex' likely used for predicting solstices

By Owen Jarus published

Three ancient Maya cities have been discovered by archaeologists in Guatemala.

Archaeology

'Cone-headed' skull from Iran was bashed in 6,200 years ago, but no one knows why

By Kristina Killgrove published

The skull of a young woman found at a Copper Age cemetery in Iran has revealed evidence of cranial modification along with a serious traumatic injury.

Archaeology
VIEW MORE

World of science

Health

New study raises big questions about taurine as anti-aging supplement

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Some studies suggested that declining levels of taurine, an amino acid, might be a key driver of aging. But a new study defies that idea.

Ageing

Electronic face 'tattoos' could measure your mental strain at work

By RJ Mackenzie published

A disposable, electronic "tattoo" that measures mental workload could be used to enhance safety in high-pressure jobs, researchers say.

Neuroscience

College student discovers psychedelic fungus that eluded LSD inventor

By Patrick Pester published

A West Virginia University student has identified an elusive fungus that contains psychedelic chemicals similar to LSD.

Medicine & Drugs
VIEW MORE

Animals

Watch 'superorganism' created by tiny worms — the first time it's ever been spotted in the wild

By Paul Smaglik published

The bizarre behavior had previously been observed in experimental settings and was thought to be a competitive attempt to escape from the rest of the group. But new research suggests a more cooperative motivation.

Animals
A still from a video of a cockatoo drinking from a water fountain at a park while two other cockatoos wait on a fence

Australian 'trash parrots' have now developed a local 'drinking tradition'

By Olivia Ferrari published

Wild cockatoos in Western Sydney have learned to drink from water fountains — choosing to drink from them even if they have to queue.

Birds

Cats recognize familiar BO and can spot strangers from the stink of their armpits and toes

By Patrick Pester published

Researchers have found that cats spend longer sniffing a stranger's odor than their owner's odor, suggesting they can distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar humans from scent alone.

Domestic Cats
VIEW MORE

Human Behavior

Young couple practicing yoga in a summer park.

Your moral compass is tied to how in tune you are with your body, study hints

By Skyler Ware published

A recent study draws a connection between people's bodily awareness and how they find solutions to moral dilemmas.

Human Behavior

The constant surveillance of modern life could worsen our brain function in ways we don't fully understand, disturbing studies suggest

By Simon Makin published

We live in an era of constant surveillance. Psychology research shows how this might change how we perceive the world — even unconsciously

Human Behavior
Pope Leo XIV stands in papal robes in the middle of two other men on the Vatican loggia

What does the Pope do, anyway?

By Stephanie Pappas, Kristina Killgrove last updated

New pope's schedule will be 'exhausting.'

Religion
VIEW MORE

Physics & Mathematics

'Alien's language' problem that stumped mathematicians for decades may finally be close to a solution

By Joanna Thompson published

The Inter-universal Teichmüller Theory, an infamous proof that has confounded mathematicians for over a decade, has been partially solved.

Mathematics

'Neutron lifetime puzzle' may have a new solution

By Andrey Feldman published

A type of hydrogen that doesn't interact with light could explain how long neutrons live and reveal the identity of the universe's dark matter, according to a new theory.

Physics & Mathematics

Why isn’t an atom’s nucleus round?

By Victoria Atkinson published

The nuclei of atoms are often portrayed as round in textbooks, but it turns out they're rarely spherical.

Physics & Mathematics
VIEW MORE

Chemistry

A cross-section of the new copper alloy, with the orange dots representing copper atoms, the yellow tantalum atoms, and the blue lithium atoms.

Scientists create ultra-tough copper alloy that is stronger than steel and can withstand temperatures of 1500 F

By Ben Turner published

The new super-strong copper alloy can be used to build better airplanes and spacecraft.

Chemistry
a deer's breath is visible in the cold air

Why does nearly all life breathe oxygen?

By Harrison Tasoff published

Nitrogen comprises around 78% of Earth's atmosphere, so why do most lifeforms breathe oxygen?

Chemistry
Plastic waste by the ocean

Scientists break down cheap plastic using the air — and turn it into something far more valuable

By Ben Turner published

Scientists developed a new method for breaking down one of the most common plastics to a byproduct that can be upcycled into more valuable materials.

Chemistry
VIEW MORE

Technology

girl using a microscope

10 weird and wonderful things to look at under a microscope

By Heather Barker published

These 10 incredible things can be easily observed at home, in the lab or in the classroom.

Technology
Celestron SkyMaster 25x100

Celestron SkyMaster 25x100 binocular review

By Matt Morris published

With a massive 100mm objective lens and 25x magnification, the Celestron SkyMaster 25x100 binoculars are ideal for stargazing and tripod-based observations.

Technology

'Foolhardy at best, and deceptive and dangerous at worst': Don't believe the hype — here's why artificial general intelligence isn't what the billionaires tell you it is

By Alex Hanna, Emily M. Bender published

"Unfortunately, the goal of creating artificial general intelligence isn’t just a project that lives as a hypothetical in scientific papers. There’s real money invested in this work, much of it coming from venture capitalists."

Artificial Intelligence
VIEW MORE