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'Big-butt starfish,' 'little sweet potato' and dozens of never-before-seen species recorded during deep-sea expedition off Argentina
Researchers have captured footage of a "big-butt seastar" off the coast of Argentina that looks like Patrick Star from "SpongeBob SquarePants."
Legionnaires' outbreak in NYC causes two deaths
Two people have died from a Legionnaires' disease outbreak in Harlem, New York City, and 58 people total have contracted the illness.
Scientists heat gold to 14 times its melting point — without turning it into a liquid
Scientists have used an ultrafast laser to heat solid gold to 14 times its melting point without turning the metal into liquid.
300,000-year-old teeth from China may be evidence that humans and Homo erectus interbred, according to new study
A study of a handful of 300,000-year-old teeth revealed an ancient human group had a mix of archaic and modern tooth features.
How does the morning-after pill work?
The morning-after pill helps prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex, but its efficacy differs depending on the user's body mass and the timing of when they take the medication.
Cosmic rays could help support alien life on worlds outside the 'Goldilocks zone'
A new study suggests that cosmic radiation could potentially provide the energy to kick-start extraterrestrial life deep beneath the surface of icy worlds like Mars, Europa and Enceladus.
Watch a pod of orcas pretending to drown one of their own in macabre training session
Footage from the BBC's new nature series "Parenthood" shows orcas practicing an important blue whale-hunting technique on each other.
Scientists just recreated the universe's first ever molecules — and the results challenge our understanding of the early cosmos
In a first, scientists have recreated the formation of the first ever molecules in the universe to learn more about early star formation.
No-sugar sweetener erythritol may pose risk to cells in the brain
A popular zero-calorie sweetener could injure cells in the brain's blood vessels, a lab study finds. Here's what we know so far.
Creepy new giant insect may be the heaviest ever recorded in Australia
Researchers have discovered a giant stick insect living at high altitude in tropical North Queensland. Acrophylla alta is around 16 inches long and a strong contender for Australia's heaviest recorded insect.
Dormant volcano erupts in Russia for first time in around 500 years, days after magnitude 8.8 megaquake
Krasheninnikov volcano has erupted on Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula. This is the second volcano to erupt in the region following the magnitude 8.8 megaquake on July 30.
The universe may start dying in just 10 billion years, alarming new model predicts
A surprising new paper suggests that the universe's expected lifespan is just 33 billion years, and that the cosmos will start dying in less than a third of that time. However, this is only one possible theory.
Humans may have untapped 'superpowers' from genes related to hibernation, scientists claim
Scientists pinpointed key "regulators" that help control the metabolisms of hibernators, and say the same genes might hold untapped benefits for humans.
Skyscraper-size spikes of methane ice may surround Pluto's equator
Giant, ridge-like structures of methane ice, known as "bladed terrain," may be much more abundant along Pluto's equator than previously realized, a new study suggests.
See 'hyperrealistic' reconstructions of 2 Stone Age sisters who worked in brutal mine in the Czech Republic 6,000 years ago
New reconstructions based on the skeletons of two sisters who lived in a prehistoric mining community in what is now the Czech Republic show what they likely looked like and wore.
When your mind goes 'blank,' your brain activity resembles deep sleep, scans reveal
Neuroscientists think moments of "mind blanking" could be a way for the brain to protect itself.
Earth, Mars, Venus — and a long-lost planet — may have once 'waltzed' in perfect harmony around the sun
New simulations suggest that up to four of the solar system's rocky planets, including Earth and a long-lost world, once orbited in mathematical harmony around the infant sun.
Scientists reveal how viruses hidden in our DNA control our genes
A new study has revealed that "junk DNA" descended from ancient viruses could play a key role in controlling genes.
First-of-its-kind footage captures bizarre sea creatures flourishing in extreme depths of the ocean
Scientists have filmed odd communities of life flourishing deeper in the ocean than ever before. The chemosynthesis-based life-forms get their energy from chemical reactions, powered by gases seeping out of faults on the seafloor.
