Planet Earth

A vibrant blue and purple fish with a flower or brain-like protrusion on its forehead

Which animals are evolving fastest?

By Marlowe Starling published

The "fastest evolving vertebrate" title is hotly contested, but here are a few contenders.

Evolution
A tulip tree is silhouetted against a blue sky with some clouds

'Completely unexpected': New type of wood discovered by scientists dubbed 'midwood'

By Raymond Wightman, Jan Łyczakowski published

Tulip trees were long renowned for their carbon storage. Their unique wood may be responsible.

Climate Change
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Space

Auroras behind a building on a hill

Auroras may paint the northern US tonight as Earth reels from 'strong' G3 geomagnetic storm

By Brandon Specktor published

Vibrant auroras could be visible as far south as Oregon and Pennsylvania tonight as Earth reels from a "strong" G3-class geomagnetic storm. However, the nearly full Harvest Moon may complicate viewing opportunities.

The Sun
A digital rendering of a near-earth asteroid.

Earth's new 'mini-moon' will orbit our planet for the next 2 months

By Ben Turner published

A tiny asteroid will orbit around our planet for 53 days from the end of September.

Asteroids
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archaeology

A golden sword

3,200-year-old ancient Egyptian barracks contains sword inscribed with 'Ramesses II'

By Owen Jarus published

The newfound barracks may have been built partly because the Libyans were becoming a growing threat to ancient Egypt.

Ancient Egyptians
A burial suit comprised of thousands of pieces of jade on display at a museum.

Jade burial suit: 2,000-year-old 'immortality' armor worn by Chinese royalty

By Jennifer Nalewicki published

The jade burial suit was made using thousands of pieces of jade held together with gold thread.

Archaeology
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Health

A black and white photo of an older man clutching his knee, with a red glow around his knee indicating pain

Human knees kind of suck — here's why we haven't evolved better ones

By Michael Berthaume published

It's more difficult than you think to evolve knees that work well for a lifetime.

Health
A computer monitor entirely covered in post-it notes

Why do we forget things we were just thinking about?

By Marilyn Perkins published

When the brain "juggles" information, things can fall through the cracks.

Memory
A black and white photo of Julia Childs with an array of fresh ingredients in the kitchen

Color-blind people may be less picky eaters. Here's why.

By Isabel Gauthier published

Seeing the world with a restricted color palate seems to tone down an emotion-based resistance to new foods.

Mind
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Animals

Biofluorescent frog on top of a glowing bioluminescent mushroom.

'Absolutely magical': Rare glowing duo of tree frog and parasitic ghost fungus captured in otherworldly photo

By Elise Poore published

An image of a biofluorescent frog perched on a bioluminescent mushroom is the People's Choice winner for the Beaker Street Science Photography Competition 2024.

Animals
Profile photo of the angular roughshark.

Angular roughshark: The pig-faced shark that grunts when captured

By Lydia Smith published

An angular roughshark pulled from the water near Elba, an Italian island near Tuscany.

Sharks
Parasitoid wasp larvae bursting out of fruit fly; the larvae almost the same size as the fly's body.

Parasitic 'horror' wasp that bursts from a fly's abdomen like an 'Alien' xenomorph discovered in Mississippi backyard

By Patrick Pester published

Scientists accidentally discover new species of wasp that lays eggs inside living, adult fruit flies, which then burst from the hosts' abdomens while they're still alive.

Bees & Wasps
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Human Behavior

A composite image. On the left, a close-up of excavated teeth and a jawbone. On the right, a purple smiley face shape on Mars.

Science news this week: 'Thorin' the last Neanderthal and a 'smiley face' on Mars

By Alexander McNamara published

Sept. 14, 2024: Our weekly roundup of the latest science in the news, as well as a few fascinating articles to keep you entertained over the weekend.

Human Behavior
An astronaut walks on the moon

21 of the best conspiracy theories

By Stephanie Pappas, Benjamin Radford last updated

Conspiracy theories that have taken hold range from a faked moon landing to Barack Obama's birthplace to chemtrails.

Conspiracies & Paranormal
Girl reading books in front of a cartoon space scene

19 best science books for kids and young adults

By Ben Biggs last updated

Looking to inspire the next generation of curious minds? These are our picks of the best popular science books for children of all ages.

Human Behavior
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Physics & Mathematics

Abstract representation of photons_Dizzo via Getty Images

Physicists unveil 1D gas made of pure light

By Ben Turner published

Physicists have created a one dimensional gas out of light particles for the first time. Studying how the photon gas behaves could help researchers discover some yet-unknown quantum optical effects.

Physics & Mathematics
A photo of an amusement park ride where riders rotate on swings.

What are centrifugal and centripetal forces?

By Jim Lucas last updated

reference Centrifugal and centripetal are two closely related forces that describe circular motion, but the meanings are often mixed up.

reference
An illustration showing various aspects of the early universe, including radiation generated by the Big Bang and ancient black holes

The universe had a secret life before the Big Bang, new study hints

By Andrey Feldman published

The secrets of black holes and dark matter could lie before the Big Bang, a new study of "bouncing" cosmology hints.

Dark Matter
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Chemistry

A close-up of stainless steel pots and pans hanging from a wall

Why doesn't stainless steel rust?

By Tom Metcalfe published

The special chemistry of this shiny iron alloy creates a protective layer on its surface that prevents it from rusting.

Chemistry
A close-up of a piece of steak being cooked on the grill

What happens to meat as it's cooked?

By Margaret Osborne published

Heat triggers a series of complex chemical reactions that change the color, flavor and texture of meat.

Chemistry
A Large, long white anhydrous ammonia tank with corn grain bins in background at a grain elevator company.

New reactor could more than triple the yield of one of the world's most valuable chemicals

By Victoria Atkinson published

A new reactor creates ammonia from polluted wastewater using electricity, and it's way more efficient than existing methods.

Chemistry
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Tech

Online memorial concept with R.I.P. abbreviation button on computer keyboard

What is the dead internet conspiracy?

By Roland Moore-Colyer published

With the rise of AI models and automated bots, we find out whether there is any weight to the idea that the internet is now mostly dominated by machines or if it’s still a human hangout.

Artificial Intelligence
Racism technology concept

Common AI models believe racist stereotypes about African Americans that predate the Civil Rights movement — and they 'try to hide it when confronted'

By Drew Turney published

When exposed to terms common in different racial dialects, large language models make racist assumptions about people from particular racial groups, even without explicitly knowing their race.

Artificial Intelligence
Representation of clean energy technology in the future of automobiles.

'Springy' solid-state battery is twice the width of a white blood cell and could drastically increase EV range

By Jane McCallion published

Scientists in the U.S. have created a battery for electric cars that could be safer and offer better performance than the ones we have now thanks to a unique design.

Electric Vehicles
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