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Latest News

Artist's concept of a supermassive black hole.

The James Webb telescope found hundreds of 'little red dots' in the ancient universe. We still don't know what they are.

Fabio Pacucci published 8 September 24

These small galaxies are either crammed with stars or they host gigantic black holes. The data astronomers have collected continues to puzzle them.

A stone carving with a man and a cross

'Absolutely outstanding' 12-century picture stone unearthed in Germany likely depicts bishop who brought Christianity to region

Laura Geggel published 8 September 24

A 12th-century stone carving discovered in northern Germany may depict Otto of Bamberg, a bishop and missionary.

A cloud of smoke on Earth visible from space

Tonga eruption that poured 150 metric tons of water vapor into the stratosphere affected the atmosphere for years

Rebecca Owen, Eos.org published 8 September 24

A new study builds on previous research into the underwater volcano's effects on the climate.

A black background with a large blue glowing orb in the middle and a smaller red orb to the bottom left

Space photo of the week: The 1st image of an alien planet

Jamie Carter published 8 September 24

The Very Large Telescope in northern Chile imaged a "super-Jupiter" exoplanet called 2M1207b, precisely 20 years ago this week. This was the first direct visual confirmation of a world beyond our solar system.

A group of penguins huddles in an icy landscape

When was the last time Antarctica was ice-free?

Victoria Atkinson published 8 September 24

Antarctica is covered by a miles-thick ice sheet, but was that always the case? And when was the coldest continent ice-free?

An aerial view of a road that travels along a rift in the landscape

Mesmerizing animation shows Earth's tectonic plates moving from 1.8 billion years ago to today

Alan Collins published 8 September 24

It's the first time Earth's geologic record — information found inside rocks — has been used to create an animation of this kind.

Green and purple auroras over snowy mountains and a lake — A particularly active 'aurora season' could be just weeks away September could be a prime time to see vibrant auroras, thanks to a quirk of Earth's tilt that leads to more intense geomagnetic activity around the equinox.

Human skeletons found at a burial site in France. — Stone Age burial ground in France used for 800 years is nearly all male — and ancient DNA reveals they're largely related DNA analyses of human remains found at the site revealed that the majority of the male individuals buried there shared a paternal link.

An astronaut with a hammer approaches a large crater on the moon — The oldest evidence of Earth's atmosphere may be hiding in rocks on the moon The moon hasn't had a magnetic field for 4.36 billion years. That means it could hold fragments of the ancient Earth.

a dolphin at the surface of the water with its head sticking out and eye looking at the camera — Sexually frustrated dolphin behind spate of attacks on humans off Japan A stock image of an Indo-Pacific dolphin swimming (not the individual responsible for the recent attacks).

A satellite image of the eastern Pacific Ocean off Baja California with clouds. — White Shark Café: The mysterious meeting spot for great whites in the middle of the Pacific Ocean Every winter and spring, great white sharks that usually dwell off the coast of California gather in a remote section of ocean the size of Colorado — and scientists are slowly piecing together why.

An illustration of the human brain as a circuit on a board — Novel Chinese computing architecture 'inspired by human brain' can lead to AGI, scientists say AGI could be on the horizon thanks to a novel computing architecture that completely redefines how artificial neurons form an intelligent system.

A spiral galaxy with purple and red streaks — One of the universe's biggest paradoxes could be even weirder than we thought, James Webb telescope study reveals New James Webb Space Telescope results have revealed that there may not be a Hubble tension after all. But contradictions within the findings point to a deeper mystery.

Planet Earth

Workers at the Minnesota helium drilling site test a gas pipe.

Massive helium reservoir in Minnesota could solve US shortage

By Sascha Pare published 4 September 24

A helium reservoir with the highest concentrations ever seen could hold enough of the gas to address critical shortages in the U.S. affecting tech, medicine and space exploration.

Lumps of silver on a wet stone floor.

Silver is being buried beneath the sea, and it's all because of climate change, study finds

By Sascha Pare published 3 September 24

For the first time, researchers have linked the amount of silver being buried in marine sediments to human-made climate change.

Rivers & Oceans

LATEST ARTICLES

1
'Absolutely outstanding' 12-century picture stone unearthed in Germany likely depicts bishop who brought Christianity to region
2
Tonga eruption that poured 150 metric tons of water vapor into the stratosphere affected the atmosphere for years
3
Space photo of the week: The 1st image of an alien planet
4
When was the last time Antarctica was ice-free?
5
Mesmerizing animation shows Earth's tectonic plates moving from 1.8 billion years ago to today

Space

hubble telescope photo of a star-packed galaxy filled with orange-red clouds of gas

Star-packed Triangulum Galaxy shines in new Hubble Telescope image

By Samantha Mathewson published 7 September 24

The Triangulum Galaxy, the third-largest member of the Local Group of galaxies, is shining with star formation in a new image from the Hubble Space Telescope.

A purple glowing jet is released from a spinning black hole in space.

Scientists make lab-grown black hole jets

By Keith Cooper published 7 September 24

By using protons to probe how a magnetic field responds to an expanding plasma, experimenters have replicated the particle jets spewed out by active black holes.

archaeology

An aerial view of a Roman military camp in the Swiss Alps.

'Sensational discovery' of 2,000-year-old Roman military camp found hidden in the Swiss Alps

By Jennifer Nalewicki published 6 September 24

Researchers used lasers to find the Roman military camp, which was "strategically" located overlooking a battleground.

A close-up of a decorated comb with a triangular handle

1,700-year-old 'barbarian' burial discovered along Roman Empire's frontier in Germany

By Tom Metcalfe published 5 September 24

Archaeologists think the man was buried in the first half of the fourth century.

Health

a close up on a brown tick from below; the tick is very round in shape and has curled legs around its body.

New tick-borne virus discovered in China can affect the brain, scientists report

By Nicoletta Lanese published 6 September 24

Scientists present evidence of a newly discovered tick-borne virus that can infect humans and potentially invade the brain, in some cases.

Viruses, Infections & Disease

Brown and white cow with a tag on their right ear looks up at the camera. The cow appears to be among black cows. The tag on it's ear reads "51"

Anthrax has killed over 50 animals in Wyoming — what's the risk to people?

By Emily Cooke published 6 September 24

At least 50 animals, including cattle and one moose, in Wyoming have died during a recent outbreak of anthrax. However, officials say the current risk to humans is small.

Viruses, Infections & Disease

A foggy night view of a traffic jam

Pollution harms men's fertility, but traffic noise affects women's

By Amy L. Winship, Mark Green published 6 September 24

The large-scale study linked exposure to air pollution with a higher infertility risk in men, while traffic noise affected women

Fertility, Pregnancy & Birth

Animals

in an image at the top, dozens of military men hold a huge oarfish in a line. Below is an artist impression of a giant oarfish with blueish skin and a red frill on a black background.

Giant oarfish: The 'doomsday' fish of legend that supposedly foreshadows earthquakes

By Melissa Hobson published 7 September 24

In mythology, giant oarfish are said to foreshadow earthquakes, although evidence shows this is not the case.

Mixed breed puppy laying her head between her paws

Why do dogs' paws smell like Fritos?

By Jennifer Nalewicki published 5 September 24

Why do dogs' paws smell like corn chips? A veterinarian explains the cause of this olfactory offense.

A cat with a ball in its mouth

Over 40% of pet cats play fetch — but scientists aren't quite sure why

By Skyler Ware published 4 September 24

About 40% of cats play fetch with their owners, but it's not clear why.

Human Behavior

Girl reading books in front of a cartoon space scene

19 best science books for kids and young adults

By Ben Biggs last updated 22 August 24

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

A woman smiles watching a soccer game, while a man next her sits looking bored on his phone

Do opposites really attract in relationships?

By Alice Sun published 17 August 24

When it comes to love, the adage is that opposites attract. But does that really hold?

Two people bike up a mountain

'I'm as happy as I've ever been in my life': Why some people feel happiness near death

By Mattias Tranberg published 24 July 24

A palliative care researcher explains how death can help people appreciate life.

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 4 September 24

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

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 31 August 24

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

An abstract model of an atom with electrons swirling around in their shells.

World's fastest microscope can see electrons moving

By Ben Turner published 21 August 24

Scientists have created the world's fastest microscope, which they hope will answer fundamental questions about how electrons behave.

Physics & Mathematics

Chemistry

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

Why doesn't stainless steel rust?

By Tom Metcalfe published 7 September 24

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

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 1 September 24

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

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 28 August 24

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

Tech

A child holding one of the best binoculars for kids in a forest

Best binoculars for kids 2024: beginner binoculars and toys

By Gavin Stoker last updated 6 September 24

The best binoculars for kids need to be lightweight, compact and easy to hold and use — we've rounded up our favorite models for kids young and old.

A futuristic computer chip that is emitting lots of flourescent light

Radical quantum computing theory could lead to more powerful machines than previously imagined

By Keumars Afifi-Sabet published 5 September 24

Scientists have just theorized how to connect quantum processors over vast distances to form a giant quantum computing network that acts as a single machine.

Two pairs of the best binoculars for stargazing against a starry sky background

Best binoculars for stargazing 2024: Spot stars and galaxies

By Julie Ann Howlett last updated 4 September 24

The best binoculars for stargazing need high magnification and large, light-hungry objective lenses — we've rounded up the best models on the market.

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