Is vaping healthier than smoking? Anna Gora published 29 May 23 Experts agree that all else being equal, it is better to vape than to smoke traditional cigarettes, but e-cigarettes come with their own risks.
153,000-year-old footprints from South Africa are the oldest Homo sapiens tracks on record Kristina Killgrove published 29 May 23 A modern dating method has revealed the oldest Homo sapiens' footprints yet, placing bipedal humans in South Africa around 153,000 years ago.
2,700-year-old petroglyphs depicting people, ships and animals discovered in Sweden Owen Jarus published 29 May 23 About 40 ancient rock carvings have been found on a former rocky island in Sweden.
The Tunguska event was the biggest asteroid impact in recorded history. How did it vanish without a trace? Hannah Osborne published 29 May 23 During the Tunguska event, over 8 million trees covering an area of 830 square miles were flattened when an asteroid entered Earth's atmosphere.
The oldest tree in the world (and the 7 runner-ups) Erik Ofgang published 29 May 23 From Prometheus and Methuselah to trees in remote forests of China, these are the most ancient known trees on Earth.
Earth may have debris from alien star systems trapped in its orbit, new research suggests Robert Lea published 29 May 23 A new study questions if our planet could capture rocky and icy visitors from outside the solar system — and how scientists could spot them.
Science news this week: Sinking cities and tree of life mysteries By Alexander McNamara published 27 May 23 May 27, 2023: Our weekly roundup of the latest science in the news over the past few days, as well as a few fascinating articles to keep you entertained over the weekend.
Over half of the world's largest lakes and reservoirs are losing water By Kelly Oakes published 26 May 23 The amount lost in the last 30 years is equivalent to 17 Lake Meads — the largest reservoir in the U.S.
Watch the biggest supernova in 10 years explode tonight on this free telescope livestream By Robert Lea published 26 May 23 A newly discovered supernova can be watched as it develops in real-time online and for free. The livestream will begin at 6:30 p.m. EDT (2230 GMT) on Friday, May 26.
NASA uncovers shattered remains of Japanese lunar lander that mysteriously disappeared on April 25 By Joanna Thompson published 26 May 23 Japan's private Hakuto-R spacecraft broke into at least four large pieces of debris, according to new images from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.
What was the longest-lasting civilization? By Tom Metcalfe published 28 May 23 Is the longest-lasting civilization China, ancient Egypt or Mesopotamia? Here's a look at the evidence for each of these enduring cultures.
Heavy rains expose ancient phallus and 'imposing' face carvings at Roman fort in Spain By Hannah Kate Simon published 26 May 23 A rainstorm has exposed the ancient Roman stone carvings of a phallus, face and cornucopia at a first-century fort in Spain.
Best fitness trackers 2023 By Andrew Williams last updated 26 May 23 Buying Guide From sleep tracking to stress management, these are the best fitness trackers we’ve tested to support your health goals.
In rare case, man develops painful deep vein blood clots following brown recluse spider bite By Nicoletta Lanese published 25 May 23 A man in Michigan developed deep vein thrombosis after reportedly being bitten by a brown recluse spider.
Scientists may be able to put Mars-bound astronauts into 'suspended animation' using sound waves, mouse study suggests By Ben Turner published 25 May 23 Firing ultrasound signals into rodent brains puts them in a torpor-like state. Scientists are wondering if it could be used on humans.
Why do animals keep evolving into crabs? By Laurel Hamers published 29 May 23 Crabby bodies are so evolutionarily favorable, they've evolved at least five different times. So why does this process, known as carcinization, keep happening?
Scientists changed scales on chicken feet to feathers by tweaking a single gene By Jennifer Nalewicki published 26 May 23 By targeting a single gene, scientists successfully turned chickens’ feet from scaly to feathery.
Why are cave-dwelling eels growing skin over their left eyes? It may be evolution in action. By Sascha Pare published 25 May 23 These "greedy" eels likely retreated into the gloomy depths of underwater caves in search of tasty crustaceans and are adapting to the darkness by going blind, one eye at a time.
What is the 'ship of Theseus' thought experiment? By Meg Duff published 27 May 23 The Greek writer Plutarch proposed this question: If a ship's planks are replaced over time due to wear and tear until none of the original pieces remain, is it still the same ship?
Best zombie movies: viruses, fungi, space radiation & voodoo magic By Fran Ruiz published 26 May 23 Movie Science We're shambling onto your screens to look at the best zombie movies, and the scientific (and not so scientific) inspirations behind them.
New York's first dinosaur museum was trashed before it even opened. The culprit is not who we thought. By Sascha Pare published 18 May 23 The crime, which had been attributed to a rogue politician called "Boss" Tweed, was likely orchestrated by an "eccentric and destructive" man with an obsession for white paint.
Why do magnets have north and south poles? By Laurel Hamers published 30 April 23 Spinning electrons may help explain why magnets have north and south poles.
Dark matter's secret identity could be hiding in distorted 'Einstein rings' By Harry Baker published 27 April 23 Researchers may be a step closer to identifying dark matter after studying unusual cases of gravitational lensing caused by "dark matter halos" surrounding distant galaxies.
World's heaviest Schrödinger's cat made in quantum crystal visible to the naked eye By Ben Turner published 26 April 23 Physicists have placed part of a sapphire crystal into a quantum superposition, making it the heaviest object to show quantum effects, in a new take on Erwin Schrödinger's famous cat experiment.
Scientists discover 1st 'neutron-rich' isotope of uranium since 1979 By Robert Lea published 15 April 23 Scientists have synthesized a previously unknown isotope of uranium, uranium-241, that may start to disappear after just 40 minutes.
Alan Turing's famous mathematical model was right all along, chia seed experiment reveals By Jennifer Nalewicki published 5 April 23 For the first time, scientists using chia seed experiments have confirmed that Alan Turing's mathematical model can explain patterns seen in nature.
Best chemistry sets 2023: amazing at-home chemistry sets for kids and adults By Jake Green last updated 7 December 22 Get the reaction you're looking for with the best chemistry sets for kids and adults.
Science kit deals 2023: Fun & educational STEM sets on offer at Amazon, Target, and more By Kimberley Snaith published 5 April 23 From microscopes to robotic unicorns, we’ve rounded up some of the best science kit deals from around the web.
Best office gadgets and toys 2023: Useful tools and fun toys for your desk By Susan Arendt published 5 April 23 Having the best office gadgets and toys at your disposal transforms your personal space into a luxe working environment.
Best science kits for kids 2023: Fun experiments for children of all ages By Mihaela Bozukova published 5 April 23 Inspire your children to learn about the world with the best science kits for kids.