Live Science: The Most Interesting Articles, Mysteries & Discoveries

Planet Earth

The Well of Barhout, also known as the 'Well of Hell', in the al-Mahra province in Yemen on June 6, 2021.

Cavers discover snakes and waterfalls inside Yemen's infamous 'Well of Hell' in world-first descent

By Harry Baker

Cave explorers from Oman have become the first people to fully explore the infamous 'Well of Hell' sinkhole in Yemen.

A close-up satellite view of lava gushing out of the crater of the Cumbre Vieja volcano on the Spanish island of La Palma.

La Palma volcano eruption's infernal beauty visible from space (Photos)

By Tereza Pultarova

New astronaut and satellite images of an active volcano on the island of La Palma reveal the frightening beauty of the eruption, as well as its dangerous proximity to humans.

Space and Physics

Solar eclipse looks otherworldly in 'Golden Ring' astrophotography shot

By Stephanie Pappas

The winning photographs for the 13th annual Astronomy Photographer of the Year awards have been announced, and the sun is the star of the show.

A data visualization showing the mountainous area west of Nobile Crater and the smaller craters that litter its rim at the moon’s south pole. The Nobile region — the landing site for NASA’s ice-hunting VIPER rover — features areas permanently covered in shadow as well as areas that are bathed in sunlight most of the time.

NASA unveils landing site on the moon for ice-hunting VIPER rover

By Mike Wall

The ice-hunting Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) will land just west of Nobile Crater, which sits near the moon's south pole, NASA officials announced Tuesday (Sept. 20).

History

Ivories depicting women carrying offerings and scenes of life were found in the temple.

Ritualistic artifacts found at 'Temple of the Pharaohs' in Egypt

By Owen Jarus

The artifacts were used to worship Hathor, the goddess of the sky, and other deities.

The Gilgamesh Dream Tablet was seized from Hobby Lobby by federal authorities in 2019.

US to return 'priceless' 3,500-year-old Epic of Gilgamesh tablet to Iraq 30 years after it was stolen

By Ben Turner

Discovered in 1853, the Epic of Gilgamesh caused a sensation through its telling of an ark that survived a great flood.

Health

Air purifier vs essential oil diffuser: Image shows oil diffuser mist

Air purifier vs essential oil diffuser: What's the difference?

By Katie Treharne

REFERENCE Air purifier vs essential oil diffuser: the lowdown on each one.

REFERENCE

What is the Air Quality Index?

By Joanne Lewsley

REFERENCE What is the air quality index and how can you measure it at home? We’ve got all the information you need.

REFERENCE

Is insomnia a sign of pregnancy?

By Patricia Carswell

Reference Is insomnia a sign of pregnancy? We asked the experts for their advice.

Reference

Animals

L47 with her youngest son, L115, in 2011.

'Grandma' killer whale missing from pod, feared dead

By Mindy Weisberger

One of the Southern Resident orcas, a 47-year-old female known as L47, hasn't been seen by census takers since February.

A group of Coelophysis, bipedal dinosaurs that lived during the Triassic period.

Some dinosaurs may have wagged their tails to help them run

By Yasemin Saplakoglu

Small-armed, two-legged dinosaurs may have wagged their tails to help them run, for the same reason humans swing their arms, according to a new study.

A mountain goat (Oreamnos americanus) with its razor-sharp horns, used for self-defense.

Mountain goat kills grizzly bear by stabbing it with razor-sharp horns

By Harry Baker

The goat's horns pierced the unfortunate bear in the armpit and neck.

Strange News

A hammerhead shark that is preserved in alcohol in the East Wing of the Natural History Museum in Berlin, Germany.

Why is alcohol used to preserve things?

By Donavyn Coffey

Here's how alcohol can help preserve DNA, tissue samples and even entire organisms.

Pi is an irrational number, meaning it has an infinite number of decimal points.

Pi calculated to a record-breaking 62.8 trillion digits

By Harry Baker

Researchers are set to break the world record for the most precise value of pi, after using an advanced computer to calculate the famous constant to 62.8 trillion decimal places.

Two aircraft pilots reported seeing a bright green UFO over Canada in July 2021.

Two planes report 'bright green UFO' swooping through the clouds over Canada

By Brandon Specktor

Two aircrafts flying over Canada reported a "bright green UFO" that disappeared into the clouds on July 30.

Culture

Are left-handed people smarter?

By Randyn Bartholomew

Here's a look at the research about whether left-handed people are smarter than righties.

Reproduction of Ötzi the Iceman an in the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology in Bolzano, South Tyrol, Italy

Ötzi the Iceman: The famous frozen mummy

By Tom Garlinghouse

Ötzi the Iceman, a 5,300-year-old man whose mummified remains were dug out of an Italian glacier in the Alps, has fascinated the public since his discovery in 1991.

What is ESP?

By Isobel Whitcomb

Also known as "the sixth sense" or "psi," extrasensory perception, or ESP, encompasses a wide range of paranormal abilities, including mind reading and predicting the future.

Tech

An artist's illustration of SpaceX's Starlink internet satellites in orbit. The company has won a U.S. military contract for missile-warning satellites.

SpaceX Starlink satellites responsible for over half of close encounters in orbit, scientist says

By Tereza Pultarova

SpaceX's Starlink satellites are involved in about 1,600 close encounters between two spacecraft in low Earth orbit every week, according to available data. That’s about 50% of all such incidents.

Damien Jemison, photographer at the National Ignition Facility (NIF), captured this image of the NIF laser beam lines entering a part of the target chamber. Jemison needed five exposures to capture the range of light in the dimly lit spot. He also converted the resulting image to monotone, saying "The end result is my artistic view of how I feel when standing face-to-face with the highest-energy laser in the world."

Fusion experiment breaks record, blasts out 10 quadrillion watts of power

By Tom Metcalfe

Crowds converge at Kabul's international airport Monday (Aug. 16) after the Taliban took over the Afghan city.

Crowds of desperate people at Afghanistan airport visible in satellite photos

By Elizabeth Howell

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