Earth's highest, coldest, rarest clouds are back. How to see the eerie 'noctilucent clouds' this summer. Jamie Carter published 5 June 23 Look North as the stars appear in June and July to have a chance of seeing rare noctilucent (or 'night-shining') clouds with the naked eye.
Lung cancer pill drastically cuts risk of death after surgery Jennifer Nalewicki published 5 June 23 Taking the drug Tagrisso daily after surgery reduced non-small cell lung cancer patients' death risk by more than 50%.
Extinct human relative buried their dead 100,000 years before modern humans did, study claims Kristina Killgrove published 5 June 23 Homo naledi, an extinct human relative with one-third the brain size of ours, buried and may have memorialized their dead, controversial research suggests.
Shingles vaccine may protect against dementia Carissa Wong published 5 June 23 An analysis of thousands of healthcare records adds to mounting evidence that people who get the shingles vaccine in their 70s may reduce their dementia risk over the following seven years.
Crocodiles and gharials are getting bizarre orange 'tans' in Nepal. Here's why. Sascha Pare published 5 June 23 Researchers think it could be down to where these crocs are hanging out.
What is Juneteenth? Mindy Weisberger last updated 5 June 23 Juneteenth is a federally-recognized American holiday observed on June 19. It is also known as Emancipation Day and Black Independence Day. In 2023, it falls on a Monday.
Fungi seem to 'sweat' to stay cool and scientists don't know why By Ethan Freedman published 5 June 23 This discovery reveals a mostly unstudied but apparently universal aspect of fungal life.
8 ancient 'zombie viruses' that scientists have pulled from the melting permafrost By Sascha Pare published 1 June 23 Scientists are discovering and resurrecting ancient viruses trapped in permafrost and frozen remains. Here are 8 'zombie' viruses that scientists have pulled from the permafrost.
Hundreds of ancient, invisible structures discovered near our galaxy's center By Brandon Specktor published 3 June 23 Radio astronomers have discovered hundreds of long, thin structures emanating from our galaxy's supermassive black hole.
Stephen Hawking's most famous prediction could mean that everything in the universe is doomed to evaporate, new study says By Ben Turner published 2 June 23 A new theory has radically revised Stephen Hawking's 1974 theory of black holes to predict that all objects with mass may eventually disappear.
150-year-old mystery of strange half-circles from Paleolithic site in France finally solved By Tom Metcalfe published 2 June 23 Hurling spear-thrower projectiles at archery targets revealed that these loops may have been finger grips.
2,300-year-old Egyptian mummification workshops found at Saqqara By Owen Jarus published 2 June 23 Archaeologists in Egypt found ancient mummification workshops — one for humans and one for animals — at Saqqara.
Does the giant blob of seaweed headed to Florida really contain 'flesh-eating' bacteria? By Kiley Price published 2 June 23 A gargantuan seaweed blob on its way to Florida beaches is filled with plastic and some potentially harmful bacteria, but no "flesh-eating" microbes, as some news reports have suggested.
Deadly fungal meningitis outbreak linked to cosmetic procedures in Mexico By Nicoletta Lanese published 2 June 23 An outbreak of dangerous fungal infections has been tied to recent cosmetic procedures at specific clinics in Mexico. Health officials urge anyone who underwent such procedures to seek a medical evaluation right away.
Elon Musk's Neuralink 'brain chips' cleared for 1st in-human trials By Sarah Moore published 2 June 23 Brain implants developed by Elon Musk's company Neuralink have been approved for human testing. The safety of the devices previously came under scrutiny following reports of "botched surgeries" in animal test subjects.
Burmese pythons are helping rats take over Florida's Everglades — and that could help spread disease By Hannah Osborne published 5 June 23 The invasion of pythons has had little to no impact on cotton rats, explaining why some areas are now increasingly dominated by rodents.
Do all animals go through adolescence? By Amanda Heidt published 4 June 23 All species experience the bodily changes of puberty, but the social lessons that define the shift from childhood to adulthood are more nuanced.
Why do cats knead? By Charles Q. Choi published 3 June 23 If a cat kneads on your lap, it's likely because it feels safe around you. But why do they knead in the first place?
World War II 'horror bunker' run by infamous Unit 731 discovered in China By Ben Turner published 30 May 23 A bunker discovered near the city of Anda in northeast China is believed to be the largest test site of Imperial Japan's infamous Unit 731, which conducted horrifying human experiments during the 1940s.
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.
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.
