Planet Earth

Mount Thor: The mountain with Earth's longest vertical drop

By Sascha Pare published

Mount Thor, also known as Thor Peak, is a mountain in Nunavut, Canada with the largest vertical drop in the world — a terrifying escarpment with an average overhang of 15 degrees from vertical.

Geology

Giant meteor impact may have triggered massive Grand Canyon landslide 56,000 years ago

By Sascha Pare published

Researchers have found a link between two geological events in iconic locations of the U.S. Southwest that scientists previously didn't think had anything to do with each other.

Geology
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Space

silhouette of a person using a camera on a tripod against a star trail background

Best lenses for astrophotography 2025 — capture the cosmos in detail

By Kimberley Lane published

These are the best lenses for astrophotography you can buy in 2025

Space
(Main) an illustration of a massive exoplanet emerging friom stellar fog (inset) MP Mus and its protoplanetary disk as seen by ALMA

Astronomers discover monster exoplanet hiding in 'stellar fog' around young star

By Robert Lea Partner Content Created With Space. published

A monster exoplanet as big as 10 times the size of Jupiter has emerged from the stellar gas and dust surrounding a young star, thanks to the telescope tag team of Gaia and ALMA.

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archaeology

Someone holding a roman shoes discovered at Magna Fort, a Roman fort located near Hadrian's Wall.

Romans loved to wear socks and sandals — could that be the reason for the massive shoes found at Magna fort?

By Tim Penn published

Archaeologists aren't "baffled" by giant shoes but see them as a way to test different theories about how Roman soldiers coped with new environments along Hadrian's Wall.

Romans

Thousands of leather shoes, bags and sword scabbards discovered during dig in medieval harbor in Norway

By Kristina Killgrove published

Thousands of pieces of leather discovered in an Oslo harbor are giving archaeologists insight into everyday life in medieval Norway.

Archaeology
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World of science

Health

Amazfit Helio smart ring being tested by our reviewer

Amazfit Helio smart ring review — Accurate sleep tracking without breaking the bank

By Anna Gora published

Reviews The Amazfit Helio is a great budget-friendly alternative to the Oura Ring — as long as you can look past its short battery life and limited range of sizes.

Reviews

Mysterious migraines after heart surgery may finally be explained

By Kamal Nahas published

Short-lived lesions sometimes appear in the brain following heart surgery — and now, a new trial hints that they might be linked to migraines and visual auras. More work is needed to know if they signal more serious risks, like stroke.

Health

New bionic knee connects directly with muscles and bone to feel more like the user's body

By Skyler Ware published

A bionic knee that directly attaches to the thigh bone and uses implanted electrodes can make a prosthetic leg feel more like a part of the body, a new study finds.

Health
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Animals

Why giant moa — a bird that once towered over humans — are even harder to de-extinct than dire wolves

By Patrick Pester published

Colossal Biosciences has announced a partnership to resurrect giant flightless birds called moa. But the company's recent dire wolf project was controversial, and moa are an even more ambitious target for de-extinction.

Extinct species

Why do cats like concrete slabs?

By Marilyn Perkins published

Cat owners have noticed their pets seem to go crazy for concrete blocks. Why?

Domestic Cats

'Beautifully preserved' ice age horse skull unearthed in Yukon mine

By Sascha Pare published

New pictures taken in Yukon, Canada, show a perfectly preserved fossil skull, which experts say belonged to a male, teenage horse that lived during the last ice age.

Extinct species
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Human Behavior

Girl doing math homework.

The 'gender gap' in math is not innate — something about school drives it

By Victoria Atkinson published

A new study of schoolchildren in France suggests that boys are not innately better at math. Some aspect of schooling appears to drive the "gender gap."

Human Behavior

Only 64% of Americans accept the idea of evolution — here's one reason why

By Edward White published

Fundamentalists don't necessarily examine evolution and then reject it; they tend to start with the conclusion that it must be false and work backwards.

Human Behavior
We see an enormous yellow bubble that is an atomic bomb exploding against a black sky.

'Lord, these affairs are hard on the heart': How Manhattan Project scientists reacted to the world's first atomic bomb test

By Alexander McNamara last updated

In this except from the biography of J. Robert Oppenheimer, we hear from the people at the historic first test of the atomic bomb in New Mexico.

Warfare
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Physics & Mathematics

'Paraparticles' would be a third kingdom of quantum particle

By Shalma Wegsman published

A new proposal makes the case that paraparticles — a new category of quantum particle — could be created in exotic materials.

Quantum Physics

Where do atoms come from? A physicist explains.

By Stephen L. Levy published

Almost everything on Earth is made up of atoms, but where do these fundamental building blocks come from?

Physics & Mathematics

'Dreadful danger for all mankind': Einstein's powerful anti-war letter goes up for auction

By Joanna Thompson published

A fiery letter written by Albert Einstein in 1954 is going to auction. The letter details Einstein's thoughts on his part in developing atomic weapons, and hails Mahatma Gandhi as a political genius.

Physics & Mathematics
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Chemistry

A cross-section of the new copper alloy, with the orange dots representing copper atoms, the yellow tantalum atoms, and the blue lithium atoms.

Scientists create ultra-tough copper alloy that is stronger than steel and can withstand temperatures of 1500 F

By Ben Turner published

The new super-strong copper alloy can be used to build better airplanes and spacecraft.

Chemistry
a deer's breath is visible in the cold air

Why does nearly all life breathe oxygen?

By Harrison Tasoff published

Nitrogen comprises around 78% of Earth's atmosphere, so why do most lifeforms breathe oxygen?

Chemistry
Plastic waste by the ocean

Scientists break down cheap plastic using the air — and turn it into something far more valuable

By Ben Turner published

Scientists developed a new method for breaking down one of the most common plastics to a byproduct that can be upcycled into more valuable materials.

Chemistry
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Technology

OM System OM-3 on a wooden post next to a pond

OM System OM-3 review — a camera for wildlife and astrophotographers alike?

By Gavin Stoker published

Review Shorter version of strapline (75 characters max)

Review
person using a camera underwater

Best underwater cameras 2025 — take photos of marine and freshwater wildlife and fauna

By Jacob Little published

The best cameras for marine observation, surveying and recording your underwater adventures — just in time for Prime Day.

Technology
A photograph of a robot elephant with a ball standing next to bowling pins.

Watch first-of-its-kind robot elephant go bowling

By Patrick Pester published

Researchers have unveiled a miniature robot elephant with special 3D-printed "tissues" that allow for more complex and natural movements. A video shows the elephant grasp a flower with its trunk and kick a bowling ball.

Robotics
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