Planet Earth

Dormant volcano erupts in Russia for first time in around 500 years, days after magnitude 8.8 megaquake

By Patrick Pester published

Krasheninnikov volcano has erupted on Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula. This is the second volcano to erupt in the region following the magnitude 8.8 megaquake on July 30.

Volcanos

Why do diamonds come in different colors?

By Alice Sun published

The vast majority of polished diamonds are clear and sparkly, but some come in unexpected colors like blue, green and even pink. So why are some diamonds different colors?

Geology
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Space

An artists interpretation of the Big Bang as a giant colorful cosmic explosion in space

The universe may start dying in just 10 billion years, alarming new model predicts

By Harry Baker published

A surprising new paper suggests that the universe's expected lifespan is just 33 billion years, and that the cosmos will start dying in less than a third of that time. However, this is only one possible theory.

Cosmology
One of the strangest landforms spotted by NASA New Horizons spacecraft when it flew past Pluto last July was the bladed terrain just east of Tombaugh Regio, the informal name given to Pluto large heart-shaped surface feature.

Skyscraper-size spikes of methane ice may surround Pluto's equator

By Deepa Jain published

Giant, ridge-like structures of methane ice, known as "bladed terrain," may be much more abundant along Pluto's equator than previously realized, a new study suggests.

Pluto
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archaeology

Roman Britain quiz: What do you know about the Empire's conquest of the British Isles?

By Kristina Killgrove published

The Romans took over a large chunk of Great Britain 2,000 years ago. The conquest was anything but smooth sailing.

Romans

Hadrian's Wall: The defensive Roman wall that protected the frontier in Britain for 300 years

By Kristina Killgrove, Owen Jarus published

The wall is the largest Roman archaeological feature in Britain and was built to defend the northernmost limit of the Roman Empire.

Romans
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World of science

Health

No-sugar sweetener erythritol may pose risk to cells in the brain

By Isha Ishtiaq published

A popular zero-calorie sweetener could injure cells in the brain's blood vessels, a lab study finds. Here's what we know so far.

Food & Diet

An infectious disease expert explains what germs can lurk in pools — and how to avoid them

By Lisa Cuchara published

Most pool-related illnesses won’t kill you, but no one wants to spend their vacation or a week of beautiful summer days in the bathroom.

Viruses, Infections & Disease

Humans may have untapped 'superpowers' from genes related to hibernation, scientists claim

By Christoph Schwaiger published

Scientists pinpointed key "regulators" that help control the metabolisms of hibernators, and say the same genes might hold untapped benefits for humans.

Genetics
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Animals

Close-up of an aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis) in a tree with a piece of fruit, Le Palmarium Reserve, Madagascar.

Aye-ayes: The strange nocturnal lemurs with long, creepy fingers

By Lydia Smith published

Aye-ayes are remarkable thanks to their extra-long, bony middle fingers, which they use to locate grubs and pick their noses.

Land Mammals

How do frogs breathe and drink through their skin?

By Sara Hashemi published

Frogs can breathe and drink through their thin skin — but how does that work?

Frogs
A screenshot from a deep-sea submersible video revealing spiky white polychaetes at the bottom of a hadal trench, captured by the Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, CAS (IDSSE, CAS)

First-of-its-kind footage captures bizarre sea creatures flourishing in extreme depths of the ocean

By Patrick Pester published

Scientists have filmed odd communities of life flourishing deeper in the ocean than ever before. The chemosynthesis-based life-forms get their energy from chemical reactions, powered by gases seeping out of faults on the seafloor.

Animals
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Human Behavior

A hand holding a pencil over a crossword puzzle

Live Science crossword puzzle #5: Substance with a pH value less than 7 — 2 down

By Harry Baker last updated

Test your knowledge on all things science with our weekly, free crossword puzzle!

Arts & Entertainment
A hand holding a pencil over a crossword puzzle

Live Science crossword puzzle #4: The building blocks of DNA — 14 across

By Harry Baker published

Test your knowledge on all things science with our weekly, free crossword puzzle!

Arts & Entertainment

People who see society as cutthroat value antagonistic leaders, study finds

By Perri Thaler published

Research suggests that whether people view the world as competitive or cooperative impacts how they perceive antagonistic leaders.

Human Behavior
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Physics & Mathematics

Trieste Lightning

Lightning on Earth is sparked by a powerful chain reaction from outer space, simulations show

By Ben Turner published

A new model may have finally solved where storm clouds get their missing energy.

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
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Chemistry

3D illustration of two gold bars laying on regular stacked layer of 1kg 999,9 fine gold bar ingots.

Can other metals be turned into gold?

By Victoria Atkinson published

Other metals might be worth their weight in gold, but can they be turned into it?

Chemistry
Patterns on a black background.

Trippy liquid 'fireworks' appear when scientists try to mix unmixable fluids

By Damien Pine published

When two fluids don't mix well, they sometimes form strange patterns called "viscous fingering," or Saffman-Taylor instability. Studying these patterns can help scientists understand how to design systems for carbon storage, a key part of managing climate change.

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
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Technology

Kimberley Lane, author of this article, can be seen using a camera and telephoto lens in a remote location

Best lenses for wildlife photography 2025 — crisp, detailed wildlife shots

By Kimberley Lane last updated

These are the best wildlife lenses you can buy in 2025

Technology
Fire fighters conduct search and rescue operations among collapsed buildings in Hualien, Taiwan.

Google has turned 2 billion smartphones into a global earthquake warning system — it's as effective as seismometers, tests show

By Ben Turner published

Google's earthquake early-warning system has used phone accelerometers on Android devices to increase quake alerts by tenfold across 98 countries.

Communications
a woman using a camera outside

Best cameras 2025

By Kimberley Lane last updated

We've rounded up the best cameras on the market that deliver impressive image quality, reliable autofocus and intuitive handling for any and every photographic style.

Technology
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