Alligators in Oklahoma turn into 'popsicles' sticking out of the frozen water By Laura Geggel Alligators often 'snorkel' during cold snaps, so they don't become trapped underwater without access to air.
Why does Christianity have so many denominations? By Donavyn Coffey Schisms within the church have led to more and more denominations over the millennia.
Giant crack frees a massive iceberg in Antarctica By Yasemin Saplakoglu This dramatic breakup comes after a major crack formed on the shelf in November 2020 and continued to grow.
Medium-size dinos are missing from the fossil record. Here's why. By Laura Geggel Here's why there aren't more medium-size carnivorous dinosaurs.
Perseverance is a tiny pale speck on Mars in this orbiter's eerie photo By Mindy Weisberger A camera on the ExoMars orbiter recently captured a photo showing a very, very tiny Perseverance on Mars.
Pirate attacks linked to destructive fishing By Patrick Pester A new study reveals pirate attacks are more common in waters experiencing destructive and illegal fishing, suggesting the two may be linked.
Giant crack frees a massive iceberg in Antarctica By Yasemin Saplakoglu This dramatic breakup comes after a major crack formed on the shelf in November 2020 and continued to grow.
Pirate attacks linked to destructive fishing By Patrick Pester A new study reveals pirate attacks are more common in waters experiencing destructive and illegal fishing, suggesting the two may be linked.
Perseverance is a tiny pale speck on Mars in this orbiter's eerie photo By Mindy Weisberger A camera on the ExoMars orbiter recently captured a photo showing a very, very tiny Perseverance on Mars.
How to see the full 'Snow Moon' and other celestial events this weekend By Patrick Pester Here's why February's full moon is sometimes called the "Snow Moon" and how to watch it and other celestial events this weekend.
Hidden scenes in ancient Etruscan paintings revealed By Owen Jarus Scientists using a new technique have uncovered the colorful and once-hidden scenes in paintings of the ancient Etruscans.
Ancient Egypt's Mona Lisa? An elaborately drawn extinct goose, of course By Yasemin Saplakoglu Nearly five millennia ago, an artist inked an incredibly detailed painting of geese in the tomb of an Egyptian vizier and his wife.
Quick guide: COVID-19 vaccines in use and how they work By Nicoletta Lanese Here's a guide to the vaccines being used in different countries.
New coronavirus variant in NYC has vaccine-evading mutation By Rachael Rettner It has a mutation that may help the coronavirus partially evade COVID-19 vaccines.
Why COVID-19 spreads more easily than SARS By Rachael Rettner The study researchers focused on the spike protein, the structure that allows coronaviruses to bind to and enter human cells.
Medium-size dinos are missing from the fossil record. Here's why. By Laura Geggel Here's why there aren't more medium-size carnivorous dinosaurs.
Snakes insert their heads into living frogs' bodies to swallow their organs (because nature is horrifying) By Mindy Weisberger In two new studies, researchers identified more snakes that disembowel frogs to eat their organs, a gruesome habit that was only recently discovered.
Why rescuers are feeding turtles mayonnaise after a disastrous oil spill By Nicoletta Lanese The condiment helps break down the tar in the turtles' digestive tracts.
Hidden 'madman' message on 'The Scream' traced back to Munch himself By Yasemin Saplakoglu Experts have long debated the identity of the inscriber, with some suggesting a dissatisfied vandalizer is the author, while others pointed fingers at the Norwegian painter himself.
New AI 'Ramanujan Machine' uncovers hidden patterns in numbers By Stephanie Pappas A new artificially intelligent 'Ramanujan Machine' can generate hundreds of new mathematical conjectures, which might lead to new math proofs and theorems.
How does the rubber pencil illusion work? By Isobel Whitcomb The rubber pencil illusion works because our brain can't keep up.
Why does Christianity have so many denominations? By Donavyn Coffey Schisms within the church have led to more and more denominations over the millennia.
Atheists and believers have different moral compasses By Laura Geggel The moral compass of believers and atheists is calibrated differently.
Conservatives aren't more fearful than liberals, study finds By Stephanie Pappas Contrary to earlier research, a new international study finds that both liberals and conservatives respond to threats — just different ones.
Hidden secrets revealed in microscopic images of ancient artifacts By Mindy Weisberger A new exhibit showcases microscopy in archaeology, highlighting objects' unexpected beauty and revealing clues about the past.