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Satellite photo of three oval-shaped atolls in a straight line in the ocean

Perfect trio of prehistoric atolls shine like tropical gems off Australian coast

Harry Baker published 8 July 25

Earth from space This 2011 astronaut photo shows the atolls of Rowley Shoals lined up in a near-perfect line off the coast of Australia. The island trio was once part of an ancient barrier reef system that stretched over 1,200 miles.

An aerial view shows lava after volcano eruption located close to Sundhnukagigar, about 4 kilometers northeast of Grindavik town of Reykjanes peninsula, Iceland on January 14, 2024.

Melting glaciers could trigger volcanic eruptions around the globe, study finds

Ben Turner published 7 July 25

Glacial melt could increase volcanic activity in North America, New Zealand and Russia, spewing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

A human skull against a white background

Rare form of leprosy infected people in Americas before European arrival, 4,000-year-old bones suggest

Perri Thaler published 7 July 25

Roughly 4,000-year-old bones from Chile contain genetic evidence of leprosy, suggesting that a rare form of the bacteria that causes the disease may have been circulating in the Americas and long before the Europeans arrived.

A cropped illustration of the small pterosaur, Eotephradactylus mcintireae, feeding on fish in an ancient Late Triassic ecosystem.

'Ash-winged dawn goddess' is oldest pterosaur ever discovered in North America — and it was small enough to sit 'on your shoulder'

Patrick Pester published 7 July 25

A cache of Triassic fossils in Arizona has revealed Eotephradactylus mcintireae, or "ash-winged dawn goddess," the oldest pterosaur ever discovered in North America.

Macrophotography of jumping spider.

Spider quiz: Test your web of knowledge

Christina Hughes published 7 July 25

Quiz Are you an arach-nerd or just tangled? Take our spider quiz to find out!

View of an unidentified chemist as she works with various flaks in a laboratory, May 23, 1958.

'The first author was a woman. She should be in the kitchen, not writing papers': Bias in STEM publishing still punishes women

Athene Donald published 7 July 25

"What is the hard evidence, beyond anecdote and suspicion, that unconscious bias impacts on women's careers? Increasing numbers of studies show, in many different guises, just how potent such bias can be."

A conical pot that is brown, orange, and cream colored has a tiny beak and arms, representing a Humboldt penguin — Penguin Vessel: 1,600-year-old Nazca depiction of a cold-water Humboldt penguin that lives in tropical Peru A rare penguin-shaped pot reveals the Nazca's interest in depicting the wildlife around them.

Image of robot hand with the new 'skin' material. — Scientists burned, poked and sliced their way through new robotic skin that can 'feel everything' New, gelatin-based material could let robots feel everything from a light poke to a deep cut.

A photograph of the full moon glowing orange over a field in summertime — Full 'Buck Moon' rises next week: Why it's so special July's full "Buck Moon" will be at its fullest on Thursday, July 10, and will be best seen at moonrise. It is the farthest full moon from the sun all year and one of the lowest in the sky.

Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) in a spring meadow — Japanese quail: The bird with weird sperm foam, a post-sex strut and a spot in space history Male Japanese quails produce a strange seminal foam that appears to enhance the chances of successfully fertilizing an egg.

This false-color photograph is a composite of 15 images of the Moon taken through three color filters NASA's Galileo solid-state imaging system during the spacecraft passage through the Earth-Moon system on December 8, 1992. — What color is moonlight? What color is moonlight typically, and what other colors can moonlight look like from our perspective on Earth?

two images of Mercury next to each other. On the left, a black-and-white image. On the right, an image of Mercury with purple, orange, and yellow hues — Mercury's 'missing' meteorites may have finally been found on Earth Meteorites may be the only practical way to study Mercury's surface directly.

A composite telescope image of the Bullet Cluster — BANG! James Webb telescope catches stray galaxies in the Bullet Cluster: Space photo of the week This unprecedented view of the Bullet Cluster provided by the James Webb Space Telescope and the Chandra X-ray Observatory reveals how the dark matter is distributed.

Planet Earth

World globe photographed while spinning fast.

Earth is going to spin much faster over the next few months — so fast that several days are going to get shorter

By Amy Arthur published 7 July 25

Differences in the gravitational pull between the Earth and the Moon will make July 9, July 22 and August 5 unusually short.

Close-up photo of the sprite over the lightning

Astronaut snaps giant red 'jellyfish' sprite over North America during upward-shooting lightning event

By Harry Baker published 4 July 25

NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers captured an electrifying image of a giant lightning "sprite" shooting up over Mexico and southern U.S. states. The red "jellyfish" could help researchers learn more about this rare phenomenon.

LATEST ARTICLES

1
Perfect trio of prehistoric atolls shine like tropical gems off Australian coast
2
Melting glaciers could trigger volcanic eruptions around the globe, study finds
3
Rare form of leprosy infected people in Americas before European arrival, 4,000-year-old bones suggest
4
'Ash-winged dawn goddess' is oldest pterosaur ever discovered in North America — and it was small enough to sit 'on your shoulder'
5
Spider quiz: Test your web of knowledge

Space

Dwarf planets and moons, illustration.

What are dwarf planets — and how many are there?

By Briley Lewis published 5 July 25

How many dwarf planets are there in our solar system? The recent discovery of 2017 OF201 makes the tally anywhere between five and 18, plus hundreds of potentially undiscovered ones, depending on whom you ask.

Spacecraft carrying cannabis and human remains crashes into the ocean

By Matthew Williams published 5 July 25

A capsule created by German aerospace startup The Exploration Company crash-landed in the ocean with a payload that included human remains and cannabis seeds.

Space Exploration

archaeology

What did ancient Rome smell like? BO, rotting corpses and raw sewage for starters ...

By Thomas J. Derrick published 6 July 25

We can probably safely assume Rome, in many areas, was likely pretty dirty and rank-smelling. That said, there's evidence of perfumes, incense and even deodorants.

An archaeologist excavating a wooden tool in China.

Oldest wooden tools unearthed in East Asia show that ancient humans made planned trips to dig up edible plants

By Sascha Pare published 4 July 25

The 300,000 year-old tools show that hominins in East Asia made planned foraging trips to lakeshores and designed instruments for specific purposes.

Human Evolution

World of science

Health

Why are men taller than women, on average?

By Elana Spivack published 5 July 25

We don't know exactly why men are taller than women on average, but we have some genetic clues.

A urine collection device.

Scientists transform pee into material fit for medical implants

By Ben Turner published 4 July 25

A new method for chemically altering human urine could be used for producing medical implants and construction materials, scientists claim.

One of the best-value Garmin watches has dropped to its lowest ever price

By Anna Gora published 4 July 25

Deals The excellent Garmin Forerunner 255 is now 43% off at Amazon, and the cheapest it has ever been.

Animals

Rothschilds giraffe facing the camera with it's neck extended.

Why do giraffes have spots?

By Clarissa Brincat published 6 July 25

Giraffes' distinctive spots are more than just for show. So why do these tall animals have them?

a group of ostriches taken from below, showing their necks and head, with one looking menacingly at the camera

14 of the biggest birds on Earth

By Scott Dutfield last updated 4 July 25

Reference From 9-foot tall ostriches to albatrosses with gargantuan wingspans, here are some of the biggest birds in the world.

An underwater photograph of an orca offering food.

Wild orcas offer humans food. Could they be trying to make friends — or manipulate us?

By Patrick Pester published 2 July 25

Researchers have documented orcas dropping prey and other marine life in front of humans, as if offering us food. The orcas' motives are uncertain, but the sharing behavior could be an attempt at a cross-species relationship or manipulation.

Human Behavior

A hand holding a pencil over a crossword puzzle

Live Science crossword puzzle #1: Largest organ in the human body — 9 across

By Harry Baker published 4 July 25

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

Science crossword

Girl reading books in front of a cartoon space scene

48 best science books for kids and young adults

By Ben Biggs last updated 20 June 25

Looking to inspire the next generation of curious minds? These are our picks of the best popular science books for children of all ages.

Strikingly simple 'dial' in the brain may help it distinguish imagination from reality

By Payal Dhar published 12 June 25

Activity levels in a specific region of the brain predict whether we think something is real, irrespective of whether we've seen it or imagined it.

Physics & Mathematics

Where do atoms come from? A physicist explains.

By Stephen L. Levy published 25 June 25

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 20 June 25

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

Mathematicians discover a completely new way to find prime numbers

By Rachel Crowell published 19 June 25

Using a notion called integer partitions, mathematicians have discovered a new way to detect prime numbers while also connecting two areas of math in an unexpected way

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 23 April 25

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

a deer's breath is visible in the cold air

Why does nearly all life breathe oxygen?

By Harrison Tasoff published 30 March 25

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

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 22 March 25

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.

Technology

Student using one of the best macbooks for students and taking notes

Best MacBooks for students 2025: Get the best Apple hardware for the new academic year during Prime Day

By Keumars Afifi-Sabet last updated 7 July 25

Buying Guide Looking to check out macOS? Here are the best MacBooks for students you can buy right now.

HP ZBook Power G11 review: An all-aluminum beast

By Keumars Afifi-Sabet published 7 July 25

This high-end workstation offers you excellent performance and phenomenal graphics output — all without compromising on its battery life.

Omnibook display open laptop.

HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 (2024) review: A breathtaking OLED 2-in-1

By Keumars Afifi-Sabet published 6 July 25

The HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 dazzles with its stunning professional-grade screen, and offers plenty around it to make it a must-have — barring one or two performance concerns.

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