
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry is the Content Manager at Live Science. Formerly, she was the Content Manager at Space.com and before that the Science Communicator at JILA, a physics research institute. Kenna is also a book author, with her upcoming book 'Octopus X' scheduled for release in spring of 2027. Her beats include physics, health, environmental science, technology, AI, animal intelligence, corvids, and cephalopods.
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Astronauts may struggle to reproduce in outer space, study suggests — what does that mean for the future of space colonization?A new study found that microgravity simulated on Earth hindered sperm cell movement, egg fertilization and embryo development — findings that have serious implications for the future of space colonization.
By Kenna Hughes-Castleberry Published
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Chinese lander reveals giant 'cavity' of radiation between Earth and the moon — and it could change how lunar exploration is doneA new study using data from China's Chang'e-4 moon lander found an area of reduced radiation from cosmic rays near the moon. The findings could be used to improve the safety of lunar explorations.
By Kenna Hughes-Castleberry Published
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Scientists are racing to save Australia's 'zombie tree' from a fast-spreading fungal diseaseA fast-spreading fungal disease has left the newly named Australian "zombie tree" unable to produce flowers, fruit or seeds, and scientists warn that 16 other species may be heading down the same path.
By Kenna Hughes-Castleberry Published
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An anomaly in Mars' mantle could trigger volcanoes to erupt — and may be causing the whole planet to spin fasterData from NASA's InSight mission suggests the Red Planet's Tharsis region is more active than previously thought and may be why Mars is spinning more quickly over time.
By Kenna Hughes-Castleberry Published
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A secret weapon to fight carbon emissions was just discovered: BeaversA new study in Switzerland finds that beaver-built wetlands can trap and store large amounts of carbon, offering a low-cost boost for restoration and climate resilience.
By Kenna Hughes-Castleberry Published
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Computing quiz: Can you match these 'ancient' devices to their pictures?Think you know your technology? Put your computing knowledge to the test by matching classic and modern devices to their images.
By Kenna Hughes-Castleberry Published
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1,800-year-old nails discovered in 3 burials in Roman necropolis, possibly to 'protect' both the living and the deadArchaeologists excavating in Rome's Ostiense necropolis found three skeletons with iron nails on their chests, hinting at a ritual to prevent restless spirits.
By Kenna Hughes-Castleberry Published
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Pi has been calculated to trillions of digits — is that completely irrational?A single server smashed the pi world record, churning out 314 trillion digits in 110 days.
By Kenna Hughes-Castleberry Published
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Exceptionally rare sighting of planets colliding may shed light on the crash that formed the moonAstronomers say a distant, sunlike star shows signs of a catastrophic planet-on-planet crash that may mirror the ancient impact that formed Earth's moon.
By Kenna Hughes-Castleberry Published
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Europe's oldest handgun may date to 14th-century siege at German castleThe discovery of a handgun from 1390 found in Germany reveals that portable firearms were used earlier than thought in late medieval Europe.
By Kenna Hughes-Castleberry Published
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Man in Czech Republic accidentally finds Bronze Age spearhead mold in his backyardA stone being used in the foundation of an old barn in the Czech Republic turned out to be a Bronze Age spearhead mold.
By Kenna Hughes-Castleberry Published
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Pre-Inca culture acquired Amazonian parrots from hundreds of miles away to use their feathers to decorate the dead, new analysis revealsCenturies before the Inca emerged, Amazonian parrots were carried alive across the Andes and raised in captivity on Peru's coast for their vibrant feathers.
By Kenna Hughes-Castleberry Published
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The sword in the sea: How one lucky graduate student found his second Crusader sword while taking a swim off Israel's coastA 12th-century sword spotted jutting out of the seabed in Israel was designed for one-handed combat during the Crusades.
By Kenna Hughes-Castleberry Published
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We now know why shoes squeak, and it involves miniature lightning boltsHarvard engineers think they've found the reason basketball shoes squeak, and it's due to pockets of friction between the rubber and the court.
By Kenna Hughes-Castleberry Published
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Scientists find genetic 'switch' in mice that turns caring dads into violent brutesA new study suggests that the Agouti gene in the brains of male African striped mice can act as a molecular "switch," making them caring or violent toward their young.
By Kenna Hughes-Castleberry Published
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Ancient 'Asgard' microbe may have used oxygen long before it was plentiful on Earth, offering new clue to origins of complex lifeA new study suggests that ancient microbes once cast as oxygen haters may have actually learned to use the gas, offering a clue to how the first complex cells — and, eventually, all plants and animals — evolved.
By Kenna Hughes-Castleberry Published
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95 million-year-old Spinosaurus had a scimitar-shaped head crest and waded through the Sahara's rivers like a 'hell heron'Researchers have identified a new Spinosaurus species with a blade-like crest in Niger, changing our understanding of dinosaur evolution and behavior.
By Kenna Hughes-Castleberry Published
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Solar flares may be triggering earthquakes, controversial study claimsResearchers have proposed that changes in Earth's ionosphere could trigger electrical forces that nudge fragile areas of the crust into creating an earthquake.
By Kenna Hughes-Castleberry Published
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Scientists finally sequence the vampire squid's huge genome, revealing secrets of the 'living fossil'The genetic link between squids and octopuses may just be found in the vampire squid genome.
By Kenna Hughes-Castleberry Published
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'Very novel and very puzzling': Unknown species of squid spotted burying itself upside down, pretending to be a plantA new study reveals an unknown species of whiplash squid burying itself upside down in the deep sea — a first-of-its-kind behavior for cephalopods.
By Kenna Hughes-Castleberry Published
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Never-before-seen adorable pink bumpy snailfish with funny little beard filmed in deep canyon off California coastResearchers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute used remotely operated vehicles to find three new species of snailfish off the California coast.
By Kenna Hughes-Castleberry Published
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I watched scientists view the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS in real time. Here's what they saw.The Gemini South Observatory opened up its telescope to the public as a team of astronomers looked at the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS in real time.
Partner Content Created With Space.By Kenna Hughes-Castleberry Published
