Patrick Pester is the trending news writer at Live Science. His work has appeared on other science websites, such as BBC Science Focus and Scientific American. Patrick retrained as a journalist after spending his early career working in zoos and wildlife conservation. He was awarded the Master's Excellence Scholarship to study at Cardiff University where he completed a master's degree in international journalism. He also has a second master's degree in biodiversity, evolution and conservation in action from Middlesex University London. When he isn't writing news, Patrick investigates the sale of human remains.
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Large, bone-crushing dogs stalked 'Rhino Pompeii' after Yellowstone eruption 12 million years ago, ancient footprints revealResearchers have found footprints of large, bone-crushing dogs in the 12 million-year-old Ashfall Fossil Beds in northeastern Nebraska, suggesting these large carnivores may have survived a cataclysmic Yellowstone eruption that covered parts of North America in ash.
By Patrick Pester Published
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Wolf stealing underwater crab traps caught on camera for the first time — signalling 'new dimension' in their behaviorA video has revealed never-before-seen behaviors in wolves that could mark the first case of tool use in a wild member of the wolf and dog family — and it was all for some crab bait.
By Patrick Pester Published
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That was the week in science: CDC in turmoil | Moss survives space | Comet 3I/ATLAS imagesLive blog Friday, Nov. 21, 2025: Your daily feed of the biggest discoveries and breakthroughs making headlines.
By Ben Turner Last updated
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Scientists find rare tusked whale alive at sea for the first time — and shoot it with a crossbowResearchers have identified ginkgo-toothed beaked whales alive at sea for the first time after years of searching, and in doing so solved the mystery of an odd echolocation pulse in the North Pacific.
By Patrick Pester Published
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Comet 3I/ATLAS gallery: See NASA's long-awaited images of interstellar visitorNASA's treasure trove of new comet 3I/ATLAS images provides hotly anticipated views of the interstellar visitor, including from Mars and the sun.
By Patrick Pester Published
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'3I/ATLAS is a comet': NASA finally releases new 3I/ATLAS images and addresses alien rumorsNASA's highly anticipated comet 3I/ATLAS images have been released, with a space agency official shooting down alien rumors and stressing that the interstellar visitor is a comet.
By Patrick Pester Published
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That was the week in science: New Glenn launch | China's astronauts return | 'Other' ATLAS explodesLive blog Friday, Nov. 14, 2025: Your daily feed of the biggest discoveries and breakthroughs making headlines.
By Ben Turner Last updated
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Giant North American 'hell pigs' could crunch bones like lions 30 million years ago, tooth analysis revealsArchaeotherium, or North American "hell pigs," had different feeding strategies depending on their size, according to preliminary research presented at the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology 2025 annual meeting.
By Patrick Pester Published
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Chinese astronauts are back on Earth after suspected 'space junk' strike left them stranded in spaceThe Shenzhou-20 crew of Chen Dong, Wang Jie and Chen Zhongrui have landed back on Earth after a suspected piece of space junk left them stranded on China's Tiangong space station.
By Patrick Pester Published
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No, comet 3I/ATLAS hasn't exploded — and no, that doesn't mean it's an alien spaceshipComet 3I/ATLAS appears to be normal and intact, despite some reports that the interstellar visitor exploded after its brush with the sun.
By Patrick Pester Published
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That was the week in science: Comet 3I/ATLAS glows green | Roman roads | Bear attacksLive blog Monday, Nov. 3 to Friday, Nov. 7, 2025: The week's biggest discoveries and breakthroughs that made headlines.
By Ben Turner Last updated
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Irradiated Comet 3I/ATLAS glows green and hides its tail in new imageA researcher has captured comet 3I/ATLAS glowing green and hiding its tail in a new image from the Lowell Observatory's powerful Discovery Telescope as we enter a critical observation phase for the interstellar visitor.
By Patrick Pester Published
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Global warming is forcing Earth's systems toward 'doom loop' tipping points. Can we avoid them?Earth may be on the verge of crossing several climate change tipping points that could have irreversible and devastating consequences. Here's everything you need to know about these "points of no return."
By Patrick Pester Published
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6 million-year-old ice discovered in Antarctica shatters records — and there's ancient air trapped insideResearchers have found 6 million-year-old ice in the Allan Hills region of Antarctica and say the oldest-of-its-kind sample offers an unprecedented view into Earth's ancient climate.
By Patrick Pester Published
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Astronomer reveals first look at Comet 3I/ATLAS as it reappears from behind the sunAn astronomer has snapped comet 3I/ATLAS using the Lowell Observatory's powerful Discovery Telescope, as well as his own small telescope. The new photos are believed to be the first optical observations of the interstellar visitor since it disappeared behind the sun.
By Patrick Pester Published
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Comet 3I/ATLAS has been transformed by billions of years of space radiation, James Webb Space Telescope observations revealThe interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS has a thick irradiated crust that no longer resembles its home star system, simulations and James Webb Space Telescope observations have found.
By Patrick Pester Published
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NASA spacecraft reveal interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS brightened rapidly as it swooped behind the sunInterstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is briefly out of view as it travels around the sun this week, but researchers and amateur astronomers used spacecraft data to track its progress right up until perihelion.
By Patrick Pester Published
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Lab monkeys on the loose in Mississippi don't have herpes, university says. But are they dangerous?Authorities have killed several lab monkeys that escaped from an overturned truck in Mississippi. The rhesus macaques were initially thought to be diseased and dangerous, but that's not necessarily the case.
By Patrick Pester Published
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First-ever 'mummified' and hoofed dinosaur discovered in Wyoming badlandsResearchers have unearthed two dinosaur "mummies" in the badlands of Wyoming, confirming duck-billed dinosaurs had hooves, alongside a string of other discoveries.
By Patrick Pester Published
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Watch Air Force fly inside the eye of Hurricane Melissa as experts warn 'storm of the century' will be catastrophic for JamaicaThe U.S. Air Force's "Hurricane Hunters" have flown inside the eye of Hurricane Melissa, capturing eerie footage of the historic storm that has caused widespread devastation in Jamaica.
By Patrick Pester Published
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Rare fossils in New Mexico reveal dinosaurs were doing just fine before the asteroid annihilated them allNew dating has revealed that New Mexico's last dinosaurs were healthy, diverse and thriving at the end of the Cretaceous period, suggesting non-avian dinosaurs weren't in decline before being snuffed out by the asteroid strike.
By Patrick Pester Published
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World's biggest X-ray laser discovers never-before-seen type of ice that's solid at room temperatureResearchers have unveiled ice XXI, a new form of ice that's solid at room temperatures when subjected to immense pressure.
By Patrick Pester Published
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Astronomers discover skyscraper-size asteroid hidden in sun's glareThe newly discovered "twilight" asteroid, 2025 SC79, was obscured by the sun's glare until an astronomer pointed the Dark Energy Camera at it, highlighting the potential dangers of unseen asteroids.
By Patrick Pester Published
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CO2 levels reach record new high, locking in more global warmingGreenhouse gas concentrations increased by a record amount in 2024 as more carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide became locked in Earth's atmosphere, a World Meteorological Organization report finds.
By Patrick Pester Published

