Patrick Pester

A retired researcher has detected an unusual pulse in the light of nearby stars while looking for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence. Aliens are one possible explanation for the strange signal, but as with every other unexplained space phenomenon, it's probably not aliens.

Researchers have recovered Homo erectus bones from the seafloor, which points to an unknown hominin population hunting on land that is now underwater in Southeast Asia.

Researchers have discovered how orange cats got their coats — and why so many of them are male. The coat color comes from a genetic mutation on the X chromosome of orange, calico and tortoiseshell cats.

Researchers have discovered an ancient moth-like sea predator in a treasure trove of museum fossils in Canada. The half-a-billion-year-old creature, Mosura fentoni, reveals that Cambrian arthropods were more diverse than previously thought.

Astrophysicists have proposed a new theoretical maximum lifespan for the universe, which suggests that dead stars are decaying much faster than previously thought. The estimate of stellar remnant decay is based on Stephen Hawking's famous black hole radiation theory.

An abrupt change in Antarctica has caused the continent to gain ice. But this increase, documented in NASA satellite data, is a temporary anomaly rather than an indication that global warming has reversed, scientists say.

Satellite data revealed that Houston is the fastest-sinking city in the U.S., and that all of the other biggest cities are dropping in at least some areas. Researchers say groundwater extraction is largely to blame for the sink.

A newly identified mutation helps super-sleepers get by on just four to six hours of shut-eye per night, while the rest of us need around eight hours. Researchers described the SIK3-N783Y mutation in a new study after testing it on sleep-deprived inbred mice.

A report into April's deadly flooding has found that climate change made the central Mississippi River valley's extreme weather event more likely and more intense.

Wave-like soil patterns on the Martian surface match those found in Earth's cold, mountain regions, which could help scientists better understand the Red Planet's climate history and search for signs of life.

Researchers studying pterosaur tracks have found that ancient flying reptiles became better adapted to life on land during the middle of the Jurassic period and even shared environments with dinosaurs.

A new documentary explores the tragic final night of the RMS Titanic with the most detailed digital reconstruction of the ship ever created.

Researchers have found a candidate for the hypothetical Planet Nine, which could be an undiscovered giant planet way out in our solar system. However, as with all ninth planet research, the new findings were met with some skepticism.

A recent update caused ChatGPT to turn into a sycophant, with the chatbot excessively complimenting and flattering its users with reassurances — even when they said they'd harmed animals or stopped taking their medication. OpenAI has now reversed the changes.

Geologists have found that an ancient meteorite hit Scotland 200 million years later than previously thought, which has massive implications for the geological history of the region and some of the U.K.'s earliest land life.

Companies claim that Tyrannosaurus rex leather could soon be entering the luxury fashion market, but dinosaur researchers say you can't make genuine T. rex skin.

A crocodile DNA study has revealed two previously unknown Crocodylus species in the Caribbean. The crocodiles live on Cozumel and Banco Chinchorro, where they're threatened by human activities.

Yellowstone's supervolcano appears to have a magma cap that vents pressure and reduces the chances of a massive eruption happening anytime soon.

Four adorable western Santa Cruz Galápagos tortoise babies are now on display at Philadelphia Zoo after their 100-year-old 'Mommy' reproduced for the first time.

Researchers may have discovered Mississippi's largest ever mosasaur after pulling a Cretaceous-aged fossil out of a riverbed south of Starkville.

NASA has released the Lucy spacecraft's first close-up images of asteroid Donaldjohanson, revealing a peanut-shaped rock that could shed light on how planets formed in our solar system.

Videos of chimpanzees sharing alcoholic fruit suggest that this behavior could have led to feasting in humans, a new study finds.

Yellowstone's Junction Butte wolf pack failed in a recent attempt to kill a bison, but the pack appears to be thriving again after the death of its former alpha female, Wolf 907F.