Latest articles by Stephanie Pappas
1st draft of a human 'pangenome' published, adding millions of 'building blocks' to the human reference genome
A new version of the human reference genome incorporates genetic data from 47 individuals from around the globe, deepening scientists' view into how genes work.
4 of Uranus' biggest moons have secret, underground oceans, new study suggests
A reanalysis of Voyager data suggests that four of Uranus moons may have oceans tucked between their cores and icy crusts.
'Leaking' cell phone towers could lead aliens straight to Earth, new study suggests
Advanced alien civilizations could probably already tell that there's intelligent life on Earth, thanks to our cell phone towers.
Giant phallus-shaped iceberg floating in Conception Bay surprises residents of Dildo, Canada
A phallus-shaped iceberg hovered off the coast of Dildo, Newfoundland in Conception Bay before collapsing.
Surges of activity in the dying human brain could hint at fleeting conscious experiences
An increase in a certain kind of high-frequency wave in dying brains might be associated with last-minute conscious experiences, but scientists don't know for sure.
China finally admits its hibernating Mars rover may never wake up
The Zhurong Mars rover never woke up from a planned hibernation, and the head of the mission team has now revealed why.
Scientists find weird holes on the ocean floor spewing ancient fluids 'like a fire hose'
Understanding the movement of fluids in the Cascadia subduction zone can help researchers pinpoint the risk of earthquakes
AI's 'unsettling' rollout is exposing its flaws. How concerned should we be?
AI isn't close to becoming sentient, but it could be disruptive anyway.
The surface of the ocean is now so hot it's broken every record since satellite measurements began
The upper levels of the ocean have never been this hot. Blame the end of La Niña and the ever-present heating effect of climate change.
'Green Monster' supernova is the youngest in the Milky Way, James Webb telescope reveals
New James Webb Space Telescope images reveal the grisly past of Cassiopeia A, the youngest known supernova remnant in the Milky Way.
Are aliens real?
Are aliens real? While there is no current evidence for extraterrestrial life anywhere in the universe, scientists are still optimistic.
Mathematicians make rare breakthrough on notoriously tricky 'Ramsey number' problem
The bounds on Ramsey numbers, which describe relationships between nodes in a network, have been narrowed.
Brightest gamma-ray burst ever detected defies explanation
Scientists are taking a closer look at the afterglow left by the brightest gamma-ray burst ever recorded, and what they see doesn't fit with any theoretical models.
13 of the biggest natural disasters in history
Reference Earthquakes, hurricanes and volcanoes have taken countless lives and caused immeasurable damage throughout history.
Extinction-level asteroid impacts could be far more common than we thought, controversial study suggests
New research claims that giant space rocks hit Earth far more often than has been estimated. But some scientists are skeptical.
'Oumuamua isn't an alien spaceship — it's a rock that's farting hydrogen, new study suggests
The release of hydrogen from within 'Oumuamua may explain some of the interstellar object's strange behavior.
Skyscraper-size asteroid will get closer to Earth than the moon on Saturday
Asteroid 2023 DZ2 will zip between Earth and the moon's orbit on March 25 and may be visible with the right telescope.
Watch 'unprecedented' animation showcasing 100 million years of Earth history
A new model shows how the planet's surface evolved over the past 100 million years, from the shifting of tectonic plates to the movement of sediments.
COVID pandemic had 'minimal' effect on mental health, study says. Is that true?
A new study finds that COVID-19 had minimal mental health impacts on the population, consistent with other research suggesting that people are resilient.
Watch the full 'Worm Moon' wriggle into the sky on March 7
The March full moon is known as the Worm Moon. It will be at its fullest at 7:40 a.m. EST on March 7, 2023.
Bright new comet discovered zooming toward the sun could outshine the stars next year
The newly discovered comet C/2023 A3 is making a close approach around the sun for the first time in 80,000 years, and might be as bright as a star in fall 2024.
China's Mars rover may be dead in the dust, new NASA images reveal
The Mars rover Zhurong hasn't moved since last fall, new orbiter images confirm, suggesting that the Chinese rover may be at the end of its lifespan.
