Infamous Mars meteorite contains organic molecules. But they aren't proof of life. By Charles Q. Choi published 16 January 22 Organic molecules in a Mars meteorite that crash-landed on Earth are not signs of life, but instead formed in chemical reactions between water and rock.
4-foot tsunami hits Tonga after explosive eruption of underwater volcano By Jeanna Bryner published 15 January 22 A tsunami triggered by the explosive eruption of the underwater Tonga volcano in the Pacific Ocean slammed the shoreline of the Pacific nation Saturday (Jan. 15).
Weird sand 'chess pieces' dot Lake Michigan shore. Here's how they formed. By Laura Geggel published 15 January 22 Here's the science behind the bizarre sand pillars that formed on the shores of Lake Michigan.
Why is the world map you know wrong? By Joe Phelan published 15 January 22 Here's why flat world maps always have distortions.
SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket spotted from space before and after epic 105-satellite launch (images) By Mike Wall published 15 January 22 SpaceX has some nice before-and-after photos to mark the 10th launch of one of its Falcon 9 rockets, thanks to a satisfied customer.
China builds 'artificial moon' for gravity experiment By Ben Turner published 14 January 22 The test chamber will enable scientists to test technologies and structures on Earth before sending them to the moon.
1st bioengineered hybrid animals discovered — in ancient Mesopotamia By Tom Metcalfe published 14 January 22 Mesopotamians were using hybrids of domesticated donkeys and wild asses to pull their war wagons 4,500 years ago, scientists have found.
New study provides first evidence of non-random mutations in DNA By Harry Baker published 14 January 22 A new study into genetic mutations in thale cress has found that genetic mutations are not totally random.
Modern humans lived in eastern Africa 38,000 years earlier than thought By Ben Turner published 14 January 22 The new date estimate makes the remains the oldest uncontested Homo sapiens in Africa.
Curvature of space-time measured using 'atomic fountain' By Rahul Rao published 14 January 22 A group of physicists has measured gravity using the effects of time dilation — the slowing of time imparted by increased velocity or gravitational force — on atoms.
Striking satellite photo captures Mount Vesuvius peering through a hole in the clouds By Harry Baker published 14 January 22 A satellite image captured by Landsat 8 shows Mount Vesuvius "peering" through an eerily circular hole in the clouds.
These birds have been singing the same songs for literally a million years By Yasemin Saplakoglu published 14 January 22 A group of tiny, colorful birds has been singing the exact same tunes for more than 500,000 years — and maybe as long as 1 million years, according to a new study.
NASA's Perseverance rover is clogged up with pebbles By Stephanie Pappas published 13 January 22 The Perseverance Mars rover is awaiting orders after its sampling apparatus became clogged by pebble-size debris.
The virus behind 'mono' might trigger multiple sclerosis in some By Nicoletta Lanese published 13 January 22 Other factors, including genetics, also influence one's chance of developing multiple sclerosis.
Earth inhales and exhales carbon in mesmerizing animation By Stephanie Pappas published 13 January 22 A new animation of Earth shows vegetation taking up and releasing carbon in sync with the seasons.
Largest fish nursery discovered beneath Weddell Sea in Antarctica By Cameron Duke published 13 January 22 Scientists onboard an icebreaker in Antarctica were blown away when they spied a trove of 60 million icefish nests dotting the floor of the Weddell Sea.
Largest dark energy map could reveal the fate of the universe By Tom Metcalfe published 13 January 22 A telescope in Arizona modified to measure the true distance of galaxies has produced the largest three-dimensional map of the universe ever.
2,000-year-old Celtic hoard of gold 'rainbow cups' discovered in Germany By Laura Geggel published 13 January 22 A volunteer archaeologist discovered a stash of 41 "rainbow cup" Celtic coins dating to 2,000 years ago in Germany.
Shredded 'stellar streams' could lead to the Milky Way's missing dark matter By Brandon Specktor published 13 January 22 Astronomers mapped 12 stellar streams, which could lead to the Milky Way's missing dark matter.
Earth is at the center of a 1,000-light-year-wide 'Swiss cheese' bubble carved out by supernovas By Harry Baker published 12 January 22 A new study into the Local Bubble, a cosmic void surrounding Earth, has mapped out the star-forming regions on the bubble's surface and uncovered more information about its explosive birth.
