Why does lightning zigzag? By Tom Metcalfe published 14 January 23 The characteristic zigzag pattern of lightning is caused by a highly conductive form of oxygen that builds up as the bolt travels toward the ground.
'Pac-Man' microorganisms gobble down viruses like power pellets By JoAnna Wendel published 12 January 23 If these organisms are eating viruses in nature, it could change the way scientists think about global carbon cycling.
Utah's Great Salt Lake is on the verge of collapse, and could expose millions to arsenic laced dust By Ben Turner published 10 January 23 Scientists say excessive water use is to blame, with 74% of diverted lakewater being used for unsustainable agricultural practices
UV radiation pulse played a role in a mass extinction event, fossilized pollen reveals By Jennifer Nalewicki published 10 January 23 250 million-year-old pollen suggests radiation played a role in mass extinction event
Rare, 'rule-breaking' quasicrystal found in chunk of 'fossilized' lightning By Stephanie Pappas published 9 January 23 A type of crystal that breaks the rules of ordinary crystallography has been found in a tube of melted sand from Nebraska.
Bering Land Bridge formed much later than originally thought, study suggests By Jennifer Nalewicki published 3 January 23 The formation of the Bering Land Bridge connecting Asia to North America occurred much later than experts thought.
What is the rarest mineral on Earth? By Elizabeth Rayne published 1 January 23 There is only one specimen of the rarest mineral on Earth, and it's from Myanmar.
What's the largest desert in the world? By Elizabeth Rayne published 31 December 22 The largest hot desert and cold desert in the world are anything but boring and barren.
10 stunning shots of Earth from space in 2022 By Harry Baker published 30 December 22 A number of amazing shots of Earth were captured from space in 2022. Here are some of our favorites.
10 amazing discoveries from Antarctica in 2022 By Harry Baker published 30 December 22 A large number of scientific discoveries emerged from Earth's most southerly continent this year. Here are some of our favorites.
10 signs we got closer to climate disaster in 2022 By Tia Ghose published 27 December 22 Earth's climate is warming dramatically, and the signs are all around us, from vanishing glaciers to zombie viruses awakening in melting permafrost.
How does coal form? By Meg Duff published 26 December 22 Coal takes tens if not hundreds of millions of years to form; it all starts with living plants that eventually fossilize.
Winter solstice: The science behind the shortest day of the year By Laura Geggel published 20 December 22 What happens during the winter solstice? Here's why this day is the shortest day of the year, with the fewest hours of daylight. The winter solstice falls on Dec. 21 or 22 every year in the Northern Hemisphere.
Greenland's glaciers are melting 100 times faster than estimated By Stephanie Pappas published 19 December 22 Scientists are getting a better handle on how fast Greenland's ice is flowing out to sea. Old models that used Antarctica as a baseline were way off the mark.
Stunning 'ice pancakes' swirl on the surface of Scottish river By Harry Baker published 16 December 22 Wildlife experts recently captured footage of frozen discs, known as "ice pancakes," on the surface of a river in Scotland after an unusual cold snap.
Deadly 'rogue wave' smashes into cruise ship near Antarctica — but where did it come from? By Harry Baker published 9 December 22 A suspected rogue wave recently crashed into a cruise ship near Antarctica killing one and injuring four others. Where did it come from?
World's oldest DNA reveals secrets of lost Arctic ecosystem from 2 million years ago By Harry Baker published 7 December 22 Researchers have unearthed tiny fragments of DNA in the Arctic that were left by plants, microbes and animals that lived in a previously unknown ecosystem in Greenland.
Surprising loss of sea ice after record-breaking Arctic storm is a mystery to scientists By JoAnna Wendel published 7 December 22 Although models accurately predicted the evolution of the Arctic storm, scientists were surprised to see just how much sea ice thickness decreased in the storm's aftermath.
Where on Earth does the sun rise first? By Donavyn Coffey published 5 December 22 Where does the first sunrise happen every day and which place sees the first sunrise of the New Year?
Which is the largest continent? The smallest? By Meg Duff published 4 December 22 Pangaea was one of the largest continents in world history, but now it's broken up. So which continent today is the largest, and which is the smallest?
