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Why does Earth have magnetic poles?
By Joanna Thompson published
Earth is the only rocky body in the inner solar system with strong magnetic poles. But where do these poles come from, and what do they do?

Anatolian fault that gave rise to deadly Turkey and Syria quakes formed 5 million years ago
By Stephanie Pappas published
A new study traces the birth of a tectonic plate.

'It is biological in origin': 1st analysis of weird golden orb from ocean floor leaves scientists stumped
By Hannah Osborne published
The golden, dome-shaped object was discovered in the Gulf of Alaska during an NOAA expedition and after bringing it to the surface, scientists still have no idea what it is.

This was the hottest summer ever recorded on Earth
By Aimee Gabay published
June through August 2023 were the hottest three months ever recorded, according to the World Meteorological Organization.

Tropical Storm Lee could become an 'extremely dangerous major hurricane' by this weekend
By Jennifer Nalewicki published
Forecasters are keeping an eye on Tropical Storm Lee, which they predict could soon become a full-blown hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean.

Why can't we smell ourselves as well as we smell others?
By Amanda Heidt published
It isn't true that we can't smell ourselves, although we do become habituated to our own scent.

Eerie, ultra-detailed photo of a lightning 'sprite' exposes one of nature's least understood phenomena
By Harry Baker published
An astronomer in Slovakia captured the rare luminous phenomenon as it briefly flashed in Earth's upper atmosphere during a thunderstorm.

10 times humans messed with nature and it backfired
By Sascha Pare published
History is peppered with times when our patchy knowledge of natural systems has led to questionable interventions with unintended — and sometimes disastrous — consequences.
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