World's Oldest DNA Discovered, Revealing Ancient Arctic Forest Full of Mastodons
Two-million-year-old DNA, the world's oldest, reveals that mastodons once roamed forests in Greenland’s far northern reaches
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6 Weird and Wild Animal Behaviors Revealed in 2022
Octopus outbursts, spiders evading sexual cannibalism and a human-cockatoo arms race—here are strange animal behaviors we learned about in 2022 -
Global Population Growth Is Slowing Down. Here's One Reason Why
In 2022 the world’s population hit the eight-billion mark. But such milestones could top out by the end of the century -
The Linguistics of Swearing Explain Why We Substitute Darn for Damn
Languages from Hindi to Korean tone down swear words by inserting gentler consonants into speech. Here’s how “Let’s go Brandon” got started -
How Water Made Fire in an Indonesian Volcano
Heavy rains may have set off an outpouring of ash and gases from Indonesia’s volcano Semeru “like uncorking a soda bottle” -
Astronomers Grapple with JWST's Discovery of Early Galaxies
Researchers are convinced the James Webb Space Telescope has glimpsed an unexpected population of galaxies in the early universe. Now they’re trying to decide what this means for our understanding of the cosmos -
On December 7 the Moon Will Photobomb Mars
Much of North America can witness a delightful astronomical event on the evening of December 7 as the moon blocks out Mars -
Is Our Universe a Hologram? Physicists Debate Famous Idea on Its 25th Anniversary
The Ads/CFT duality conjecture suggests our universe is a hologram, enabling significant discoveries in the 25 years since it was first proposed -
Mauna Loa, Earth's Largest Active Volcano, Just Woke Up after 38 Years
Hawaii’s Mauna Loa, the largest active volcano on Earth, erupted for the first time in nearly 40 years. Its eruptions tend to be shorter-lived than those of the other Big Island volcanoes, and its lava is more liquid and flows faster -
Many People with Bipolar Disorder Use Cannabis. It May Sometimes Help
Diminished risk-taking behaviors and other benefits may explain why many people with bipolar disorder keep consuming cannabis despite some dire downsides -
Outdoor Air-Conditioning Cools the World Cup. But Is It Sustainable?
In an ever warming world, the health benefits of stadium air-conditioning may not outweigh the climate risks -
Satellite Constellations Could Harm the Environment, New Watchdog Report Says
Elon Musk’s Starlink and other satellite sources of light pollution and orbital debris should face an environmental review, the U.S. Government Accountability Office finds -
Three New Ebola Vaccines Will Soon Be Tested in Uganda
Health care workers in Uganda will be among the first people to receive candidate Ebola vaccines in a clinical trial that could expand the available tools for the control of Sudan ebolavirus outbreaks -
Pregnancy Changes the Brain, Possibly Promoting Bonding with a Baby
A woman during pregnancy shows changes in a key brain network that may be important for bonding with her new child -
Why 2 Is the Best Number and Other Secrets from a MacArthur-Winning Mathematician
Mathematician Melanie Matchett Wood seeks creative ways of solving open math problems -
Quantum Particles Aren't Spinning. So Where Does Their Spin Come From?
A new proposal seeks to solve the paradox of quantum spin -
Is a Diagnostic Test to Blame for Why We Know So Little about Autism in Girls?
A standard diagnostic test may be one reason autism research includes so few female participants -
Why Life Expectancy Keeps Dropping in the U.S. as Other Countries Bounce Back
COVID cut average life spans short in many high-income countries, but the U.S. decline has been steeper and longer than most -
Tiny 'Rover' Explores Cells without Harming Them
A miniature antenna can transmit data from inside cells without using damaging microwaves -
Twitter Chaos Endangers Public Safety, Emergency Managers Warn
Twitter is a crucial communication tool during disasters, but impersonators and other problems under Elon Musk’s leadership have emergency managers on edge
