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Arbor Day: Why planting trees isn’t enough
On Arbor Day thousands of trees will be planted in hopes of slowing...
Chocolate chemistry – a food scientist explains how the beloved treat gets its flavor, texture and tricky reputation as an ingredient
A food scientist answers some of the most frequent questions...
Hurricane Harvey more than doubled the acidity of Texas’ Galveston Bay, threatening oyster reefs
Oceanographers have found that Hurricane Harvey had more than...
Free will: why people believe in it even when they think they’re being manipulated
Research has shown that on a fundamental level we want to preserve...
What is ethical animal research? A scientist and veterinarian explain
Medical and scientific research on animals is a highly volatile...
Emperor penguins get Endangered Species Act protection – with 98% of colonies at risk of extinction by 2100, can it save them?
Emperor penguins, now protected by the Endangered Species Act,...
Eels are some of nature’s weirdest creatures. Here are 5 reasons why they’re so cool
Australian and European eels are amazing creatures that have...
Humans are 8% virus – How the ancient viral DNA in your genome plays a role in human disease and development
A scientist explains how the ancient viral DNA in your genome...
Our moon has been slowly drifting away from Earth over the past 2.5 billion years
Scientists look to Earth’s ancient rock layers to uncover the...
Hurricane hunters are flying through Ian’s powerful winds to forecast intensity
A University of Miami meteorologist describes the technology...
What is a hurricane storm surge, and why is it so dangerous?
Storm surges may not sound very dangerous, but they can inflict...
Mars is littered with 15,694 pounds of human trash from 50 years of robotic exploration
There is a lot of space junk left on the planet Mars from decades...
Human skin stood up better to the sun before there were sunscreens and parasols – an anthropologist explains why
An anthropologist explains why human skin stood up better...
Cameroon’s ‘exploding lakes’: disaster expert warns deadly gas release could cause another tragedy
A geologist and disaster management expert identifies several...
How to destroy a ‘forever chemical’ – scientists are discovering ways to eliminate PFAS, but this growing global health problem isn’t going away soon
Scientists are working on methods to capture PFA synthetic chemicals...
Cognitive biases and brain biology help explain why facts don’t change minds
Cognitive psychology and neuroscience studies have found that...
The tongue: how one of the body’s most sensitive organs is helping blind people ‘see’
A new study investigates how to make the most of the tongue...
What is a flash flood? A civil engineer explains
A civil engineer explains what a flash flood is and how engineers,...
Coyotes are here to stay in North American cities – here’s how to appreciate them from a distance
As coyote sightings become more common in urban areas, scientists...
Footprints take science a step closer to understanding southern Africa’s dinosaurs
In a recent study of dinosaur footprints in southern Africa,...
Astronomers have found an especially sneaky black hole – discovery sheds light on star death, black hole formation and gravitational waves
Astronomers’ discovery of the first “dormant” black hole observed...
Manuscripts and art support archaeological evidence that syphilis was in Europe long before explorers could have brought it home from the Americas
Scientists provide evidence that Europeans suffered from syphilis...
Space agriculture boldly grows food where no one has grown before
Scientists believe that space agriculture could be used to solve...
Understanding why people reject science could lead to solutions for rebuilding trust
By understanding the reasons some people have for being anti-science,...
NASA’s head warned that China may try to claim the Moon – two space scholars explain why that’s unlikely to happen
Although there are rumors that China may try to claim the Moon,...
Improving science literacy means changing science education
Research has shown that three-dimensional learning guidelines...
Struggling with positive thinking? Research shows grumpy moods can actually be useful
Research has shown that negative moods in general can be quite...
Citizen science volunteers are almost entirely white
Researches believe that reforming citizen science with inclusive...
We attached tracking devices to West Africa’s green turtles. This is what we learnt
Scientific research on the green turtles of West Africa has shown...
What makes us subconsciously mimic the accents of others in conversation
Research has shown how and why people subconsciously mimic the...
What is chronic wasting disease? A wildlife scientist explains the fatal prion infection killing deer and elk across North America
A wildlife scientist explains chronic wasting disease, the fatal...
This Australian grasshopper gave up sex 250,000 years ago and it’s doing fine
New research shows that the Australian grasshopper W....
Decisive people don’t make better decisions – new research
A recent study of the differences between decisive and indecisive...
Yorkicystis, the 500 million-year-old relative of starfish that lost its skeleton
The amazing discovery of Yorkicystis haefneri has...
A ‘doorway’ on Mars? How we see things in space that aren’t there
A geologist cautions us to beware of things we think we see in...
How visionary scientist Bernie Fanaroff put African astronomy on the map
Recent decades have seen remarkable growth in astronomy on the...
Corals and sea anemones turn sunscreen into toxins – understanding how could help save coral reefs
Scientists discover how sunscreen harms coral reefs so that we...
Wealthy nations are carving up space and its riches – and leaving other countries behind
A research fellow studies the wider benefits of space and discusses...
Say hello to Sagittarius A*, the black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy
A massive amount of work went into the creation of an image that...
Blasting out Earth’s location with the hope of reaching aliens is a controversial idea – two teams of scientists are doing it anyway
A small group of scientists are trying to communicate with intelligent...
Time travel could be possible, but only with parallel timelines
Research in general relativity and quantum mechanics tell us...
Here’s one way to burn less fossil fuel – use human energy to heat buildings instead
Using the warmth we generate from our own bodies to heat our...
Do mushrooms really use language to talk to each other? A fungi expert investigates
New research suggests that mushrooms and other fungi have a very...
Pet therapy: how dogs, cats and horses help improve human wellbeing
Pet therapy is an increasingly popular method used by medical...
Growing up in a city can harm your spatial skills – new research
Research has found that growing up in cities appears to be detrimental...
The Human Genome Project pieced together only 92% of the DNA – now scientists have finally filled in the remaining 8%
With advancements in technology, scientists working with the Human...
Another mass bleaching event is devastating the Great Barrier Reef. What will it take for coral to survive?
The Great Barrier Reef is suffering its fourth mass bleaching...
An emphasis on brilliance creates a toxic, dog-eat-dog workplace atmosphere
Research has shown that despite the stereotype equating...
A large solar storm could knock out the power grid and the internet
An electrical engineer explains how a large solar storm could...
An asteroid impact could wipe out an entire city
A space security expert explains NASA’s plans to prevent a potential...
Waterfall illusion: when you see still objects move – and what it tells you about your brain
Scientists explain the waterfall illusion – when you see still...
The secret ultraviolet colours of sunflowers attract pollinators and preserve water
Scientists explain how the secret ultraviolet colours of sunflowers...
Acting like an extravert has benefits, but not for introverts
Research has found that acting like an extravert has benefits,...
4 ways to help STEM majors stay the course
A group of scientists in 2021 discover and recommend a few...
What are asteroids made of? A sample reveals the Solar System’s building blocks
Scientists explain what asteroids are made of and reveal the...
The origin and evolution of love
A lesson in love from reptiles to mammals, and how humans are...
Has Captain Cook’s ship Endeavour been found?
The Australian National Maritime Museum has announced that Captain...
The science of weather forecasting: what it takes and why it’s so hard to get right
A meteorologist with specialities in forecasting weather and...
Why do groundhogs emerge on February 2 if it’s not to predict the weather?
Research into groundhog biology shows they have other priorities...
Did male and female dinosaurs differ? A new statistical technique is helping to answer that
A paleontologist uses a new statistical technique to help answer...
The cognitive bias that tripped us up during the pandemic
A researcher explains how cognitive biases, or shortcuts, occur...
Woolly mammoths roamed the Earth more recently than previously thought
Ancient DNA suggests that woolly mammoths roamed the Earth more...
Rhino horn consumers reveal why a legal trade alone won’t save rhinos
Legalising the international trade in rhino horn in order to...
How Adam Smith became a (surprising) hero to conservative economists
The extraordinary breadth and sophistication of Adam Smith’s...
Yes, your dog can understand what you’re saying — to a point
Research indicates that dogs can perceive different words and...
Where are memories stored in the brain? New research suggests they may be in the connections between your brain cells
Researchers and neuroscientists imagine a distant future in which...
Do cats purr when humans aren’t around?
Humans tend to think that purring is a sign of happiness in a...
E.O. Wilson’s lifelong passion for ants helped him teach humans about how to live sustainably with nature
Wilson recognized that our refusal to acknowledge the Earth’s...
Genomic sequencing: Here’s how researchers identify omicron and other COVID-19 variants
Genomic surveillance has guided public health decisions as each...
We counted 20 billion ticks of an extreme galactic clock to give Einstein’s theory of gravity its toughest test yet
Scientists have found that even after 16 years of intensive testing...
Moving African rhinos: what it takes to translocate an endangered species
A conservation scientist explains how African rhino translocations...
The English language dominates global conservation science – which leaves 1 in 3 research papers virtually ignored
Making the best use of non-English-language science can be a...
How ergodicity reimagines economics for the benefit of us all
The developing ideas of Ergodicity Economics offer a completely...
Why the southern US is prone to December tornadoes
Conditions in the Southeast are uniquely suited to producing...
None of the 2021 science Nobel laureates are women – here’s why men still dominate STEM award winning
The rarity of female Nobel laureates raises questions about women’s...
Flying colors: Researcher reveals hidden world through the eyes of butterflies
An award-winning scientist and professor of evolutionary biology...
Why it’s still a scientific mystery how some can live past 100 – and how to crack it
Many believe that people who live to be 100 years old live healthier...
Charting changes in a pathogen’s genome yields clues about its past and hints about its future
Researchers are using what are called phylodynamic methods that...
Great headphones blend physics, anatomy and psychology – but what you like to listen to is also important for choosing the right pair
Ultimately, the science of headphone design, the artistry of...
Why do frozen turkeys explode when deep-fried?
A chemist explains the science behind why frozen turkeys explode...
Why children ask ‘Why?’ and what makes a good explanation
Results from psychology expose a striking similarity between...
The ‘Lord God Bird’ might be extinct, but the story of the ivory-billed woodpecker isn’t over yet
The announcement that the ivorybill is extinct may be one of...
A quick guide to climate change jargon – what experts mean by mitigation, carbon neutral and 6 other key terms
Climate reports are often written at a scientific level, and...
Atmospheric river storms can drive costly flooding – and climate change is making them stronger
Atmospheric rivers are long, narrow bands of moisture in the...
The music of proteins is made audible through a computer program that learns from Chopin
There are many surprising analogies between proteins and musical...
Fossil footprints prove humans populated the Americas thousands of years earlier
Archaeologists have discovered fossil footprints unearthed at...
One incredible ocean crossing may have made human evolution possible
Scientists have long theorized that animals reached far-flung...
SpaceX Inspiration4 mission sent 4 people with minimal training into orbit – and brought space tourism closer to reality
On Sept. 15, 2021, the SpaceX Inspiration4 mission carried four...
Rhinos: scientists are hanging them upside-down from helicopters – here’s why
Conservation scientists have discovered that the process of translocating...
5 characteristics of an effective science teacher – from a researcher who trains them
A researcher explains how teachers can be more effective by using...
Hurricane Ida turned into a monster thanks to a giant warm patch in the Gulf of Mexico – here’s what happened
By comparing the temperature measurements taken during Ida and...
The idea of creating a new universe in the lab is no joke
Today physicists are taking the concept of creating a universe...
The invasive emerald ash borer has destroyed millions of trees – scientists aim to control it with tiny parasitic wasps
The emerald ash borer, a deceptively attractive metallic-green...
Is there a limit to optimism when it comes to climate change?
When it comes to climate change, there are two camps, the optimists...
Bat pups babble and bat moms use baby talk, hinting at the evolution of human language
Everyone knows that human babies babble as they learn to speak...
Bananas have died out once before – don’t let it happen again
Most people probably take bananas for granted, as it is one of...
How fear of being eaten might help keep invasive lionfish from taking over reefs
The lionfish is a striking creature, which is why it is a...
Is climate change to blame for extreme weather events? Here's how attribution science works
Extreme rainfall and flooding left paths of destruction through...
234 scientists read 14,000+ research papers to write the IPCC climate report – here’s what you need to know and why it’s a big deal
Hundreds of scientists from across the globe just released the...
Profound changes are underway in Earth’s oceans and ice, a new IPCC climate report warns – one of the authors explains what the warnings mean
On August 9, 2021, the IPCC released the first part of its Sixth...
What makes people distrust science? Surprisingly, not politics
Today, there is a crisis of trust in science, even among politicians...
Parasitic worms in your shellfish lead a creepy but popular lifestyle
Shellfish lovers may be getting more than they bargained for...
Sharks that hunted near Antarctica millions of years ago recorded Earth’s climate history in their teeth
The fossilized teeth of Prehistoric sharks that hunted in the...
John Glenn’s fan mail shows many girls dreamed of the stars – but sexism in the early space program thwarted their ambitions
During the 1960s young girls looked up to John Glenn with aspirations...
What’s a suborbital flight? An aerospace engineer explains
Although those aboard private-sector, suborbital flights will...
For Rachel Carson, wonder was a radical state of mind
Trailblazing marine biologist Rachel Carson sparked the modern...
What I learned as a hired consultant to autodidact physicists
A research fellow in physics learns some lessons from her gig...
How a mother’s voice shapes her baby’s developing brain
It is no surprise that a baby recognizes and responds to their...
An ant colony has memories that its individual members don’t have
The collective memory of an older and larger ant colony, as a...
What’s a 100-year flood? A hydrologist explains
Many people believe that if they experienced a 100-year flood...
Smelling in stereo – the real reason snakes have flicking, forked tongues
Discover the role that the long, flickering forked tongues of...
Will we ever know the difference between a wolf and a dog?
When distinguishing between a wolf and a dog, we face the classic...
What Einstein meant by ‘God does not play dice’
Einstein’s was a God of philosophy, not religion.
Tomanowos, the meteorite that survived mega-floods and human folly
How a giant metal rock from outer space came to rest in Oregon.
Personality is not only about who but also where you are
According to one 2021 study, roughly 96 per cent of subjects...
Why hurricanes devastate some places over and over again – a meteorologist explains
It’s all about the major ingredients of a hurricane.
Scientists are on a path to sequencing 1 million human genomes and use big data to unlock genetic secrets
The All of Us project seeks to capture human genetic diversity.
How many Tyrannosaurus rex walked the Earth?
There may have been as many as 188,000 generations of T....
Massive flare seen on the closest star to the solar system: What it means for chances of alien neighbors
Flares can do damage. But they can also create.
How to optimise your headspace on a mission to Mars
Research on people in prison and solitary confinement offers...
In fish, parents' stressful experiences influence offspring behavior via epigenetic changes
If you’re a parent, you have something to learn from sticklebacks.