Science
Can hope save the planet? An endangered parrot that is beating the odds can help us find out | Helen Pilcher
A new global biodiversity report strikes an encouraging note. But we cannot rest on our laurels – and resilience is keyThe new Living Planet Report is out. Published every two yea…
Sperm whale study highlights need for 'extensive and dynamic' conservation
A new study of sperm whales highlights the need for ocean conservation that covers large areas—with boundaries redrawn as our climate changes. The research team, led by the Univer…
New electrode design breaks key barrier to greener ammonia production
A new approach to producing ammonia using renewable electricity has overcome a fundamental energy limitation of the technology, opening new possibilities for cleaner and potential…
Rise of collagen-eating microbes may help explain gaps in the fossil record
Researchers may have uncovered the reason why some of Earth's earliest animals were commonly preserved as fossils—even though they were essentially fragile "bags of goo"—while lat…
Harmless amoeba's tight-space crawling offers clues to how its deadly relative invades the brain
Tiny, shapeless invaders can find their way from ponds to the human brain and cause an infection so severe that it has a 95% fatality rate. The amoeba Naegleria fowleri naturally …
Mixing plant material with manure may be key to profitable biogas production
The U.S. dairy industry is a major contributor to agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, with manure storage and handling representing a significant source of methane. Anaerobic d…
On this day in space! Oct. 8, 1992: NASA's Pioneer Venus probe burns up in Venusian atmosphere after 14 years orbiting the planet
On Oct. 8, 1992, NASA's Pioneer 12 spacecraft burned up in the atmosphere of Venus. Here's why it mattered.
Colombia's new bee checklist documents 738 species, including 246 newly recorded
A team led by a Penn State professor and doctoral student has compiled a checklist documenting the bee species in Colombia—the first of its kind for any country in the Western Hem…
Dawn breaks on Mars | Space photo of the day for Oct. 8, 2026
NASA's Curiosity rover recently captured a stunning panorama of a Martian mountain range bathed in golden early-morning light.
Largest 2D map of the universe helps scientists discover new gravitational lenses
Using data from the DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys, with help from artificial intelligence, an international team of scientists has discovered 70 new gravitational lenses—rare cosmic…
Olowalu reef off Maui provides glimpse into two centuries of environmental changes
New research led by the University of Hawai'i Sea Grant College Program (Hawai'i Sea Grant), the UH Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) and the U.S. Geo…
Relive Starship's 1st-ever orbital flight with these epic SpaceX videos
Newly released footage shows Starship's upper stage separating from its booster and deploying Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit.
To Block Solar Energy Projects, One Community Lumped Them in With Junkyards and Adult Bookstores
In Montgomery County, Indiana, utility-scale solar projects appear on an official list of undesirable land uses that also includes “adult-oriented businesses.” So it wasn’t surpri…
DNA testing of fecal samples reveals greater gliders eat wider variety of plants than previously thought
Identifying the favorite snacks of one of Australia's cutest animals no longer needs to rely on guesswork or picking apart their poop, according to University of the Sunshine Coas…
Brain cells regulate cholesterol to control neuron signaling
Cholesterol, a fat-like substance in the body best known for its role in cardiovascular health, also plays a key role in how neurons—foundational cells for the brain's ability to …
Electronic stripes linked to unusual vortex states in a superconductor
Superconductors, materials that can carry electric current with an electrical resistance of zero, have proved to be promising for the development of various technologies, includin…
Why October is one of the best months of the year for stargazing in North America
Clearer skies, comfortable temperatures, and a mix of summer and winter constellations make October a particularly rewarding month for stargazers across North America.
Mission success: Australian cancer research returns from space
Human stem cells from Adelaide University's Center for Cancer Biology have successfully traveled to the edge of space and back as part of a landmark mission for Australian cancer …
What pig hearts and a little noise can teach us about designing better soft valves
Some of the best engineers and inventors are copycats. They look at how the natural world solves complex problems and use those mechanisms as the basis for innovations. But Mother…
July 2026 was worst on record for wildfires in England, data shows
Devastating blaze near Sizewell B nuclear power station in Suffolk among a record 624 wildfires in July this yearThis July was the worst on record for wildfires in England, provis…
Astronomers watch 'vampire' star feeding on the stellar equivalent of 5 trillion quarter-pounder burgers every second
Astronomers have observed a stellar vampire feeding on a 'failed star' brown dwarf companion for the first time, and this will be a slow and gruesome death.
Northern lights possible across the US tonight and over the weekend as 4 CMEs head for Earth
Multiple CMEs could give the northern lights a boost across the northern US from Oct. 9, with further geomagnetic activity possible into the weekend.
Covid, Brexit and Liz Truss mini-budget led to lasting decline in mental health, study finds
Researchers found five events, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, caused serious damage to mental wellbeing across UKBrexit, Liz Truss’s mini-budget and other “shocks” over t…
Healthy reef sounds can boost coral and fish recovery efforts
Coral reefs are renowned for their visual beauty, but for the marine life they support, their sounds may be just as enticing. Two new studies led by UC San Diego's Scripps Institu…