All Stories
- Health & Medicine
The thymus withers away after puberty. But it may be important for adults
The thymus is considered somewhat unnecessary in adults. But a new study finds that its removal is associated with heightened risks of death and cancer.
- Archaeology
A child’s ornate necklace highlights ancient farmers’ social complexity
The intricate necklace, reconstructed by researchers, was found on the remains of a child buried about 9,000 years ago in a Middle Eastern village.
- Paleontology
A colossal ancient whale could be the heaviest animal ever known
Perucetus colossus may have tipped the scales at up to 340 metric tons, but some scientists are skeptical it could have sustained that mass.
- Climate
July 2023 nailed an unfortunate world record: hottest month ever recorded
Roughly 6.5 billion people, or 4 out of 5 humans, felt the touch of climate change via hotter temperatures during July.
- Animals
The newfound Los Angeles thread millipede is ready for its close-up
Found in Southern California, Illacme socal is the third of its genus found in North America, with the rest of its relatives scattered around the world.
- Earth
50 years ago, scientists thought they had found Earth’s oldest rocks
Even older rocks and minerals continue fueling debates over Earth’s crust, plate tectonics and even when life arose.
- Health & Medicine
‘Blight’ warns that a future pandemic could start with a fungus
‘The Last of Us’ is fiction, but the health dangers posed by fungi are real, a new book explains.
- Neuroscience
Playful behavior in rats is controlled by a specific area of their brains
Cells in a brain region called the periaqueductal gray are activated by chasing and tickling, a study finds. Blocking their activity reduces play in rats.
- Climate
Cow poop emits climate-warming methane. Adding red algae may help
Adding a type of methane-inhibiting red algae directly to cow feces cut down methane emission from the poop by about 44 percent, researchers report.
- Math
How geometry solves architectural problems for bees and wasps
Adding five - and seven - sided cells in pairs during nest building helps the colonyfit together differently sized hexa gonal cells , a new study shows.
- Archaeology
The oldest known horseback riding saddle was found in a grave in China
The well-used saddle, dated to more than 2,400 years ago, displays skilled leather- and needlework. Its placement suggests its owner was on a final ride.
- Health & Medicine
Many sports supplements have no trace of their key ingredients
A chemical analysis of 57 supplements found that 40 percent had undetectable amounts of key ingredients. Only 11 percent had accurate amounts.
