All Stories
- Animals
No more than 800 orangutans from this newly identified species remain
Endangered population of orangutans is the oldest surviving red ape lineage, a new study finds.
- Animals
Ants were among the world’s first farmers
50 years ago, researchers began unraveling the secrets to Attine ants’ green thumbs.
- Archaeology
Mystery void is discovered in the Great Pyramid of Giza
High-energy particle imaging helps scientists peek inside one of the world’s oldest, largest monuments.
- Earth
Dino-dooming asteroid impact created a chilling sulfur cloud
The Chicxulub impact spewed more sulfur than previously believed.
- Earth
Wind may be driving the melting of East Antarctica’s largest glacier
Winds may be helping warm ocean waters speed up the melting of East Antarctica’s largest glacier.
- Astronomy
The way hungry young stars suck in food keeps most X-rays in, too
The columns of plasma that feed growing stars develop an extra layer that keeps X-rays in.
- Animals
Great praise for categories, and seeing beyond them
Acting Editor in Chief Elizabeth Quill discusses classification and some of the challenges of putting species in categorical boxes.
- Health & Medicine
Readers intrigued by ancient animals’ bones
Readers had questions about gut bacteria, woolly rhino ribs and ancient horses hooves.
- Life
Defining ‘species’ is a fuzzy art
Here's why scientists still don't agree on what a species is.
- Animals
This sea slug makes its prey do half the food catching
Nudibranchs’ stolen meals blur classic predator-prey levels.
- Astronomy
Hot, rocky exoplanets are the scorched cores of former gas giants
Hot, rocky exoplanets are probably the scorched cores of former gas giants, so astronomers shouldn’t trust them for information about true Earth twins.
- Science & Society
Trauma surgeon studies gun violence stats — and was one
Joseph Sakran is trying to help counter the U.S. epidemic of gun violence with data.
