News
- Planetary Science
Different moon rocks tell different tales about a long-ago bombardment
Prior moon rock samples, including from Apollo, seem heavily influenced by one impact. The farside samples tweak the story.
- Science & Society
The golden age of language was a few thousand years ago
A few millennia ago, people worldwide may have spoken or signed up to 10 times as many languages as they do today.
- Animals
Watch an orca ram into a sunfish so hard it explodes
This strategy expands orcas’ already broad repertoire for dispatching different types of prey.
- Paleontology
A rare 3-D snake fossil is ssspilling sssecrets of its unusual lifestyle
A new snake’s unique head anatomy suggests early snakes were even more diverse than thought. This one was a rare burrower.
- Astronomy
A newly found world blurs the boundary between planet and moon
The object orbits a brown dwarf that orbits a star, and astronomers aren’t sure if it’s a planet, a moon — or something else entirely.
- Health & Medicine
Measles cases in the U.S. hit a new 34-year high
The U.S. hasn't seen measles numbers like this since 1992. An epidemiologist explains what's driving the surge.
- Animals
This humpback whale hunting strategy has been out of sight — until now
Scientists documented humpback whales hunting together at the seafloor, coordinating their arrival to scoop up sand lances.
- Animals
Ape cuddles could prevent conflicts
Humans could learn from chimpanzees and bonobos, who turn to group members for physical comfort during tense moments.
- Oceans
Deep-sea snails ride surface currents to reach distant hydrothermal vents
The finding shows how life spreads between isolated deep-sea vents — and how closely those ecosystems are tied to the sunlit ocean.
- Health & Medicine
An experimental oral vaccine may prevent invasive bacterial diarrhea
Shigella causes about 450,000 U.S. infections each year. An experimental oral vaccine protected adults in a small human trial.
- Artificial Intelligence
AI ‘ghosts’ can comfort mourners — even when the bots get the facts wrong
A small study suggests emotional fit, not perfect accuracy, may make chatbot versions of dead loved ones feel real.
- Anthropology
In painted caves, ancient human DNA clings to the walls
Scientists recovered ancient human DNA from cave walls for the first time. Refined, the method could help link prehistoric paintings to their makers.
