News

Archaeology

Lasers reveal ancient urban sprawl hidden in the Amazon

South America’s Casarabe culture built a network of large and small settlements in what’s now Bolivia centuries before the Spanish arrived.

Neuroscience

Headbutts hurt the brain, even for a musk ox

Though musk oxen are built to bash, a study of the headbutters turned up signs of brain damage. But that may not be catastrophic for the bovids.

Ecosystems

Biocrusts reduce global dust emissions by 60 percent

Lichens and other microbes construct biological soil crusts that concentrate nutrients and slash global dust emissions.

Planetary Science

Ice at the moon’s poles might have come from ancient volcanoes

Volcanic eruptions billions of years ago probably released enough water vapor to have deposited ice at the lunar poles, a study finds.

Animals

‘Wandering’ salamanders glide like skydivers from the world’s tallest trees

Using their legs and tail, these amphibians have impressive control over their daring dives from coast redwood canopies.

Plants

These are the first plants grown in moon dirt

The first attempt to grow plants in Apollo samples from the moon shows the promise and potential struggles of farming in lunar soil.

Astronomy

Pulsars may power cosmic rays with the highest-known energies in the universe

Earth is pelted by energetic particles from space. The source might be the magnetic remains of massive stars, a new study suggests.

Life

Caribou gut parasites indirectly create a greener tundra

Caribou merely sickened by parasites eat less vegetation, allowing plants to flourish.

Science & Society

Why some scientists want serious research into UFOs

Science grapples with unknown phenomena all the time. Investigating UAP and whether they're related to aliens shouldn't be different, researchers say.

Animals

These dolphins may turn to corals for skin care

For Indo-Pacific bottlenosed dolphins, rubbing against corals and sea sponges that contain antibacterial compounds could help keep skin healthy.

Health & Medicine

Unexplained hepatitis cases in kids offer more questions than answers

There is a lot that is unclear about the hepatitis that’s impacting several hundred children worldwide, but parents shouldn’t panic.

Physics

Here’s why pipe organs seem to violate a rule of sound

Why reedless wind instruments’ fundamental tones are lower than expected is an 160-year-old mystery. Physicists have now solved it.