All Stories by Maria Temming
- Archaeology
Archaeology’s top discoveries of 2024 include preserved brains and a lost city
From the plight of ancient Egyptian scribes to the identities of ancient Maya sacrifices, 2024 brought a rich medley of insights into human history.
- Space
These discoveries in 2024 could be groundbreaking — if they’re true
Did microbes ever live on Mars? Did an "elevator" help build Egypt’s first pyramid? Some signs pointed to yes this year, but confirmation is still needed.
- Humans
A phone app could help people have lucid dreams
New experiments show that an app developed by researchers can boost snoozing users’ likelihood of knowing when they are having a dream.
- Environment
How much is climate change to blame for extreme weather?
Scientists can estimate how much more likely or severe some past natural disasters were due to human-caused climate change. Here's how.
- Health & Medicine
50 years ago, antibiotic resistant bacteria became a problem outside hospitals
Infections from drug-resistant bacteria have skyrocketed over the last 50 years. Now, new technologies could help doctors save lives.
- Animals
50 years ago, scientists wondered how birds find their way home
In the 1970s, lab tests hinted that birds can navigate using magnetic fields. New studies suggest that beak and eye proteins are behind the ability.
- Psychology
Timbre can affect what harmony is music to our ears
The acoustic qualities of instruments may have influenced variations in musical scales and preferred harmonies.
- Anthropology
50 years ago, evidence showed that an extinct human ancestor walked upright
Fossil finds have since pushed back the ability of hominids to walk on two legs by millions of years.
- Life
These scientific discoveries set new records in 2023
This year’s record-breaking findings shed new light on human history and the most amazing feats in the animal kingdom.
- Animals
50 years ago, the U.S. Navy enlisted sea lions and other marine mammals
Today, dolphins and sea lions in the U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program protect harbors and participate in research on animal health and well-being.
- Earth
STEVE and other aurora-like glows perplex scientists with their complex physics
New views of STEVE from citizen scientists keep raising questions about the atmospheric light show — but computer models may offer some answers.
- Earth
Here are some big-if-true scientific claims that made headlines in 2023
Hominid cannibalism, “dark stars,” the secrets of Earth’s core and more tantalizing findings will require more evidence before scientists can confirm them as fact.
