Stories from this author

Human perception of color is regulated by three types of cone cells in the eye. By artificially stimulating just one type with a laser, researchers and study participants experienced a new color they call "olo."

Scientists Say They’ve Discovered a New Color—an ‘Unprecedented’ Hue Only Ever Seen by Five People

The color, dubbed olo, is described as an intensely saturated teal. Researchers say it might have applications in understanding color blindness

The Lyrid meteor shower coincided with a nearly full moon at its peak in 2024, seen here at Joshua Tree National Park. This year, conditions will be more favorable.

How to Watch the Lyrid Meteor Shower at Its Dazzling Peak

The annual spectacle, which is happening now, will last until around April 25—but the best viewing will fall between the 21 and 22

An artist's impression of K2-18b and its distant host star, visualized as if the planet had water and a hydrogen-rich atmosphere.

Chemical Hints on a Distant Planet Offer ‘Strongest Evidence Yet’ for Life Outside Our Solar System, Astronomers Say

The James Webb Space Telescope spotted possible signatures for life in an exoplanet’s atmosphere. Still, researchers caution it’s far too early to call the findings definitive

Elephants at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park huddled together, facing outward, in a behavior called an "alert circle" after an earthquake hit.

Watch These Elephants Form an ‘Alert Circle’ as an Earthquake Shakes San Diego, Protecting Their Young at the Center

Footage from the San Diego Zoo Safari Park shows the large mammals huddling together around the herd’s calves

The far side of the moon—seen here, captured by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter—could be much drier than expected.

The Moon’s Far Side Is Strangely Dry—Lunar Samples Suggest It’s Much More Parched Than the Side That Faces Earth

Chinese researchers analyzed the first-ever soil samples returned from the far side of the moon, but further samples will be needed to verify their findings

Researchers Daniel Cerveny and Marcus Michelangeli collecting salmon from the Dal River in Sweden.

Salmon Are Being Exposed to Our Anti-Anxiety Medication, and It’s Making Them Take More Risks, Study Suggests

Atlantic salmon exposed to a common anti-anxiety drug migrate faster, according to new research. That’s not necessarily a good thing

An aerial view of dredges at an illegal gold mining area in the Amazon region of Peru.

Tree Rings Bear Witness to Illegal Gold Mining Operations in the Amazon, New Study Finds

Mercury concentrations in fig trees could provide useful information about mining activity in the rainforest over time

In hopes that they could control destructive cane beetles, people introduced cane toads to Australia in 1935. Instead, the amphibian's population exploded, and today, cane toads number roughly 200 million.

Scientists Create Gene-Edited ‘Peter Pan’ Tadpoles That Could Control Invasive Cane Toads Through Cannibalism

To combat one of Australia’s most troublesome species, researchers are developing hungry tadpoles that never grow up

Biomass will monitor the Earth's tropical forests over the next five years.

A New Satellite Will Map the Carbon Content of Rainforests From Space, and It’s Set to Launch This Month

The European Space Agency’s new probe, Biomass, will spend five years orbiting the planet and gathering radar imagery of forests across multiple continents

A cup of pour-over coffee is prepared by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania.

Here’s the Secret to Making the Perfect Cup of Pour-Over Coffee, According to Physicists

By adjusting the pouring technique and height, the new method could use 10 percent fewer coffee grounds without compromising on strength or flavor

Hong Wang, one of the paper co-authors, presents her work on the Kakeya conjecture.

Mathematicians Solve Decades-Old Geometry Problem About Spinning a Needle That Had Long Puzzled the Field

A new proof solves the “Kakeya conjecture” in three dimensions, opening up a new set of possibilities for mathematics, from computer science to cryptography

An artistic rendering of the carnivorous theropods and herbivorous sauropods that left tracks at the same Scottish site.

‘Important’ Dinosaur Tracks Found in Scotland Suggest Carnivores and Their Prey Drank From the Same Watering Hole

Researchers analyzed 131 fossilized impressions on the Isle of Skye, some of which were previously considered fish burrows

The Fram2 mission captured this view of polar ice from orbit.

Four Civilian Astronauts Capture Imagery of Earth’s Icy Poles on Fram2, the First Crewed Mission to Polar Orbit

The mission, funded and commanded by a cryptocurrency entrepreneur, was launched by SpaceX on Monday and has grabbed headlines for its flight path

Spectrum launched from the Andøya Space Center in Norway before plumetting into the icy sea.

First Orbital Rocket Launched From Western Europe Crashes Into Sea After Roughly 30-Second Flight

Isar Aerospace, the company behind the rocket, is still heralding the launch as a success due to the data it provided

A technician climbs a tower to locate lightning strikes in the study area on Panama's Barro Colorado Island.

Being Struck by Lightning Is No Big Deal for This Tropical Tree—the Zap Even Gives It a Boost

The almendro tree may have evolved to attract lightning, which helps clear more space for it to grow, according to new research

A newly described wasp species, Sirenobethylus charybdis, had a tail with paddles and trigger hairs that scientists say was used to catch and parasitize insects. The scale bar is 0.5 millimeters.

Ancient, Parasitic Wasp Used Its Rear End Like a Venus Flytrap to Catch Insects and Lay Its Eggs on Them, Study Suggests

Scientists say they’ve never seen anything like this “truly unique” species, which was found encased in amber

Saturn's iconic rings are not always clearly visible from Earth.

Saturn’s Rings Have ‘Disappeared’ in an Optical Illusion. Here’s Why We See This Temporary Vanishing Act

Every 13 to 15 years, Earth crosses through Saturn’s “ring plane,” making the gas giant’s most iconic feature become nearly invisible

Scientists recorded rig sharks producing sounds—potentially with their teeth. The clip is thought to be the first documentation of its kind.

Listen to the First Known Recording of Shark Sounds, a ‘Weird’ Audio Clip Captured at a Marine Lab in New Zealand

Researchers detected short clicking noises from rig sharks during handling in the lab, though they’re not sure why or how the sound is produced

JADES-GS-z14-0 is the most distant known galaxy, dating to less than 300 million years after the Big Bang. Scientists were surprised to find oxygen there.

Scientists Detect ‘Unexpected’ Oxygen in the Most Distant Galaxy Ever Found, Defying Ideas About the Early Universe

The findings suggest galaxies formed much more quickly than astronomers assumed

Researchers spotted an orange blob near a shark's head. It turned out to be an octopus along for a ride.

Watch an Octopus Hitch a Ride on a Shark—an Unusual Duo Dubbed the ‘Sharktopus’

Researchers in New Zealand captured the odd pairing on video, but they still don’t know how to explain the behavior

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