Among the countless elements that thread through the fabric of the universe, phosphorus holds a unique and intimate connection to…
This Detector Could Hear Black Hole Collisions from Billions of Years Ago
The universe is a symphony, and until recently, humanity had been deaf to most of its notes. Gravitational waves—tiny ripples…
The World Is Burning: New Study Reveals Wildfires Are 4x Worse Than in the 1980s
In the 1980s, the world witnessed only a couple of catastrophic wildfires each year—devastating events, yes, but still rare enough…
Ancient Humans Feasted on Giant Sloths—And May Have Eaten Them to Extinction
When we imagine the diets of early humans, it is easy to picture small game roasting over an open fire,…
Signals From 30,000 Light-Years Away: Two Mysterious Pulsars Discovered by ASKAP
When astronomers first discovered pulsars in 1967, they were greeted with the rhythmic beat of the universe itself—stars that had…
The Universe’s Greatest Mystery Deepens—Dark Energy Might Be Evolving
In the early decades of the twentieth century, astronomers peered into the night sky and made a discovery that forever…
Astronomers Spot the Most Distant “Odd Radio Circle” Ever—And It’s 20 Times Bigger Than the Milky Way
Astronomy is full of surprises. Just when we think we understand the cosmic stage, something unexpected appears, challenging our imagination…
The Sun Has Its Own Rainstorms, and They’re Stranger Than Fiction
When we think of rain, we picture dark clouds rolling in, water condensing, and droplets falling to the ground. It’s…
Astronomers Baffled by Strange Little Red Dots Seen by Webb Telescope—What Are They?
The universe is a place that never ceases to astonish us. Just when astronomers think they have a grasp on…
Scientists Say the Universe Won’t Expand Forever—It Will Snap Back Into Nothing
For more than a century, the dominant view in cosmology has been that the universe will continue expanding forever, stretching…
Scientists Uncover Hidden Antarctic Trigger That Could Supercharge Global Warming
Every so often, climate science uncovers a connection that changes the way we understand our planet’s future. A new study,…
Chronic Pain and Depression Could Be Eased by Psilocybin—Here’s How It Works in the Brain
For millions of people across the world, pain is not just a fleeting sensation but a constant, uninvited companion. Chronic…
Astronomers Catch Rogue Planet Devouring 6 Billion Tons of Gas Every Second
When most of us think of planets, we picture them as loyal companions, endlessly circling their parent stars, bound in…
Yosemite’s Ancient Glaciers Could Vanish Forever—And We’ll Be the First Humans to See It
For as long as human beings have lived in what is now California, the Sierra Nevada’s granite peaks have held…
Scientists Discover Soil Fungus That Could Help Regrow Human Tissue
Beneath our feet, beyond our sight, fungi have been shaping the world for hundreds of millions of years. They are…
Electric Fields Can Now Switch Superconductivity On and Off—Here’s How
Superconductivity is one of the most remarkable discoveries in physics. At its heart lies a simple but astonishing fact: certain…
The Ground Beneath the Pacific Northwest Is Tearing Apart—And Scientists Finally Know Why
For the first time in human history, scientists have caught a subduction zone—the immense collision point where one tectonic plate…
The First Stars May Have Been Powered by Dark Matter, Not Fusion, Scientists Say
The story of the universe is one of fire and silence, of light born from darkness. In the first few…
Sexual Selection: The Evolutionary Power of Attraction
Why do peacocks carry shimmering tails that seem to hinder flight? Why do some birds sing elaborate songs, or certain…
The Evolution of Language: How Humans Learned to Speak
Imagine the Earth thousands of years ago. Vast grasslands stretched across continents, forests hummed with animal calls, and rivers wound…
Evolution and Extinction: Why Some Species Survive and Others Vanish
Life on Earth has always been a story of persistence and loss, of survival and disappearance. Species emerge, thrive, adapt,…
The Cambrian Explosion: The Birth of Animal Diversity
More than half a billion years ago, Earth was a quiet place compared to the vibrant, bustling planet we know…