All Stories
- Climate
Australian fires in 2019â2020 had even more global reach than previously thought
Recent devastating wildfires in Australia added vast amounts of carbon dioxide to the air and triggered blooms of marine algae in the Southern Ocean.
- Humans
Fossils and ancient DNA paint a vibrant picture of human origins
Paleoanthropologists have sketched a rough timeline of how human evolution played out, centering the early action in Africa.
By Erin Wayman - Agriculture
Potty-trained cattle could help reduce pollution
About a dozen calves have been trained to pee in a stall. Toilet training cows on a large scale could cut down on pollution, researchers say.
- Animals
Mary Roachâs new book âFuzzâ explores the âcriminalâ lives of animals
In âFuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law,â author Mary Roach profiles mugging monkeys, thieving bears and other animal outlaws.
- Earth
How AI can help forecast how much Arctic sea ice will shrink
Trained on sea ice observations and climate simulations, IceNet is 95 percent accurate in forecasting sea ice extent two months in advance.
- Astronomy
A supernovaâs delayed reappearance could pin down how fast the universe expands
âSN Requiemâ should reappear in the 2030s and help determine the universeâs expansion rate.
By Ken Croswell - Life
A beautiful oak leaf portrait won the 2021 Nikon Small World photography contest
The annual competition showcases otherworldly photos that capture microscopic features of nature and science.
- Planetary Science
NASAâs Perseverance rover snagged its first Martian rock samples
Two tubes of stone drilled from a basalt rock nicknamed Rochette are the first from Mars slated to eventually return to Earth.
- Environment
50 years ago, chemical pollutants were linked to odd animal behavior
Fifty years after studies hinted that pollution interferes with how aquatic creatures communicate, scientists are still unraveling its myriad effects.
By Aina Abell - Animals
A newfound boa sports big eyes and a square nose
Among the smallest boas in the world, the Hispaniolan vineboa inhabits a small patch of dry forest along the Dominican Republicâs border with Haiti.
- Life
Infants may laugh like some apes in their first months of life
Laughter seems to change over lifeâs early months, perhaps influenced by the unconscious feedback parents give when they play with their little ones.
- Earth
Clouds affected by wildfire smoke may produce less rain
As wildfires become more frequent in the western United States, these low-rain clouds could exacerbate drought, fueling more fires.