All Stories
- Life
How a mushroom gets its glow
For the first time, biologists have pinpointed the compound that lights up in fungal bioluminescence.
- Animals
The scales of the ocellated lizard are surprisingly coordinated
The mazelike patterns of the ocellated lizard’s skin follow a set of rules from computer science.
- Archaeology
First settlers reached Americas 130,000 years ago, study claims
Mastodon site suggests first Americans arrived unexpectedly early.
- Animals
Dog DNA study maps breeds across the world
Here are five findings from a massive study of dog breed genomes.
- Health & Medicine
Long naps lead to less night sleep for toddlers
Daytime naps can steal sleep from the night, a small study of toddlers suggests.
- Environment
‘Fossil’ groundwater is not immune to modern-day pollution
Ancient groundwater that is thousands of years old is still susceptible to modern pollution, new research suggests.
- Animals
How a dolphin eats an octopus without dying
An octopus’s tentacles can kill a dolphin — or a human — when eaten alive. But wily dolphins in Australia have figured out how to do this safely.
- Health & Medicine
Faux womb keeps preemie lambs alive
A device can keep premature lambs alive for a month in womblike conditions.
- Humans
Homo naledi’s brain shows humanlike features
South African Homo species had small but humanlike brain, scientists say.
- Archaeology
Oldest evidence of patterned silk loom found in China
Chinese finds offer earliest look at game-changing weaving machine.
- Animals
Beetles have been mooching off insect colonies for millions of years
The behavior, called social parasitism, has been going on for about 100 million years.
- Astronomy
No long, twisted tail trails the solar system
The bubble that envelops the planets and other material in the solar system does not have a tail, new observations show.
