All Stories

  1. Earth

    Squall line tornadoes are sneaky, dangerous and difficult to forecast

    New research is revealing the secrets of these destructive twisters, which dodge radar scans and often form at night.

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  2. Climate

    Zigzag walls could help buildings beat the heat

    A corrugated exterior wall reflects heat to space and absorbs less heat from the ground, keeping it several degrees cooler than a flat wall.

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  3. Health & Medicine

    50 years ago, scientists blamed migraines on cheese and chocolate

    Exactly how migraines develop is still coming into focus, but scientists now know that many factors can trigger attacks.

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  4. Astronomy

    Some meteors leave trails lasting up to an hour. Now we may know why

    A new survey of meteors that leave persistent trails found that speed and brightness don’t matter as much as atmospheric chemistry.

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  5. Animals

    A frog’s story of surviving a fungal pandemic offers hope for other species

    Evolving immunity to the Bd fungus and a reintroduction project saved a California frog. The key to rescuing other species might be in the frog’s genes.

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  6. Earth

    Earthquakes added to Pompeii’s death toll

    Broken bodies found at the archaeological site indicate that earthquakes played a role in the legendary tragedy.

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  7. Climate

    Record-breaking Coral Sea temperatures threaten the Great Barrier Reef

    Near-annual extreme heat in the Coral Sea, including in 2024, is causing back-to-back mass bleaching events in the iconic Great Barrier Reef.

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  8. Space

    Scientists are getting serious about UFOs. Here’s why

    UFOs have been rebranded as UAPs (unidentified anomalous phenomena). Probably not aliens, they might impact national security and aircraft safety.

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  9. Animals

    Hundreds of snake species get a new origin story

    Elapoid snakes, including cobras, mambas and sea snakes, may have evolved in Asia, not Africa as many researchers once thought.

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  10. Neuroscience

    ‘Then I Am Myself the World’ ponders what it means to be conscious

    Neuroscientist Christof Koch’s new book discusses how information integration in the brain leads to consciousness and whether AI will ever be self-aware.

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  11. Animals

    Why a small seabird dares to fly toward cyclones

    Tracking data show that Desertas petrels often veer toward cyclones and follow in their wake, perhaps to catch prey drawn to the surface.

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  12. Archaeology

    Was Egypt’s first pyramid built with hydraulics? The theory may hold water

    A controversial analysis contends that ancient engineers designed a water-powered elevator to hoist stones for King Djoser’s pyramid.

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