All Stories

Animals

Cuddly koalas had a brutal, blade-toothed close cousin

Ancient collagen preserved in the bones of extinct Australian mammals is revealing their evolutionary relationships, leading to some surprises.

Planetary Science

Boiling oceans may sculpt the surfaces of small icy moons

Simulations show that subsurface oceans on small moons may hit boiling conditions, potentially creating features like Miranda’s distinctive ridges.

Paleontology

This bright orange life-form could point to new dino discoveries

Colorful lichen living on dinosaur bones reflect infrared light that can be detected by drones, which might lead to finds in remote areas.

Health & Medicine

‘Butt breathing’ could help people who can’t get oxygen the regular way

Takanori Takebe’s strange investigation into whether humans can use the gut for breathing has surprisingly sentimental origins: helping his dad.

Life

Rats are snatching bats out of the air and eating them

The grisly infrared camera footage records a never-before-seen hunting tactic. It may have implications for bat conservation.

Health & Medicine

3,000 steps per day might slow Alzheimer’s disease

In people at risk for Alzheimer’s disease, researchers linked minimal to moderate physical activity to a 3-to 7-year delay in cognitive symptoms.

Science & Society

Meet 5 scientists reshaping the way we understand the world

These five early- and mid-career researchers are shaking up what we know about the Arctic, black holes and beyond.

Science & Society

Science has made America great. Is that era over?

Expectations of continued success for American science were shaken this year when the Trump administration cut billions of dollars in funding and fired thousands of scientists.

Life

A new dinosaur doomsday exhibit showcases survival after destruction

The American Museum of Natural History’s “Impact: The End of the Age of the Dinosaurs” examines how an asteroid impact shaped life as we know it.

Health & Medicine

Building a better skin barrier

Skin is a barrier meant to keep small invaders out. Products making their way across it should boost that mission.