Stories by Cody Cottier

During a lost ‘golden age’ of language, humans may have spoken tens of thousands of different tongues, a new study suggests

A new skull-based analysis of Neanderthal brains suggests that these ancient hominins’ range of intelligence largely overlapped with our own

A controversial geoengineering proposal suggests that brightening clouds off South America could weaken a burgeoning El Niño, but major technical and ethical questions remain

Salt, with its ability to seal liquid in, is uniquely suited to storing the nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve

Culture is humanity’s secret for world domination. This calculation shows just how powerful it is

Some neuroscientists argue that the roots of experience lie deep inside the brain. If they’re right, the consciousness club will get a lot bigger

The discarded fragments of this creature apparently refuse to die, leading researchers to claim immortality

As more people turn to chatbots for medical guidance, the technology is revealing both its promise and its risks

A new study suggests a proto–Colorado River filled a large basin before spilling westward to set the Grand Canyon’s modern path

Scientists have learned how male octopuses’ specialized sperm-depositing arm knows where to go

High in the Rockies, researchers are discovering that wind-borne pollution and rising heat are fueling unprecedented algal blooms

Newborn chicks connect sounds with shapes just like humans, suggesting deep evolutionary roots of the “bouba-kiki” effect

A new analysis suggests that genes play a much larger role in human longevity than previously believed. But lifestyle factors still matter

Towering Prototaxites ruled Earth before trees—and they may have been a form of life entirely new to science

New clues hidden inside T. rex bones suggest that the carnivore lived longer lives than we thought

A new study suggests that primate facial expressions may not just be reflexive

A fossil belonging to an ancient hominin that lived seven million years ago bears the hallmarks of bipedalism, according to a new study

New research on strange cycad plants offers a glimpse into the prehistoric origins of pollination

Are we the only rational thinkers? New research on our primate cousins suggests otherwise

For microscopic worms, physical laws we seldom notice take on life-or-death importance

New research shows that wherever human populations mix, their languages blend as well

Dolphins seem to “feel” their way across the sea with narrow, sweeping beams of sonar

New research shows father-daughter relationships have a positive influence on female baboons’ lives—when the dads stick around

This tally of animals’ effect on Earth’s geology, equivalent to that of thousands of extreme floods, most likely is an underestimate