Stories by Jackie Flynn Mogensen

For the last 1.7 million years, China’s Yangtze River has been stealing water from the Yellow River, new research shows

Researchers who study political violence say that the U.S. is in a period of more intense political rhetoric, but there have been far darker periods in the nation’s history

The practice of “cloacal diving” could help remoras hide from predators—it could also be a feeding strategy or help the fish hitchhike

Here are some of the most fascinating facts about animal moms, from naked mole rats to giraffes and octopuses

A new KFF poll found that voters aligned with the “Make America Healthy Again” movement consider the cost of health care as their top policy priority

Scientists gave people a “heroic” dose of psilocybin and then looked at their brain. Here’s what happened

Scientists are trying to decode why humpback whales can be observed hanging around with their mouth open, with no apparent explanation

Tiny plastic particles drifting in Earth’s atmosphere could have a significant warming effect, a new study finds

Marijuana is far from a “silver bullet” for various illnesses, but it has some promising applications, scientists say

This next-generation plane is made to go faster than sound without producing a full sonic boom

Nearly a third of all U.S. adults are sleeping fewer than the recommended seven hours per night on average

The “hydrogenobody,” a newly discovered structure inside microbial cells in cows’ gut, may play a key role in methane production, a new study suggests

A hailstorm of these proportions is “unusual” but not unheard of in Missouri at this time of year, one expert says

Our food choices could play an important, short-term role in how our bodies respond to infections, new research suggests

Direct attacks, oil spills and the threat of nuclear waste are putting the Gulf region’s desalination plants at risk—here’s why that matters

Preeclampsia can be deadly in pregnancy, and aside from delivering the baby, the condition has no targeted treatment. A new study suggests blood filtering with antibodies could help

The Trump administration said this move, which does not legalize marijuana for medical or recreational use under federal law, is just the start of a process to reclassify the drug more broadly

The space environment—microgravity, extreme temperatures and more—make it near-impossible to truly test a space toilet like Artemis II's ahead of launch, experts say

A new study links genetic regions that predate the divergence of modern humans and Neanderthals to language

The decision to no longer enforce mandatory annual flu shots for military personnel could mean more troops will get sick during flu season, one expert says

The Hubble Space Telescope turns 36 this year. And to celebrate, it released an incredible new image of the Trifid Nebula

A new executive order could make it easier for researchers studying how psychedelic drugs such as psilocybin, LSD and ibogaine may be useful in medicine

For years, art historians believed The Baptism of Christ was likely painted by El Greco with assistance from other artists. But new research suggests otherwise

Peptide-based substances are largely unproven and risky, experts say, but they’re gaining popularity among influencers and athletes—and the U.S. secretary of health