Genetics
World’s Oldest DNA Discovered, Revealing Ancient Arctic Forest Full of Mastodons
Two-million-year-old DNA, the world's oldest, reveals that mastodons once roamed forests in Greenland’s far northern reaches
Stories by Stephanie Pappas
Geology
How Water Made Fire in an Indonesian Volcano
Heavy rains may have set off an outpouring of ash and gases from Indonesia’s volcano Semeru “like uncorking a soda bottle”
Geology
Mauna Loa, Earth’s Largest Active Volcano, Just Woke Up after 38 Years
Hawaii’s Mauna Loa, the largest active volcano on Earth, erupted for the first time in nearly 40 years. Its eruptions tend to be shorter-lived than those of the other Big Island volcanoes, and its lava is more liquid and flows faster...
Animals
This Lemur’s Creepily Long Finger Is Perfect for Nose Picking
Aye-ayes use their long middle finger to pick their nose, a first for this lemur species. But scientists aren’t sure why these animals picked up the habit
Archaeology
Rare Baby Mummy Identified as Austrian Noble
Researchers have identified a rare baby mummy as the firstborn son of a count of Austria, and rickets may have led to the child’s death
Oceans
Rare Red Sea Brine Pool Holds Secrets of Past Natural Disasters
An ultradense pool of salty water at the bottom of the ocean holds a pristine record of hundreds of years of tsunamis, earthquakes and floods
Animals
Heaviest Bony Fish Ever Measured Is a Wheel-Shaped Behemoth
A sunfish found near the Azores breaks the 26-year-old record for the heftiest bony fish ever measured
Geology
Ultra Rare Diamond Suggests Earth’s Mantle Has an Ocean’s Worth of Water
A diamond contains the only known sample of a mineral from Earth’s mantle—and hints at oceans’ worth of water hidden deep within our planet
Paleontology
The Oldest 3-D Heart from Our Vertebrate Ancestors Has Been Discovered
Fish fossils from Western Australia preserve the oldest 3-D hearts, livers, stomachs and intestines in a jawed vertebrate
Public Health
COVID Virus May Tunnel through Nanotubes from Nose to Brain
Nanotubes may provide a cunning answer to the mystery of how the virus that causes COVID infects neurons and produces long-lasting neurological symptoms
Plants
Thousands of Tree Species Remain Unknown to Science
New research suggests there are 14 percent more tree species out there than previously believed
Weather
Quad-State Tornado May Be Longest-Lasting Ever
Why some tornadoes are able to travel so far and persist so long
Geology
New Mineral Discovered in Deep-Earth Diamond
The surprising find has never shown up in nature before and reveals secrets about the earth’s mantle
Geology
Ugly Diamonds Hold a Billion-Plus Years of Earth History
Tiny pockets of fluid inside imperfect diamonds show how Earth changed
Natural Disasters
The Longest Known Earthquake Lasted 32 Years
The “slow slip” event preceded a devastating 1861 quake of at least magnitude 8.5 in Sumatra
Climate Change
Insurers Struggle to Forecast Near-Term Risks in a Shifting Climate
After a record-setting year for hurricanes and wildfires, the insurance industry is grappling with the role of our climate emergency in estimating local disaster damages
Black Holes
Magnetic Field around a Black Hole Mapped for the First Time
Images from the Event Horizon Telescope reveal new details of how supermassive black holes produce huge jets of matter and energy
EARTH
Whales’ Long, Loud Calls Reveal Structure beneath Ocean Floor
Sound waves from fin whales can help scientists probe Earth’s crust
Biology
Brown Tree Snakes Twist Themselves into ‘Lassos’ to Climb
The reptiles scale trees with a technique never before observed in any snake
EARTH
Human-Made Stuff Now Outweighs All Life on Earth
The sheer scale of buildings, infrastructure and other anthropogenic objects underscores our impact on the planet
