Some of the most deadly diseases of the modern era come from viruses — and they’re not even alive. ...read more

We communicate more with our bodies than we realize. Here’s how you can learn to read these silent messages. ...read more

The human microbiome has untold numbers of diverse bacteria within it. But around the world, many species are dying out. ...read more

Photographic do-overs are showing scientists the ways our world is changing. ...read more

Did Sue the T. rex and other members of the species have a great sense of smell? (Credit: The Field Museum) As fascinating and awe-inspiring as fossils are, the ancient bones tell us only so much about how an animal actually lived. Take T. rex, for example: How did the animal find food, through sharp sight, great hearing or a keen sense of smell? The nose knows, say authors of a new paper on the iconic dinosaur's olfactory ability. In most modern animals, including birds, the size ...read more

(Credit: Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock) The pursuit of science is usually an unending stream of embarrassments for the human ego. No, the sun doesn’t revolve around us. No, we’re not all that different from common animals. No, we’re not even the only humans. But, in some ways at least, our brains really are special. A new study out this week in Nature Neuroscience shows one more way we really are different from some of our closest simian relatives: our mental capac ...read more

(Credit: Alexander Raths/Shutterstock) An apple a day may not keep the doctor away, but several could do the trick. Millions of cardiovascular deaths around the world may be linked to a lack of fruit and vegetable consumption, according to preliminary results from a Tufts University study. Vitamins and minerals like potassium, fiber and magnesium and antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol. And a large body of knowledge already suggests t ...read more

Telescopes at Lowell Observatory in Arizona captured this image of galaxies on May 25, their images marred by the reflected light from more than 25 Starlink satellites as they passed overhead. (Credit: Victoria Girgis/Lowell Observatory) Elon Musk’s company SpaceX launched 60 small satellites on May 23 as the beginning of the company's Starlink program. They're the vanguard of a planned 12,000-satellite-strong constellation that Musk intends to serve as the infrastructure for a cheap gl ...read more

The South Pole-Aitken basin shows up clearly as low-lying blue in a topographical map of the moon, with the newly discovered mass located underneath the dotted line. (Credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center/University of Arizona) Buried under the largest, oldest crater on the moon, scientists have discovered an enormous mass of dense material, possibly the remains of the asteroid that formed the crater some 4 billion years ago. Astronomers led by Peter B. James from Baylor University di ...read more

A Knysna Turaco (Tauraco corythaix) in South Africa. (Credit: Daniel J. Field) Many of the birds we see only in the tropics today once lived as far north as Canada and Russia. A warmer climate millions of years ago gave them free reign over more northern habitats, before gradual climatic shifts pushed them southwards, a new study shows. Now, the climate is changing again, but birds may not be able to adapt fast enough this time around. "We've illustrated the extent to which suitabl ...read more