Astronomers have discovered a massive molecular cloud that is also a huge possible star producer — of the celestial sort.The cloud has been hiding in plain sight. Astronomers just needed the right tools to see one of the largest single structures in the sky and among the closest to the sun and Earth ever to be detected. By using a new technique, they detected the cloud's key component — molecular hydrogen, the scientists report in Nature Astronomy. “The data showed glowing hydrogen molecul ...read more

Scientists may have gotten the evolutionary origins of some of the strangest animals on the planet backward. They’ve long thought that monotremes — egg-laying mammals that include the platypus and hedgehog-like creatures known as echidnas — originated on land. The platypus took the occasional aquatic foray, making it semi-aquatic, while echidnas stayed out of the water, the thinking went.But new analysis of a bone found 30 years ago may mean that theory requires a revision. A single humeru ...read more

Crocodiles are masters of survival. These ancient reptiles have been around for about 90 million years, outlasting dinosaurs and enduring multiple extinction events. Around 5 million years ago, they crossed from Africa to the Americas and evolved into the four species known in the region today.Scientists have long known that the so-called "neotropical" crocodiles are widespread, living in a mix of coastal zones, remote inland areas, and scattered islands. But human activity has severely impacted ...read more

Whether we’re apartment hunting or planning our next getaway, the amount and quality of nearby nature often plays a big role. Surrounding ourselves with greenery isn’t just about aesthetics — it’s good for our minds. Time spent in green spaces can reduce stress, sharpen our focus, and boost creativity, all while lifting our mood. But the perks don’t stop there. Green spaces can also improve air quality and lower noise pollution — real benefits, especially in urban environments.Unfort ...read more

In July 2024, scientists in Otago, New Zealand, made a stunning discovery: an elusive spade-toothed beaked whale had washed up on the shore. The whale had never been seen in the wild, and finding a recently deceased adult male meant that, for the first time, scientists could examine the species — an animal around the size of an oversized dolphin that had successfully evaded humans for much of human history.Alexander Werth, a biologist at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia, received a call from ...read more

Many adults can remember the days when their screen time was limited to Saturday morning cartoons, as well as their class’s weekly visit to the computer lab to play Oregon Trail. It was a quick half-hour of fatigued oxen, snakebites, and surprise bouts of dysentery.Over the past few decades, screen time has expanded from an occasional treat to a full-day affair. People of all ages stare at screens for work, school, and entertainment. Within the last two decades, scientists have increasingly st ...read more

Although volcanic eruptions can strike when least expected, they sometimes give off warning signs that can be captured by advanced technology. One innovative way to monitor eruptions is now being put to the test at the Reykjanes Peninsula, a hotbed of volcanic activity in Iceland. In a new study, researchers have reported the successful progress of an eruption warning system that uses distributed acoustic sensing (DAS), which can anticipate volcanic activity through magma movements beneath the s ...read more

Instead of targeted, aggressive attacks, sharks may bite humans out of self-defense. Within the media, sharks are often seen as bloodthirsty predators. However, shark attacks are rare and, for the most part, not fatal. Researchers explain how sharks bite for a number of reasons, including being territorial, deterring competition, and, of course, for predation. And now, researchers are looking at self-defense against humans as another possible reason, according to new research published in Front ...read more

Researchers developed a polymer-based therapy that can be injected following a heart attack that helps heart tissue heal. After administering it to rats, they demonstrated that it works up to five weeks later, they reported in the journal Advanced Materials.Heart attacks are a major health issue in the U.S., with about 805,000 people a year experiencing them — the equivalent of one every 40 seconds. About 12 percent of people who experience a heart attack will die from it.“Preventing heart f ...read more

It sounds like a setup for a horror movie: a meat-eating, cannibalistic caterpillar hiding in the shadows of a spiderweb and dressed in the remains of its former prey. But this incredible species, dubbed the “bone collector” and previously unknown to biologists, is real and living in a small section of forest on the Hawai'ian island of O’ahu.For the research team from the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, this extremely rare discovery was 20 years in the making and shocked everyone involv ...read more