A groundbreaking new study has revealed that some of the largest flying animals to ever exist, known as pterosaurs, were not just rulers of the skies. They also adapted to life on land and did so much more easily than previously thought.The study, published in Current Biology, used fossilized footprints over 160 million years old to trace when these ancient reptiles began walking on solid ground. The findings provide a new understanding of how and when pterosaurs became agile ground-dwellers who ...read more

The ancient Egyptians were astute astronomers. They often depicted the cosmos atop coffins. A new survey of such artwork suggests that they may have had a greater understanding of the Milky Way than previously thought, according to a study in The Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage.The study focuses on how the Egyptian Sky Goddess Nut has been depicted in several settings over time. The goddess was often portrayed as a naked, star-covered woman arching over the Earth, often above the Ea ...read more

High-frequency sound waves, known as ultrasound, have long been used as a non-invasive, safe method to visualize internal structures in the body. But recently, researchers have been pushing the boundaries of what ultrasound can do, including using it to treat medical conditions. Today, ultrasound is being used to destroy tumors, stop heavy bleeding, support drug delivery, and even influence brain activity in conditions like Parkinson’s disease.Now, a research team from Dell Medical School at T ...read more

A blistering sunburn can quickly ruin a day spent having fun in the sun. For years, hearing experts tell us to put on sunscreen when outside during the summer was the norm. However, the opposite may hold true today. A new trend on social media is calling for people to leave behind sunscreen as it commonly says the product is "full of chemicals" and "is actually causing skin cancer," not the sun itself. Despite warnings from multiple medical professionals, people on social media are suggesting g ...read more

Europe isn’t known for its elephants. At least, the three species of elephant that traverse Earth today — the African elephants Loxodonta africana and Loxodonta cyclotis and the Asian elephant Elephas maximus — aren’t famous for wandering through Europe. But not too long ago, the straight-tusked elephant Palaeoloxodon antiquus lived throughout the continent, leaving a lasting trace on the European terrain. An April 2025 study in Frontiers in Biogeography takes another look at these extin ...read more

Whenever a solar eclipse occurs, life seems to stand still for a brief moment. Humans watch the sky, animals display eccentric behaviors, but what about plants? It turns out that plant life has its own patented way of dealing with this astronomical event. A new study has shown that trees react to solar eclipses and even anticipate them hours in advance, synchronizing their bioelectrical signals in preparation.The study, published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, details this hidden pow ...read more

When the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano blasted gas and ash 30 miles into the atmosphere, it definitely made waves. The question is, what kind? The eruption may have been the largest in a half century — and the biggest since satellites began collecting data on such events. NASA estimated the volcanic eruption released 300 to 600 times as much energy as the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.That energy rippled above most clouds and weather. It even reached Earth’s upper atmosphere, where sa ...read more

Ayahuasca — a psychedelic medicine traditionally used by Indigenous communities in South America — has become fashionable, with celebrities like the musician Sting, actress Lindsay Lohan, and NFL quarterback Aaron Rogers drinking it to take a trip into their subconscious minds. When used to treat mental health, some studies have shown that the psychedelic can be effective. An article in the journal PLOS Mental Health that examines what conditions are most likely to lead to a positive outcome ...read more

More studies are exposing that nature can soothe the mind and body, but new research shows that idyllic outdoor scenes may also soothe a more visceral type of pain.“From past studies we know that being in contact with nature is associated with this very broad range of beneficial effects for human physical and mental health,” says Maximilian Steininger, an environmental neuroscientist at the University of Vienna.But since this past research relied on participants self-reporting their pain, th ...read more

There is a lot we can learn from our caveman ancestors. Their fossils help us trace the evolution of the human species. Their lifestyle paints a picture of how we adapted to survive in difficult environments. But what about their skincare routine?The latest social media skincare trend that everyone is talking about is the caveman method. The trend has been gaining popularity lately thanks to TikTok user who claims to have not washed her face in six weeks. The caveman skincare method is a minima ...read more