Biology Archives

No Sample-Return Required? Scientists Demonstrate Extraterrestrial Biosignature Detection Method Using the Mars Rover’s Existing Instruments

Christopher Plain·July 17, 2026

A new mineral-based biosignature detection method could identify signs of life on Mars using the Perseverance Rover's existing tools.

Scientists Created a Psychedelic ‘Factory’ Inside a Single Plant

Austin Burgess·July 15, 2026

Scientists at the Weizmann Institute of Science have engineered Nicotiana benthamiana, a fast-growing relative of tobacco, to produce five different psychedelic compounds.

Scientists Have Made a Sweet Discovery in Interstellar Space, Offering Clues to Mystery of Life’s Origins

Chrissy Newton·July 15, 2026

For the first time, scientists have identified a sugar molecule in the interstellar medium, according to newly published research.

For the Last Century, This Creature Was Thought to Only Exist in Hawaii—and Scientists Just Spotted One in the Himalayas

Ryan Whalen·July 10, 2026

The strange grin of the Happy-Face spider has been spotted far from the Hawaiian Islands, its only previously known home.

How Jellyfish Can ‘Miraculously’ Heal Without Scars Has Long Remained a Mystery—Scientists Now Know Their Secret

Austin Burgess·July 7, 2026

Jellyfish can close a wound in real time, without stitches, scabs, or scars. Now scientists have unlocked the secrets of how they do it.

These Microbes Could Allow Plants to Grow in Impossibly Salty Soil

Ryan Whalen·July 4, 2026

Salty soil, one of the greatest threats to agriculture, may have a new cure in the form of soil bacteria that allows plants to thrive.

“We’ve Replicated in Chemistry What Only Used to be Possible in Biology”: Scientists Have Created the First Fully Synthetic Cell

Ryan Whalen·July 3, 2026

Researchers have developed the first entirely artificial cell, made completely from non-living chemical components.

Earth May Have Been Sending Microscopic Hitchhikers Toward Venus for a Billion Years

Austin Burgess·July 2, 2026

A new model suggests that asteroid impacts on Earth may have occasionally launched microscopic material into space that could have reached Venus’s atmosphere over billions of years.

A Slowly Aging Butterfly Could Help Scientists Understand Longevity

Austin Burgess·June 26, 2026

A University of Bristol-led study reports that a species of butterflies has evolved both longer lifespans and slower physical decline.

Discovery of Fungi Living Within Desert Moss is Challenging Past Thinking on How Organisms Thrive in Arid Environments

Austin Burgess·June 25, 2026

Moss has long been regarded as unusual among land plants for its resilience and apparent independence from fungal partnerships, which are common in other species; however, new research from UC Riverside indicates that this view may not apply in desert environments.

Missing a Night’s Sleep Has an Effect on Your Brain You May Not Believe

Christopher Plain·June 24, 2026

New experiments have revealed that something unexpected happens inside your brain when you miss a night's sleep.

Scientists Say ‘Timescapes’ Could Unlock the Mystery Behind Non-Human Perception of Time

Ryan Whalen·June 23, 2026

Researchers say "timescapes" offer a new framework for understanding how species experience the flow of reality.

Deep in the Jungles of Borneo, Scientists Just Discovered a “Hyperparasite” Organism That Preys on Zombie Fungi

Micah Hanks·June 22, 2026

Scientists working in the jungles of Borneo report an unsettling discovery: a parasitic organism that they say has a hunger for zombie fungi.

Elephant Trunk’s Hidden Design Could Inspire a New Generation of Soft Robots

Austin Burgess·June 20, 2026

The elephant's trunk has long been studied by engineers seeking to understand how it performs both powerful and delicate tasks effectively.

Could Alien Consciousness Be Unlike Anything We Can Imagine? Non-Human Intelligence May Be Stranger Than We Think, These Experts Say

Ryan Whalen·June 17, 2026

Consciousness may arise in systems far different than the biology on Earth we are used to, according to new research.

“We’ve Never Seen Anything Like This”: Discovery of a Hidden Biological Clock Reveals the “Master Key” to Growth and Development

Ryan Whalen·June 16, 2026

A hidden biological clock has been discovered by genetic researchers, revealing how proteins act as a timing mechanism during development.

A Venus Flytrap Mystery That Has Perplexed Scientists Since Darwin Has Finally Been Solved

Micah Hanks·June 15, 2026

New research is finally shedding light on one of the Venus flytrap's most curious and enduring mysteries.

Scientists Have Just Uncovered a Thriving Ecosystem Hiding in Fog

Ryan Whalen·June 11, 2026

Fog is a living ecosystem for bacteria, rather than just a sterile cloud of mist, according to Arizona State University researchers.

This Species Was Long Thought Extinct—Scientists Just Spotted One Alive and Well on a Caribbean Island

Ryan Whalen·June 11, 2026

The Cozumel dwarf fox, a rare species previously known only from secondhand reports and fossil records, has been discovered alive.

You Shall Not Pass: Scientists Identify New “Balrog” Cricket Species in Greek Island Tunnel

Austin Burgess·June 9, 2026

A small Greek island on the eastern edge of the Mediterranean has revealed a new species inside a man-made tunnel carved into a hillside.

“SpiderCam, SpiderCam, Does Whatever a Spider Can?” 3D Camera Inspired by Jumping Spider is First to Operate Below One Watt

Christopher Plain·June 8, 2026

Northwestern engineers have unveiled an energy-efficient camera called SpiderCam that estimates depth in the same way that jumping spiders do.

After Swiss Scientists Injected ‘Repair’ Microrobots into the Injured Spinal Cords of Fish and Mice, Something Incredible Happened

Christopher Plain·June 7, 2026

After magnetically driven microrobots loaded with stem cells were injected into the injured spinal cord of a mouse, something happened.

This Deep Sea ‘Giant’ Can Go Five Years Without Eating—Now Scientists Are Unlocking the Genetic Secrets of Its Extreme Survival

Ryan Whalen·June 6, 2026

Scientists have uncovered the genetic secrets behind a novel strategy that allows the supergiant bathynomid to survive without food for years.

Discovery Hidden Inside 520-Million-Year-Old Rocks Solves a Longstanding ‘Evolutionary Enigma’

Christopher Plain·June 4, 2026

A discovery hidden inside 520-million-year-old rocks has solved an evolutionary enigma and could even rewrite the entire tree of life.

Scientists Just Revealed Something Massive Has Been Hiding Beneath This New York Cemetery for More Than a Century

Micah Hanks·June 2, 2026

Cornell University researchers have confirmed a massive, century-old underground discovery hidden below a New York cemetery.

Pavlov’s Mosquito: Pests Can Be Conditioned to See DEET as a Meal Ticket Instead of a Deterrent

Ryan Whalen·May 31, 2026

Mosquitoes may have surprisingly overcome one of humanity’s best defenses against them, associating the smell of DEET with a nearby meal.

Asteroid Impact Craters May Have Helped Create Early Habitats for Oxygen-Producing Life

Austin Burgess·May 29, 2026

Scientists studying an ancient asteroid crater on the Korean Peninsula have uncovered rock formations that may offer clues to the rise of atmospheric oxygen on Earth.

In the High Himalayas, a Mysterious Animal That Has Intrigued Scientists for 160 Years Has Revealed an Astonishing Secret

Micah Hanks·May 28, 2026

A major biological surprise has emerged from the heart of the mysterious Himalayas, according to scientists who made the unexpected discovery.

Over 1,100 Newly Identified Marine Species Include Ghost Shark Chimera and a Worm in a “Living Glass” House

Christopher Plain·May 25, 2026

Scientists have announced the discovery of over 1,100 new marine species, including the Ghost Shark Chimera and 'Glass House' worm.

“There are Shortcomings in Recognizing the Existence of Life”: Astrobiologists Warn of Gaps in the Search for Extraterrestrial Life

Ryan Whalen·May 23, 2026

Signs of extraterrestrial life may have been ignored by researchers for decades, say a team of astrobiologists.

DNA From a Decades-Old Museum Specimen Reveals the Hidden Lineage of a Tiny Underwater Predator

Austin Burgess·May 18, 2026

While most fruit flies are commonly known for their attraction to fermenting fruit, one species has evolved to hunt in the fast-moving streams of Africa, taking on the role of a predator.

“This Compound Can Selectively Dampen Escalated Social Conflict”: Fish ‘High’ on Key Ingredient in Magic Mushrooms Become Lazy and Less Aggressive

Christopher Plain·May 13, 2026

A species of innately aggressive fish dosed with psilocybin, the psychoactive ingredient in magic mushrooms, became lazy and less aggressive.

A Hot Pink Katydid Just Pulled Off One of Nature’s Most Surprising Camouflage Tricks

Austin Burgess·May 11, 2026

The findings, published in Ecology, center on Arota festae, a leaf-mimicking katydid found in Panama, Colombia, and Suriname.

Scientists Propose Our Eyes Evolved From This Ancient “Cyclops” Organ

Austin Burgess·May 4, 2026

Deep in human evolutionary history, before anything recognizable as a vertebrate existed, one of our oldest relatives had a single eye sitting on top of its head.

Aggressive “Hulk” Lizards Are Disrupting a Long-Stable Evolutionary System

Austin Burgess·April 30, 2026

Recent research has found that this balance is being disrupted by the spread of a larger, more aggressive green-and-black lizard, which is driving the decline of the other color types.

Scientists Explore Paranormal Experiences and the Effects of Inaudible “Infrasound”

Christopher Plain·April 28, 2026

Experiments with infrasound have revealed a potential connection to paranormal experiences such as haunted houses and buildings

Plants and plant seeds hear the sound of rain

MIT Experiments Show Plant Seeds Can “Hear” the Sound of Rain—And They Don’t Find It Calming

Christopher Plain·April 24, 2026

MIT engineers reveal plant seeds can "hear" the sound of rain, which awakens them from a dormant state and prompts them to begin growing.

A Mysterious “Golden Orb” Was Spotted at the Bottom of the Gulf of Alaska—Now Scientists Finally Know What It Is

Micah Hanks·April 23, 2026

An unusual "golden orb" discovered within the depths of the Gulf of Alaska has finally been identified, and it’s not what many expected.

A Ghostly Fish in the Amazon is Inspiring the Next Generation of Underwater Robots

Austin Burgess·April 23, 2026

Researchers studying the mechanics of the Black Ghost Knifefish say it could shape the next generation of underwater robots.

Scientists Reveal Organic Matter “Preserved on Mars for 3.5 Billion Years” in First-of-Its-Kind Study

Ryan Whalen·April 22, 2026

NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover has found chemicals linked to the rise of life on Earth, in a first-of-its-kind experiment on the Red Planet.

Scientists Identify Appetite-Suppressing Peptide That Works Outside Known Weight-Loss Pathways

Austin Burgess·April 21, 2026

A team at Stanford Medicine has now identified a naturally occurring molecule that suppresses appetite and promotes fat loss in animal studies, without many of the side effects linked to semaglutide, the main ingredient in Ozempic.