A Mysterious “Golden Orb” Was Spotted at the Bottom of the Gulf of Alaska—Now Scientists Finally Know What It Is
An unusual "golden orb" discovered within the depths of the Gulf of Alaska has finally been identified, and it’s not what many expected.
Biology
A Ghostly Fish in the Amazon is Inspiring the Next Generation of Underwater Robots
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
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
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.
Scientists Create Light Inside the Human Body Using Waves of Ultrasound
Stanford scientists have used nanoparticles and an ultrasound 'hat' to generate non-invasive, therapeutic light inside the human body
“The Animal Cannot be Confidently Assigned to Any Known Phylum”: Scientists Exploring Deep Ocean Trenches Discover ‘Baffling’ Mystery Organism
A deep-ocean trench expedition discovered a unique, floating mystery organism that has left taxonomy experts 'baffled.'
Cancer Risk Study Reveals Alarming New Findings Linked to Marriage—Here’s Why Singles Should Be Concerned
New research suggests adults who have never married have a higher risk of developing cancer than their married counterparts.
Tiny Robots Built From DNA Could Hunt Viruses and Deliver Drugs Inside the Human Body
A recent review published in the journal SmartBot says these DNA nanorobots could one day be capable of delivering drugs to specific locations in the body, capturing viruses like SARS-CoV-2, and even helping build tiny computing devices.
Scientists Reveal Alcohol is Widespread in the Nectar from Flowers Pollinators Drink All Day
In the first large-scale survey of alcohol in floral nectar, biologists detected ethanol in samples from 26 of 29 plant species examined.
Prehistoric Skeletal Discovery is Challenging Past Assumptions on an Ancient “Syphilis-Like” Disease
Scientists are reconsidering an ancient disease and challenging some of the basic assumptions archaeologists use to study past infections.
Scientists Discover Unusual Pigment Structures in Platypus Fur
A recent study published in Biology Letters reports that platypus hair contains hollow, spherical melanosomes, a combination not previously documented in mammals or other vertebrates.
Falling Fruit Reveals a Hidden Pact Between Plants and Pollinating Beetles
A team at Kobe University has discovered a previously overlooked dynamic between the Japanese red elder plant and a group of beetles that both harm and help the plant.
How a Fungal Gene Stolen from Bacteria Could be the Next Weather Manipulation Tool
Fungi may be the key to weather manipulation, after researchers isolated a fungal protein that promotes ice formation.
New African Species May Reveal the Evolutionary Origin of Magic Mushrooms
An international team of researchers from Africa and the United States identified a newly described species of psychedelic mushroom that is the closest known wild relative of P. cubensis.
NASA Satellite Imagery Reveals Lifeforms Swarming Around This Iconic Dying “Megaberg”
The climate change-fueled demise of one of Antarctica’s largest icebergs has ironically fueled a surge in nature’s “biological carbon pump.”
“The Cradle of Life Does Not Necessarily Require a Sun “: Scientists Identify Free-Floating Planets as a Tantalizing New Target in the Search for Extraterrestrial Life
Moons orbiting free-floating planets that wander the cosmos without a host star could sustain extraterrestrial life for billions of years
NASA Experiments Challenge the Idea of Life in Titan’s Methane Lakes
New lab experiments explore whether or not certain rudimentary lifeforms could exist in the hydrocarbon lakes and seas of Saturn's moon Titan
Scientists Discover “Hidden” Lifeforms Thriving Beneath the World’s Driest Desert
A recent study from the University of Cologne has revealed that microscopic soil worms called nematodes form surprisingly diverse communities throughout the Atacama.
Scientists Find Missing Link to Psychedelics Like MDMA ‘Locking In’ PTSD Recovery Benefits
New experiments suggest a biological missing link that helps lock in the long-term benefits of psychedelic-assisted PTSD treatment
“Maybe We’re Martians!”: Scientists Say Some Microbes Could Survive the Violent Journey Between Planets
Asteroid impacts may catapult life from one planet to another, as new research claims that hardy bacteria can survive the ejection.
‘Adaptive’ Robotic Wing Senses and Reacts to Wind Changes More Rapidly Than a Barn Owl
Scientists have revealed an adaptive robotic wing equipped with artificial nerves so sensitive to air currents that it outperformed a barn owl
Scientists Placed Microscopic Animals in Simulated Martian Soil and Something Unexpected Happened
After exposing notoriously resilient microscopic animals called tardigrades to simulated Martian soil, they began to move extremely slowly
Moving at the Speed of Sight: Humans and Animals Experience Time at Dramatically Different Speeds
All animals, including humans. experience time at dramatically different speeds, allowing fast-pursuit predators to track prey in slow motion
Tiny Reef Fish Show Unexpectedly Advanced Awareness in Mirror Tests, New Study Reveals
A recent study reveals how tiny reef fish demonstrate advanced awareness by using mirrors to inspect marks placed on their bodies.
Scientists Have Long Searched for Evidence of Psychedelic DMT in the Brain—A New Study Challenges This Idea
For many years, researchers have questioned whether the psychedelic compound N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is produced naturally in the brain and if it might act as a signaling substance similar to serotonin.
“If Melting Ice Releases These Microbes, These Genes Could Spread”: Ancient Bacteria Frozen for 5,000 Years Show Resistance to Modern Antibiotics
Studies of ancient bacteria strains hidden in a frozen Romanian ice cave find they are resistant to several modern-day antibiotics
Scientists Successfully Use String Theory to Challenge More Than a Century of Assumptions About Living Systems
Scientists successfully borrow concepts from string theory to explain the network architecture of branching biological systems like neurons
Thousands of Alien Plant Species Could Soon Take Root in the Arctic
A recent study published in NeoBiota indicates that thousands of non-native plant species could now find suitable conditions in the Arctic.
Sleep Aid or Sleep Killer? Scientists Discover How Pink Noise Machines May Alter REM Sleep
According to new experiments, sleep machines that use pink noise could adversely affect deep sleep and REM sleep instead of helping it.
Scientists Deploy “Bat Accelerator Machine” to Unlock the Secret to How Bats Navigate in the Dark
In a new study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, scientists from the University of Bristol reframe the concept of echolocation.
Global Study Finds Invasive Species Are Helping Drive Sharp Insect Losses
A recent global analysis shows that invasive alien species are linked to significant declines in insect populations and diversity worldwide.
Ancient Cannabis Enzymes Reveal How THC and CBD First Evolved
A team of scientists has taken a closer look at the origins of cannabis chemistry by reconstructing enzymes from ancient plants.
A Newly Discovered Species Offers Clues to the Great Salt Lake’s Past
Researchers have discovered a new species in the Great Salt Lake, offering scientists a new tool for monitoring environmental change.
When ISS Astronauts Unleashed Killer Viruses on E. Coli, Strange Things Started to Happen
Experiments aboard the International Space Station revealed how killer viruses that infect bacteria evolve their attacks in microgravity.
This Giant Virus, Previously Unknown to Science, May Help Unlock the Mystery of Life’s Origins
Researchers have identified a previously unknown giant virus that may offer new insight into how complex life first evolved.
Some Brains ‘Switch Gears’ More Efficiently Than Others—New Research Reveals Why
The brain’s ability to switch between fast and slow processes depends on communication between regions, new research reveals.
Overlooked for a Century, Forensic Scientists Unveil an Unexpected Game-Changer for Solving Crimes
New forensic research reveals that fragments of moss as small as an eyelash can serve as a powerful tool in solving crimes.
Scientists Have Discovered Evidence of Previously Unknown Electrical Power Generation in Living Cells
New evidence of electrical power generation on cell membranes could offer insights into how living cells interact with their surroundings.
This Vampire-Like Organism “Lost Much of What Defines It” to an Odd Twist in Evolution—So It Became a Parasite Instead
Balanophora may look like a mushroom, but instead of being a fungus, it's a parasitic plant with rare traits that puzzle biologists.
“This Was a Remarkable Observation”: Deep-Sea ‘Zombie Worms’ Have Gone Missing, and It Has Ocean Scientists Concerned
A team of researchers led by Ocean Networks Canada conducted an experiment to lure a species of deep-sea worms to colonize remains placed on the seafloor.
Arctic Scientists Discover Previously Unknown Deep-Sea Ecosystem Thriving on the Arctic Seafloor
After spotting the deepest hydrate seep ever, scientists were shocked to discover a deep-sea ecosystem thriving on the Arctic seafloor.
Microbes Found Colonizing Fresh Lava May Offer Clues to Life on Mars, Scientists Say
Scientists studying volcanic eruptions in Iceland say microbes begin colonizing new lava flows faster and more predictably than once thought.
Bearly Wild? Study Confirms Bears Living Near Humans Evolved to Become More Tame
Modern species of bears living near humans for extended periods show evidence of genetic changes making them less aggressive than others.
“We Need to Rethink What’s Possible:” This “Fire Amoeba” Proves Complex Life Can Survive New Extremes
Scientists have discovered a “fire amoeba” capable of surviving temperatures typically impossible for complex life.
This Tiny Worm Could Hold a Major Clue to How the Brain Regulates Aging
A surprising discovery from aging researchers shows that dietary restriction isn’t enough to extend lifespan on its own.
Yellowstone Quakes Offer Clues to Finding Underground Life on Other Worlds
A recent study published in PNAS Nexus reports that a swarm of small earthquakes beneath Yellowstone National Park set off a burst of biological activity deep underground.
“We Used to Think Life Had to Start Completely from Scratch”: New Evidence Shows Biomolecules May Have Origins in Earth’s Atmosphere
New experiments show that biomolecules the form the basis of all life were present in the Earth's atmosphere before the first life existed
Newly Discovered Fossil Evidence Proves These Giants Roamed the Earth Over 12 Million Years Ago
Analysis of ancient fossils has shown that giant anacondas became extremely large over 12 million years ago and remain giants today.
Astronauts Placed an Extreme Earth Organism in Outer Space. Nine Months Later, it Was Still Alive
After placing an ancient extreme Earth organism outside of the ISS for nine months, scientists were shocked to find it was still alive.
Engineered ‘Nanopores’ Displayed Learning-Like Traits in Recent Breakthrough Experiments, Scientists Say
A team of researchers from EPFL has discovered that biological nanopores exhibit electrical signal responses that resemble learning-like behavior.