A Fungus That Can Hijack Minds — and 6 Other Strange Fungal Abilities Experts Are Still Untangling

Learn more about some of the amazing features of fungi, including being the largest organism in the world and improving medical treatments. 

Recently Discovered Asteroid Will Sweep Past Earth at Close Range on May 18 — Here's What to Know 

Learn about the upcoming flyby of asteroid 2026 JH2, which will pass Earth at a distance of 56,000 miles.

Red Meat Helped Human Evolution — but Modern Diets May Raise Disease Risk

Learn more about humans’ 3-million-year-long relationship with red meat, and how the food that shaped human evolution may now come with a high health and environmental cost in the modern age.

This Shaggy New Fish Looked So Much Like Snuffleupagus That Scientists Named It After Him

Learn how divers repeatedly photographed a hairy mystery fish before researchers confirmed it was a new ghost pipefish species now named after Sesame Street’s Snuffleupagus.

Andes Hantavirus Strain Could Linger in Human Semen for Nearly 6 Years, and Change Little Over Time

Learn how researchers discovered traces of Andes virus lingering in a patient’s semen nearly six years after infection and why the findings are raising new questions during the current hantavirus outbreak.

Historical DNA Links Colonial Graves to 1.3 Million Living Relatives and May Have Identified the Colony’s Second Governor

Learn how researchers used DNA and 23andMe to connect 17th-century Maryland colonists to more than 1.3 million living people and potentially identify the colony’s second governor.

Rare Storm Reawakens Ancient Dinosaur Shrimp and Brings Back Endangered Bird to Arid Hawaiian Island

A powerful storm briefly transformed one of Hawaiʻi’s driest islands into a thriving wetland, inspiring conversations and actions for ecological restoration.

Antarctic Ice Reveals Earth May Be Traveling Through Ancient Supernova Dust

Learn how traces of a rare radioactive element preserved in Antarctic ice may show that the Solar System is currently passing through debris left behind by exploded stars.

Red Wolves Went Extinct in 1980, but Their Ghost May Live on in the Coyotes of This Texas Island

Learn more about the ghost wolves of Galveston, coyotes that harbor red wolf DNA. 

Contact Lenses Using Tiny Electrical Signals Could Target Brain Regions to Ease Depression

Discover how in mice treatment with special contact lenses produced antidepressant-like effects comparable to Prozac after only three weeks.

This Home in Montana Is Infested with Snakes, Some Falling from the Ceiling — Here’s How to Keep Snakes Away

Discover the story of Callie Phillips, a Montana mom who watches up to eight snakes a day drop from the foundation of her home into her basement in a viral nightmare.

The Same Genetic Blueprint Develops the Faces of Birds and Mammals, So Why Do They Look So Different?

Learn how birds and mammals share the same genetic toolkit that helps them develop their faces, and why they don't look the same. 

AI Retinal Scans May Help Predict Osteoporosis Risk Before Fractures Occur 

Learn how researchers used AI-analyzed retinal scans to predict osteoporosis risk, linking faster biological aging in the eyes to weaker bones and future fracture risk.

Newly Discovered Sauropod Is Biggest Ever Found in Southeast Asia at Likely 27 Tons, Nicknamed the "Last Titan"

Learn about the "last titan" of Thailand, a newly discovered long-necked dinosaur that has become the biggest sauropod ever found in Southeast Asia.

A Galaxy Cluster's Sloshing Spiral Reveals the Story Behind a Chaotic Collision That Began Four Billion Years Ago

Learn about the turbulent history of Abell 2029, a galaxy cluster that experienced a collision with a smaller galaxy cluster about four billion years ago. 

El Niño Rains May be Slowly Eating Away at Peru’s Ancient Pyramids

Learn more about some of Peru's sacred earthen pyramids that are being eroded by intense El Niño rains. 

Parvovirus Is Spreading Across Northern California — but Many Still Think of Parvo as a Dog Disease

Learn how human parvovirus B19 spreads, why cases are rising again across the U.S., and how this “human parvo” virus is different from the disease that affects dogs.

For 12,000 Years, Africa’s Rwenzori Mountains Avoided Major Fires — Until a 2012 Blaze

Learn how climate change and human activity are fueling dangerous wildfires in many of Africa’s highest mountain ecosystems.

Ancient Tooth Proteins Reveal Possible Link Between Homo erectus, Denisovans, and Modern Humans

Learn how proteins from six Homo erectus teeth, collected using a less invasive method, are helping fill key gaps in our understanding of this ancient human ancestor.

Stone Age People in Denmark Kept Fishing Even After Farming Arrived 6,000 Years Ago

Learn how ancient communities in Stone Age Denmark kept fishing the same fjord waters from roughly 4,500 B.C.E. to 800 B.C.E., even after farming and livestock spread through the region.