Neptune Is the Furthest Planet From the Sun, But It Still Experiences Auroras

Which planet is the furthest from the sun? Some may think it’s Pluto, but it’s actually Neptune. Learn more about this ice giant and how it can help us understand more about planets in our Solar System.

Think Pterosaurs and Plesiosaurs Are Dinosaurs? Here's Why These and Other Species Are Not

Learn more about the animals you thought were dinosaurs, and the animal we thought wasn't a dinosaur, but actually is. 

Even Chihuahuas Still Have Some Wolf in Them — Here’s How Some Dogs Still Carry This DNA

Learn more about how ancient wolf DNA is still found in modern dogs, and how it’s shaped those breeds.

Icy Moons Orbiting Saturn and Uranus May Hide Boiling Liquid Oceans

Learn more about icy moons in our Solar System and how some may contain oceans underneath. 

Volcanic Activity on Mars Could Help in the Search for Life on Other Planets

Learn more about volcanic activity on Mars and how it may have once provided vital elements to the atmosphere.

Wincing at Movies? Your Brain Might Be Re-Creating the Pain

Discover how scientists have finally found an answer for why we flinch when watching someone get hurt in a movie.

Seismic Activity Shakes Up Microbes Deep Under Yellowstone Lake

Learn more about the over 2,000 earthquakes that shifted Yellowstone's microbial communities. 

Prehistoric Humans Traded This Rare Green Gem and AI Has Identified Its Surprising Origins 

Learn more about the trade of the green mineral variscite, and how experts can use AI to identify where the original trade routes began. 

Why Do Viruses Like COVID-19 and the Flu Mutate Rapidly and What Does it Mean for Vaccines?

Some viruses mutate more rapidly than others. Learn more about why that is and what that means for your health.

Footprints From Around 150 Million Years Ago Reveal the Strange Stomp of a Looping Sauropod

Learn more about the fossilized trackway, which provides important insights into the movement of massive dinosaurs.

A Cancer Blood Test Shows Promise — But Is it the Breakthrough Clinicians Were Waiting For?

Learn more about a new cancer blood test that increases cancer detection multifold and what its limitations are.

The Disastrous Maya Collapse Knocked Down an Entire Network of Cities in Mesoamerica

Learn what caused a major population crash in the Maya civilization, driving several cities to fall into ruin.

A 233-Million-Year-Old Fossil Reveals How Pterosaurs Learned to Fly

Learn how early reptiles began building the visual and brain skills needed for flight long before takeoff.

Why Your Brain Forgets Some Moments but Holds Onto Others

Learn how the brain sorts fleeting moments from lasting memories using a multi-stage molecular process.

Separate Families Carved the 1,000 Easter Island Moai Statues — Some in Friendly Competition 

Learn how several working groups with their own carving techniques built the iconic moai of Easter Island.

The Vampire Squid Genome Has Helped Explain the Early Evolution of the Cephalopods — Here’s How

Learn more about the genetics of the vampire squid — a strange species whose genome suggests that modern octopuses, squids, and cuttlefish evolved from a squid-like ancient ancestor.

The Burtele Foot and Other Fossils Reveal How Two Hominin Species Thrived Side by Side

Unassigned bones from Ethiopia, combined with teeth and jaw finds, show how two ancient hominin species thrived on different diets and ways of moving 3.4 million years ago.

A Glow Hidden in the Milky Way’s Core May Reveal Dark Matter After a Century of Searching

Learn how a newly detected gamma-ray halo in the Milky Way could mark the first direct glimpse of dark matter.

A Prehistoric Sea Monster Wielded Bone Blades to Terrorize the Ocean 360 Million Years Ago

Learn about Dunkleosteus, an ancient apex predator that ripped apart large fish with sharp bony blades that lined its mouth. 

Feeling Anti-Social When You’re Sick? Signals to the Brain Are Responsible

Learn how your body uses an immune-to-brain communication line to nudge you away from others when you’re getting sick.