Male Fireflies Flash as One Every May in Congaree National Park, Inspiring Future Robotics

Learn how fireflies synchronize their flashes — and how that natural coordination could inspire future small‑scale robotics.

Asteroid Bennu's Surface Contains Cracked Boulders Instead of Smooth Beaches, Making It Rapidly Lose Heat

Learn about the surprising surface of Asteroid Bennu, loaded with boulders and cracks that have caused it to experience rapid heat loss. 

Preeclampsia May Have Shaped the Fate of Neanderthals and Given Homo sapiens an Edge

Learn how a new theory suggests Neanderthals inability to survive pregnancy complications like preeclampsia may have helped cause their extinction.

Ice Age Neanderthals May Have Used Birch Tar as Early Medicine

Learn how researchers recreated birch tar and tested its antibacterial properties, revealing how Neanderthals may have used natural materials to manage wounds and infection.

15,000-Year-Old Clay Beads Preserve Children’s Fingerprints and Reveal Early Human Life

Learn how early humans in Israel’s Natufian period used clay ornaments to express identity, share skills, and build social connections before agriculture.

Like Humans, Bull Sharks Have Complex Social Circles That Include Forming Friendships and Avoiding Rivals

Learn more about the complexities of bull shark social behavior and how it can be rather similar to humans. 

JWST Peers Into the Haze Surrounding an Unusual Cotton Candy-Like Planet

Learn more about the Kepler-51 star system and some of the ''oddball" planets that reside there. 

Electrically-Charged Dust Creates Hazards on Mars and the Moon — an Invisible Carbon Layer May Explain Why

Learn more about the nearly invisible layer of carbon that may control how dust grains become electrically charged and how that discovery could help future missions to the moon and Mars. 

First Case of Severe Mpox Strain Detected in New York City — What It Means for the U.S.

Learn more about the difference between mild and severe strains of Mpox, and how the first case in a major U.S. city raises concerns about urban disease spread.

Red Fox Caught on Camera Preying on a Wolf Pup in First-Ever Video-Documented Case

Learn how researchers near rome captured the first video evidence of a red fox preying on a wolf pup, and what it reveals about hidden predator dynamics.

1,400 Years Ago, the Bow and Arrow Took Over Western North America —Reshaping Hunting Traditions

Learn how ancient weapons show when the bow and arrow replaced the atlatl, and why the transition played out differently across western North America.

The Venomous Gila Monster Helped Spark the Discovery of Ozempic, Showing How Curiosity Can Lead to Cures

Learn how an unlikely discovery in a venomous lizard led to one of today’s most influential drugs and why future breakthroughs still depend on the freedom to explore.

Neanderthals Hunted Straight-Tusked Elephants as They Traveled Across Europe 125,000 Years Ago

Learn more about the ancient fossils found at Neumark-Nord and what they reveal about the relationship between migrating elephants and stationary Neanderthals. 

Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead Contains 3,000-Year-Old Wite-Out

Learn about the surprising discovery that shows that even ancient Egyptians used Wite-Out to fix their mistakes. 

A Protein Found in Fungi Could Help Turn Water Into Ice at High Subzero Temperatures

Learn how a specific type of fungus can accelerate ice formation at subzero temperatures and lead to advances in technology, such as cloud seeding. 

Oviraptors May Have Used Sunlight to Help Incubate Their Eggs 70 Million Years Ago

Learn how a life-sized nest experiment revealed that Cretaceous oviraptor dinosaurs in China may have relied on both body heat and sunlight to incubate their eggs.

Yellowstone Cleanup Crews Tackle Litter That Causes Hot Springs to Clog and Change Colors 

Learn how geologists at Yellowstone National Park clean up hot springs filled with litter, saving them from irrevocable damage. 

Partially Eaten Remains Reveal Cannibalism Is the Biggest Threat to Young Blue Crabs in Chesapeake Bay

Learn how a 37-year study in Chesapeake Bay revealed that cannibalistic blue crabs are the biggest threat to young crabs, and why shallow waters may help them survive.

A Hidden Fossil Tooth Reveals How a Giant Predatory Fish Attacked a Plesiosaur in Prehistoric Alabama

Learn how a fossil tooth embedded in a plesiosaur reveals a violent attack by a giant predatory fish in the Cretaceous sea.

Cats’ Flexible Spines Help Them Pull Off the Mid‑Air Twist — and Land on Their Feet

Learn how variations in different parts of the spine allow cats to land upright.