Science
Scientific discoveries and research
'I can't work in the farce of climate change cruise tourism anymore': Why Antarctic guides quit their dream jobs
In the words of a former Antarctic tour guide we interviewed: "You'd see massive glacier calvings, and you'd just want to cry. But all the guests would be cheer...
New research shows how language experience shapes human communication
A Taiwan–led study of Mandarin-speaking learners shows that the sounds we hear and produce are deeply shaped by our prior language experience, offering new insi...
'I get caught up in the numbers game': Why useful social media content gets lost online
When Amy posts a photograph of herself on Instagram, she knows what will attract attention. A picture of her in a bikini may receive thousands of views. A post...
Unwritten social rules, not government oversight, help keep forest land sustainable
Swidden agriculture—often called "slash-and-burn"—has been practiced on every inhabited continent throughout human history, and for decades it has been blamed f...
Syria's ancient sites face widespread looting and systematic bulldozing, satellite images reveal
Dozens of archaeological sites were destroyed by looting during Syria's civil war, which began in 2011 and lasted until 2024. Because the last comprehensive ana...
New model maps how social media users repeatedly spread misinformation
People who receive information on social media play a greater role in the spread of misinformation than research has acknowledged, according to research publish...
Cameras attached to whale sharks capture krill chases never witnessed before
Whale sharks (Rhincodon typus)—the world's biggest fish—are one of the most charismatic marine species. They connect with the hearts of anyone lucky enough to e...
The hunt for a natural molecule that can release cellular energy
All cells in the human body—and the motions they enable, from our beating hearts to our wiggling toes—use energy generated by a molecule called ATP. Its energy...
Ancient bones from smaller Maya communities reveal heavy reliance on maize and local subsistence patterns
Historians and archaeologists know that maize was a central food source and cultural symbol across the ancient Maya world, but much of what is known has come fr...
Herbivore species dynamics is key to grassland food web stability
Ecologists have long understood that biodiversity is paramount to ecosystem stability. Until now, however, most ecological research has focused on a single laye...
Rare blue optical transient points to possible new class of cosmic explosion
Chinese astronomers report the detection of a peculiar optical transient event that occurred in the center of a dwarf galaxy. The newly discovered event, design...
Study explores rare atom-containing natural products and their biomedical potential
Modern research on secondary metabolites from microbes, plants and marine organisms has revealed a remarkable diversity of chemical structures and bioactivities...