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<em>Leopardus guigna</em>, or kodkod, is the smallest wild cat in the Americas, and is often smaller than an average house cat.
animals

The Smallest Wild Cat in the Americas Is Also the Cutest Bad Omen

In rural Chile, the kodkod, or güiña, has a bad rep for stealing chickens—and as a portent of death and disaster.
Roxanne Hoorn November 1, 2023
Particularly terrifying clowns were used throughout the experiment, which is totally normal.
haunted

For the Love of Fear

In a Swedish amusement park, two volunteers faced their greatest fears—for science.
Roxanne Hoorn October 31, 2023
When whale sharks congregate, tourists often do, too. Responsible tourism can help minimize the disruption.
sharks

Can We Swim With Whale Sharks Responsibly?

How to—and, more importantly, how not to—have an unforgettable wildlife encounter with the biggest fish in the sea.
Roxanne Hoorn September 12, 2023
Hyenas and crocodiles dined on a waterside carcass together, caught via camera trap.
science

You Never Know Who Will Turn Up at an Elephant Carcass

Researchers in Kenya spied some unexpected guests at these “carrion bonanzas”
Roxanne Hoorn August 16, 2023
A reconstruction of <em>P. colossus</em> shows it in its coastal habitat. The head is an educated guess because a skull has not been found yet.
science

Paleontologists in Peru Discover What Might Be the 'Chonkiest Whale Ever'

And maybe the heaviest animal the world has ever seen.
Roxanne Hoorn August 2, 2023
Edinburgh, Scotland

Royal Observatory Edinburgh

Even though some of the buildings date back to the Victorian era, this research institute is still involved in cutting-edge astronomy research.
Atomei (Forschungs-Neutronenquelle Heinz Maier-Leibnitz I) in 2012
Garching bei München, Germany

Atomei

This "Atomic Egg" appears on the city of Garching's coat of arms.
Thomas Balch Library
Leesburg, Virginia

Thomas Balch Library

Designated as an Underground Railroad research site.
objects of intrigue

How One Tiny Bead Can Reveal A Global History

Hint: There is a laser involved.
Line Sidonie Talla Mafotsing September 30, 2022
A new study finds that black-handed spider monkeys like their fruits, well, boozy.
monkeys

Monkeys Love Their Alcohol

But proving the “drunken monkey” hypothesis has been an exhausting—and messy—endeavor.
Sarah Durn April 21, 2022
A decellularized apple transformed into an artificial ear (right).
volcanoes

Our Favorite Science Projects of the Year, From Fake Leopards to a Torture Orchard

A look back at the ingenious ways scientists advanced our understanding of the world in 2021.
Gemma Tarlach December 22, 2021
A multidisciplinary research team believes a catastrophic impact event may have inspired the Biblical story of the destruction of Sodom.
disasters

Is an Asteroid to Blame for the Biblical Story of Sodom?

A massive space rock impact event may have inspired the tale of godly wrath.
Christopher R. Moore November 1, 2021
One of the largest <em>T. rex</em> skeletons ever found, "Scotty" was apparently at home in a swampy Saskatchewan.
dinosaurs

T. Rex Thrived in a Swampy Home, According to Amber 'Time Capsule'

Fragments of fossilized tree resin suggest the iconic dinosaur ruled an ecosystem similar to the Everglades.
Jack Tamisiea August 26, 2021
The snow-capped Andes, on the far western horizon, seen from the remote Centro Astronómico Macón site in Argentina.
observatories

Meet the People Who Staff Argentina's Highest Observatory

Team members at the remote desert site brave challenging conditions to make the most of its clear, dark skies.
Juan Relmucao August 25, 2021
Receivers on the vessel's aft deck, shown here between deployments, survived rough seas—not one device was lost during the expedition.
volcanoes

The ‘Swell’ Job of Sorting Out New Zealand’s Unusual Earthquake Patterns

Researchers braved storms and monstrous underwater mountains to learn why one region’s earth-shaking is so peculiar.
Gemma Tarlach August 2, 2021
A field of northwestern Spain's beloved grelos is just one of the many permutations of <em>Brassica rapa</em>.
science

The Deep Roots of the Vegetable That ‘Took Over the World’

A study digs up the origin of the single species that gives us turnips, bok choy, broccoli rabe, and more.
Gemma Tarlach June 11, 2021
Tracking the small spiders involves quick, careful work.
science

The Fiddly Business of Tracking Australia's Most Venomous Spider

To study the Sydney funnel web spider, one researcher tags along from a distance with the help of tags the size of a grain of rice.
Hannah Thomasy June 2, 2021
The Red Sea, dividing Africa and Arabia, may be the world's youngest ocean.
science

Is the Red Sea Really the Red Ocean?

It's complicated.
Gemma Tarlach May 6, 2021