Our spectacular planet has so many wonders to explore. However, there are some places that are just too dangerous, too protected, or maybe too special to visit—even… Read more “The Coolest Places You’re Not Allowed to Visit”
Category: Natural World
Aussie astronomer captures rare footage of ‘upside down’ lightning sprites (VIDEO)
An amateur Australian astronomer has recorded rare flashes of space lightning in the skies above New South Wales. David Finlay, 44, from Kiama in Australia’s south western… Read more “Aussie astronomer captures rare footage of ‘upside down’ lightning sprites (VIDEO)”
How the north ended up on top of the map
A cartographic history of what’s up. McArthur’s Universal Corrective Map of the World.Flickr A world map drawn by the Moroccan cartographer Muhammad al-Idrisi for King Roger of… Read more “How the north ended up on top of the map”
Mapping the Empires of History
The kingdoms and empires that once ruled across vast lands have by no means been forgotten – the power of the Roman Empire is still a symbol… Read more “Mapping the Empires of History”
These 7 Cities Are Total Time Warps
But in a good way. If you want to go back in time, you could binge-watch Mad Men. Or read Wolf Hall. Or start talking exclusively in Old English. Or you… Read more “These 7 Cities Are Total Time Warps”
Oldest evidence of life on land discovered in Australia
The oldest fossil evidence of life on land has been discovered in Australian rocks, potentially extending the known era of land-based life by over 500 million years.… Read more “Oldest evidence of life on land discovered in Australia”
New atmospheric phenomenon named Steve discovered by aurora watchers
An atmospheric phenomenon has been discovered by citizen scientists and aurora photographers — and so little is known about it right now that they’ve named it Steve.… Read more “New atmospheric phenomenon named Steve discovered by aurora watchers”
Science in America – Neil deGrasse Tyson – March For Science – 22nd April
We offer this 4min video on “Science in America”, containing what may be the most important words Neil deGrasse Tyson has ever spoken. Get involved in March… Read more “Science in America – Neil deGrasse Tyson – March For Science – 22nd April”
Eruptions on the sun trigger surprising phenomenon near Earth
New research from DTU and partners from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the University of New Brunswick shows that eruptions on the Sun’s surface not only send… Read more “Eruptions on the sun trigger surprising phenomenon near Earth”
The Beauty of Lenticular Clouds
Lenticular clouds are stationary lens-shaped clouds that form in the troposphere, normally in perpendicular alignment to the wind direction. Lenticular clouds can be separated into altocumulus… Read more “The Beauty of Lenticular Clouds”
3,400-Year-Old Graveyard Unearthed in Egypt
Part of a graveyard dating back around 3,400 years has been unearthed in southern Egypt at the site of Gebel el Silsila, Egypt’s antiquities ministry has announced.
Tornado Cluster Sizes Skyrocket
Tornados are behaving strangely: The number of tornado outbreaks per year is fairly constant, but the number of tornados per outbreak has skyrocketed. And scientists aren’t entirely… Read more “Tornado Cluster Sizes Skyrocket”
Moose battle frozen in ice
The sight of two powerful bull moose locking horns in combat is something that metaphorically can become frozen in time for those lucky enough to experience such… Read more “Moose battle frozen in ice”
The Trees Have Ears
Environmentalists are bugging rainforests with discarded smartphones to catch poachers and illegal loggers. When a tree falls to illegal loggers in the forest of the Kalaweit Supayang… Read more “The Trees Have Ears”
Geologists discover how a tectonic plate sank
New information about conditions that can cause Earth’s tectonic plates to sink into the earth has been released in a new report. In a paper published in… Read more “Geologists discover how a tectonic plate sank”
Ancient ‘Sea Monster’ Found In Antarctica
About 66 million years ago, an ancient sea monster the height of a five-story office building once gnashed its sharp teeth as it swam around the dark… Read more “Ancient ‘Sea Monster’ Found In Antarctica”
Ancient global warming suggest dinosaurs died of a double disaster
What was the climate like during the Mesozoic Era (250- 65 million years ago)? When dinosaurs ruled the Earth, the climate was most likely hot and humid.… Read more “Ancient global warming suggest dinosaurs died of a double disaster”
The golden ratio manifesting in nature
The universe may be chaotic and unpredictable, but it’s also a highly organized physical realm bound by the laws of mathematics. One of the most fundamental (and… Read more “The golden ratio manifesting in nature”
Neuroscientist hopes to create research in the West Bank that transcends politics.
On a sunny winter afternoon, Mohammad Herzallah is driving his father’s Hyundai north on highway 60 to see his family near the town of Jenin. The road… Read more “Neuroscientist hopes to create research in the West Bank that transcends politics.”
Dancing hairs alert bees to electric fields
Tiny, vibrating hairs may explain how bumblebees sense and interpret the signals transmitted by flowers, according to a study by researchers at the University of Bristol. Although… Read more “Dancing hairs alert bees to electric fields”
Picture perfect
Some of the most amazing photos ever taken
Tornadoes: Causes, Formation & Safety
Tornadoes are the most violent storms in nature. An average of 800 tornadoes are reported each year, resulting in 80 deaths and 1,500 injuries. Tornadoes are… Read more “Tornadoes: Causes, Formation & Safety”
Ad Campaigns That Tell The Uncomfortable Truth
A little while ago, we wrote about powerful advertisements that were designed to raise awareness about important social and environmental issues. But what about animals? They don’t… Read more “Ad Campaigns That Tell The Uncomfortable Truth”
Scientists solve Spallanzani’s dilemma
Imagine losing an eye, an arm or even your spinal cord. When we are wounded, our bodies, and those of other mammals, generally respond by sealing the… Read more “Scientists solve Spallanzani’s dilemma”
Vasco da Gama’s Fleet Discovered
The oldest shipwreck from Europe’s Golden Age of Exploration has been found off the coast of Oman, the country’s Ministry of Heritage and Culture announced on Tuesday.… Read more “Vasco da Gama’s Fleet Discovered”
First new butterfly species in decades
Some might say it takes a rare breed to survive the Alaska wilderness. The discovery of a possible new species of hybrid butterfly from the state’s interior… Read more “First new butterfly species in decades”
The Science of Crying
Science is close to solving the mystery of why humans shed tears (and why some don’t). Michael Trimble, a behavioral neurologist with the unusual distinction of being… Read more “The Science of Crying”
The best science images of 2015
NASA’s New Horizons probe won headlines and hearts this year as it sent back pictures of Pluto from the edges of the Solar System. But NASA scientists… Read more “The best science images of 2015”
The Antikythera Mechanism
After 2,000 years under the sea, three flat, misshapen pieces of bronze at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens are all shades of green, from emerald to forest. From… Read more “The Antikythera Mechanism”
Clouds When Viewed Aboard the ISS
One of six astronauts currently on board the International Space Station, geophysicist Alexander Gerst spends much of his free time staring out the window as the… Read more “Clouds When Viewed Aboard the ISS”
Inca child mummy reveals lost genetic history
Back in 1985, hikers climbing Argentina’s Aconcagua mountain stumbled upon a ghastly surprise: the frozen corpse of a 7-year-old boy. It was apparent that he’d been… Read more “Inca child mummy reveals lost genetic history”
Spectacular Display of Lightning & Lava
After two years of dormancy, Italy’s Mount Etna put on a spectacular show Thursday morning. An hourlong eruption began around 3:20 a.m. local time, sending a… Read more “Spectacular Display of Lightning & Lava”
Water bears are genetic mash-ups
Water bears may be the ultimate borrowers. The hardy, microscopic animals also known as moss piglets and technically called tardigrades have scavenged about 17.5 percent of their… Read more “Water bears are genetic mash-ups”
Ancient mass extinction may have shrunk Earth’s creatures
About 360 million years ago, Earth’s seas were filled with myriad fishes, including creatures the size of school buses. Then a mass extinction hit the Age of… Read more “Ancient mass extinction may have shrunk Earth’s creatures”
Panoramic at it’s best
A six shot panorama image of the Himalayas won this year’s EPSON International Pano Awards. The stunning photo, titled “The Ice Prison,” was taken by Max Rive of… Read more “Panoramic at it’s best”
Heavy rain doesn’t mean more trees in African savanna
In 2011, satellite images of the African savannas revealed a mystery: these rolling grasslands, with their heavy rainfalls and spells of drought, were home to significantly fewer… Read more “Heavy rain doesn’t mean more trees in African savanna”
Finding new uses for nature’s poisons
A toxin is a poisonous substance produced by a living thing. Certain species of plants, fungi and animals may produce toxins. So can bacteria. (When a toxin… Read more “Finding new uses for nature’s poisons”
Wildlife is thriving since the people left
The site of the world’s worst nuclear accident is now a wildlife haven. The abundance of large animals around Chernobyl, such as deer, elk and wild boar,… Read more “Wildlife is thriving since the people left”
Microbes: Source of Huge Iron-Ore Deposits
The next time you see a red-clay hillside of iron ore, think, tiny microbes might have created the components of that billions of years ago. That is,… Read more “Microbes: Source of Huge Iron-Ore Deposits”
‘Tree of life’ for 2.3 million species released
A first draft of the “tree of life” for the roughly 2.3 million named species of animals, plants, fungi and microbes—from platypuses to puffballs—has been released. A… Read more “‘Tree of life’ for 2.3 million species released”
Searching for the Origins of Earth’s Water
Sometimes planetary exploration is drama and new vistas: Seeing the most distant planet for the first time, a harrowing landing on Mars, the fight for survival of… Read more “Searching for the Origins of Earth’s Water”
First Oxygen Appeared On Earth Way Earlier Than We Realized
If you hopped in the Tardis and traveled back four billion years, you’d find yourself on a hot, miserable wasteland of a planet with nary an oxygen… Read more “First Oxygen Appeared On Earth Way Earlier Than We Realized”
