A tiny, overlooked wrist bone called the pisiform may have played a pivotal role in bird flight and it turns out it evolved far earlier than scientists thought. Fossils from bird-like dinosaurs in Mongolia reveal that this bone, once thought to vanish and reappear, was actually hiding in plain sight....
A dusty fossil drawer held a 300-million-year-old evolutionary game-changer
A century-old fossil long mislabeled as a caterpillar has been reidentified as the first-known nonmarine lobopodian—rewriting what we know about ancient life. Discovered in Harvard’s museum drawers, Palaeocampa anthrax predates even the famous Cambrian lobopodians and reveals that these soft-bodied ancestors of arthropods once lived not only in oceans, but...
A 500-million-year-old fossil just rewrote the spider origin story
Half a billion years ago, a strange sea-dwelling creature called Mollisonia symmetrica may have paved the way for modern spiders. Using detailed fossil brain analysis, researchers uncovered neural patterns strikingly similar to today's arachnids—suggesting spiders evolved in the ocean, not on land as previously believed. This brain structure even hints...
Concrete that lasts centuries and captures carbon? AI just made it possible
Imagine concrete that not only survives wildfires and extreme weather, but heals itself and absorbs carbon from the air. Scientists at USC have created an AI model called Allegro-FM that simulates billions of atoms at once, helping design futuristic materials like carbon-neutral concrete. This tech could transform cities by reducing...
Cancer cells go up in flames—thanks to this deep-sea sugar
Scientists have discovered a sugar compound from deep-sea bacteria that can destroy cancer cells in a dramatic way. This natural substance, produced by microbes living in the ocean, causes cancer cells to undergo a fiery form of cell death, essentially making them self-destruct. In lab tests and in mice with...
Good Deals – Bad for the Climate: Supermarket Volume Discounts Lead to Food Waste
A new study reveals an unfortunate effect of supermarkets' popular “2 for 1” offers: Not only do they make us buy more, these offers also lead to food waste at home.
New Study Points to Skagerrak as Nursery Area for the Enigmatic Greenland Shark
The Greenland shark – the world's longest-living vertebrate – is most often associated with cold Arctic waters.
Lightning Kills 320 Million Trees Yearly. With Warming, the Toll Could Rise
A new study finds that lightning kills some 320 million trees around the world each year, more than was previously thought.
Snowless winter? Arctic field team finds flowers and meltwater instead
Scientists in Svalbard were shocked to find rain and greenery instead of snow during Arctic winter fieldwork. The event highlights not just warming—but a full seasonal shift with major consequences for ecosystems, climate feedback, and research feasibility.
The fungus that makes bread better for you
Scientists have discovered that pairing bread wheat with a special soil fungus can significantly enhance its nutritional value. This partnership leads to bigger grains rich in zinc and phosphorus—without increasing anti-nutrients that block absorption. As a result, the wheat becomes a healthier option for human diets. Researchers believe this fungal...