Experiments by MIT engineers show rice seeds sprout faster to the sound of rain.
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Scientists discover hidden forces are warping Earth deep beneath the surface
Scientists have mapped how Earth’s deepest mantle is being deformed—and the results point to long-lost tectonic plates buried thousands of kilometers underground. Using a massive global dataset of seismic waves, they found that most deformation happens in regions where these ancient slabs are thought to reside. The findings confirm long-standing...
This ancient crocodile relative grew up on four legs then walked on two
A bizarre crocodile relative from the age of dinosaurs is rewriting what scientists thought they knew about ancient reptiles. This poodle-sized creature, called Sonselasuchus cedrus, appears to have started life walking on all fours before shifting to a two-legged stance as it matured—an unusual transformation rarely seen in the fossil...
289-million-year-old mummified reptile reveals how breathing began on land
A remarkably preserved, mummified reptile from 289 million years ago is rewriting what we know about how animals first breathed on land. This tiny creature, Captorhinus aguti, reveals the earliest known version of the rib-powered breathing system used by modern reptiles, birds, and mammals — a crucial innovation that helped...
‘Chameleon’ Bees Change Colour With the Weather
Study reveals some bees shift colour depending on humidity – and may explain why the same species can look different across climates.
Common Asian Plant in Brazil Shows Potential for Removing Microplastics From Water
A saline extract obtained from moringa, also known as white acacia, exhibited properties similar to aluminum sulfate in the coagulation process preceding the filtration of water for human consumption.
Astronomers Find an Exo-Jupiter, and It Seems to Have Clouds
A team of astronomers led by Elisabeth Matthews at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA) has made a discovery that highlights the limits of most current models of exoplanet atmospheres: water-ice clouds on a distant Jupiter-like exoplanet called Epsilon Indi Ab.
DNA reveals a hidden pitviper species in China
A vivid green pitviper hiding in Sichuan’s misty mountains has been revealed as a completely new species. Scientists had overlooked it for decades, assuming it was a common snake—until DNA analysis proved otherwise. Named after Laozi, it features striking differences between males and females, including bold stripes and eye colors....
“Baffling” new snake species in Myanmar looks like multiple species at once
Scientists have uncovered a fascinating new species of pit viper in Myanmar that seems to blur the very definition of what a species is. This snake, now named the Ayeyarwady pit viper, puzzled researchers because it looks like a mix between two known species—sometimes resembling one, sometimes the other, and...
Milk Production Carbon Footprint May be Larger Than Thought
When discussing the climate impact of milk, attention usually falls on cow methane emissions.