Beneath the waters off Papua New Guinea lies an extraordinary deep-sea environment where scorching hydrothermal vents and cool methane seeps coexist side by side — a pairing never before seen. This unusual chemistry fuels a vibrant oasis teeming with mussels, tube worms, shrimp, and even purple sea cucumbers, many of...
Giant hidden heat blob slowly travels beneath the U. S.
An immense pocket of hot rock deep beneath the Appalachians may be a wandering relic of the breakup between Greenland and North America 80 million years ago. Researchers suggest this slow-moving “mantle wave” drifted over 1,800 km to reach its current position, gradually reshaping the continent from below and even...
Tiny Yellowstone quakes ignite a surge of hidden life underground
Researchers studying Yellowstone’s depths discovered that small earthquakes can recharge underground microbial life. The quakes exposed new rock and fluids, creating bursts of chemical energy that microbes can use. Both the water chemistry and the microbial communities shifted dramatically in response. This dynamic may help explain how life survives in...
This glowing particle in a laser trap may reveal how lightning begins
Using a precisely aligned pair of laser beams, scientists can now hold a single aerosol particle in place and monitor how it charges up. The particle’s glow signals each step in its changing electrical state, revealing how electrons are kicked away and how the particle sometimes releases sudden bursts of...
This tiny plant survived the vacuum of space and still grows
Moss spores survived an extended stay on the outside of the ISS and remained capable of germinating once back on Earth. Their resilience to vacuum, extreme temperatures, and UV radiation surprised the researchers who expected them to perish. The spores' natural protective coat likely played a key role in shielding...
Scientists may have found the planet that made the Moon
About 4.5 billion years ago, a colossal impact between the young Earth and a mysterious planetary body called Theia changed everything—reshaping Earth, forming the Moon, and scattering clues across space rocks. By examining subtle isotopic fingerprints in Earth and Moon samples, scientists have reconstructed Theia’s possible composition and birthplace.
How parakeets make new friends in a surprisingly human way
Monk parakeets ease into new friendships, slowly approaching strangers to avoid aggressive encounters. Researchers watched how birds shared space, groomed each other, and escalated to deeper social bonds over time. The results show a clear pattern of cautious exploration echoing similar studies in other animals. Even for birds, making a...
A mysterious metal find in Sweden is rewriting Iron Age history
A Swedish plano-convex ingot once thought to be from the Bronze Age was revealed through chemical and isotopic testing to belong to the Iron Age. Its composition closely matches Iron Age finds from Poland, leading researchers to uncover new evidence of long-distance connections across the Baltic. The study highlights how...
Scientists capture stunning real-time images of DNA damage and repair
Scientists have created a live-cell DNA sensor that reveals how damage appears and disappears inside living cells, capturing the entire repair sequence as it unfolds. Instead of freezing cells at different points, researchers can now watch damage flare up, track repair proteins rushing to the site, and see the moment...
Scientists reveal how baby turtles navigate thousands of miles with a hidden magnetic sense
Researchers taught young loggerhead turtles to associate certain magnetic fields with feeding, prompting a distinctive dance when they recognized the signal. After a magnetic pulse briefly disrupted their ability to feel magnetic forces, the turtles no longer performed the dance. This showed that hatchlings use a touch-based magnetic sense to...