The problem with Pluto isn’t its planetary or nonplanetary status—it’s our insistence on declaring the world must be one or the other
Neanderthal ‘kneeprint’ found next to mysterious stalagmite circle
An impression made in clay around 175,000 years ago could be a kneeprint left by one of the builders of a strange stalagmite circle found deep inside Bruniquel cave in south-west France
The science behind social media’s peptide obsession
As peptide “stacking” takes over social media feeds, we separate the science from the hype of the Internet’s latest wellness obsession
NASA’s Artemis 2 astronauts saw flashes on the far side of the moon that cameras struggle to capture. Here’s why scientists are excited
The Artemis 2 astronauts saw several impact flashes on the moon during their epic April 6 flyby, observations that have excited scientists and mission planners alike.
The mathematician who doesn’t exist
A secret society of French mathematicians has been revolutionising the field of mathematics under a pseudonym for nearly a century. Columnist Jacob Aron finds that this mythic collective provided maths a rigorous and useful foundation, and did some real harm along the way
Venom and Hot Peppers Offer a Key to Killing Resistant Bacteria
Researchers have developed three new antibiotics from scorpion venom and habanero peppers to combat tuberculosis and other drug-resistant pathogens.
David Attenborough celebrates his 100th birthday
David Attenborough once directed programming at the BBC and has hosted numerous award-winning nature documentaries, but he’s always stayed down-to-earth, colleagues say
Artemis astronauts may find remnants of a ‘decapitated’ asteroid’s impact on the moon
An ancient impact may have scattered material from deep inside the moon toward NASA's planned Artemis landing sites near the lunar south pole.
A 29-pound Mars rock held NASA’s Curiosity rover hostage for 6 days (video)
The rock is nicknamed "Atacama."
Trump administration cut funding to study hantavirus behind deadly cruise ship outbreak
The Centers for Research in Emerging Infectious Diseases were designed to study viruses that could jump from animals to people, including hantavirus, but in 2025 the National Institutes of Health said the work wouldn’t continue