PaleontologyAugust 15, 2024
Tardigrade Fossils Reveal When ‘Water Bears’ Became Indestructible
Around 252 million years ago tardigrades may have escaped extinction using this one weird trick
Stories by Mindy Weisberger
Mindy Weisberger is a science writer covering biology, paleontology, climate change and space. She studied film at Columbia University and produced, wrote and directed media for the American Museum of Natural History for more than a decade, creating videos about dinosaurs, astrophysics, biodiversity and evolution that have appeared in museums and science centers worldwide. Her book Rise of the Zombie Bugs: The Surprising Science of Parasitic Mind-Control will be published in the spring of 2025 by Hopkins Press.
DinosaursFebruary 23, 2022
‘Frozen in Place’ Fossils Reveal Dinosaur-Killing Asteroid Struck in Spring
Clues to the season of impact lingered in delicate fish fossils
AstrophysicsJanuary 5, 2022
Astronomers Report a Monstrous Eruption from a Supermagnetic Star
In a fraction of a second, the outburst released as much energy as our sun produces in 100,000 years
Planetary ScienceOctober 15, 2021
Meteorite Crashes into Woman’s Bed in Canada
The woman awoke to find the space rock laying next to her head
AnimalsSeptember 2, 2021
Why Tiny Tardigrades Walk like Insects 500,000 Times Their Size
Animals this small and squishy usually don’t have legs
BiologyAugust 3, 2020
After Being Swallowed Alive, Water Beetle Stages ‘Backdoor’ Escape from Frog’s Gut
Life’s journey sometimes takes you to unexpected places
BiotechJanuary 15, 2020
World’s First “Living Machine” Created Using Frog Cells and Artificial Intelligence
Scientists used computer algorithms to develop a programmable organism made of frog DNA
Space & PhysicsAugust 14, 2019
Space Dust from Ancient Supernova Found Hiding in Antarctica
Iron traces in snowfall originated in a stellar explosion millions of years ago
EvolutionJune 27, 2019
Extinct 11-Foot “Super-Ostrich” Was as Massive as a Polar Bear
The giant bird roamed Europe more than two million years ago
EvolutionDecember 18, 2018
Long-Hidden “Pyramid” Found in Indonesia Was Likely an Ancient Temple
The structure has potentially been used as a place of worship for thousands of years
ComputingNovember 5, 2018
A New Supercomputer Is the World’s Fastest Brain-Mimicking Machine
The computer has one million processors and 1,200 interconnected circuit boards
The SciencesOctober 18, 2018
Measurement Shows the Electron’s Stubborn Roundness
Once again, a major experiment reveals no deviations in the fundamental particle’s shape, complicating the search for new physics
EvolutionJune 24, 2018
T. rex Couldn't Stick Out Its Tongue
With its tongue attached to the bottom of its mouth, the dinosaur probably ate like modern crocodiles
BiologyJanuary 31, 2018
Orca Quickly Learns to Mimic Human Speech
A killer whale picks up words like “hello” and “bye-bye,” some on the first attempt
Climate ChangeJanuary 18, 2018
2017 Ranked Among Three Hottest Years Ever
The average amount of heat absorbed and trapped in the upper ocean last year was also higher than ever seen before
ConservationNovember 28, 2017
Mexico Designates North America’s Largest Ocean Reserve
The area is uniquely rich in marine biodiversity
ConservationMay 28, 2017
Hunting Big Game: Why People Kill Animals for Fun
Thousands of people each year visit wild spaces across Africa with guns in hand. They’re playing a dangerous game
PolicyJanuary 27, 2017
“Rogue” Science Agencies Defy Trump Administration on Twitter
Anonymous accounts are purportedly linked to NASA, National Parks and other agencies
BiologyOctober 17, 2016
Jumping Spiders "Hear" Long-Range Audio with Their Hairy Legs
Spiders can sense and respond to sounds coming from distances more than three meters away even though they lack ears and eardrums
ElectronicsSeptember 19, 2016
These Eagles Snatch Hostile Drones from the Sky
The Dutch National Police are training juvenile bald eagles to use their sharp talons to ground rogue flying robots
EngineeringJuly 18, 2016
Shoe-Wearing Robot's No Flatfoot--It Walks like a Person
Enhanced walking capabilities could help robots navigate environments that people move around in, and could improve the performance of bots created for disaster response
EnvironmentJune 28, 2016
Invasive Lionfish Arrive in the Mediterranean
The first wave of a lionfish invasion has struck in the Mediterranean Sea, a region where these fish had not been established before
Public HealthJune 16, 2016
Calls Escalate for Lifting Blood Donor Ban on Men Who Have Sex with Men
After the Orlando massacre some are suggesting the Food and Drug Administration reconsider its policy
EvolutionJune 3, 2016
T. rex May Have Had Lips
A University of Toronto paleontologist suggests the predator's teeth were hidden behind scaly skin when not on the hunt