The ‘unknome’ catalogs nearly 2 million proteins. Many are mysterious
When it comes to vast, under-explored frontiers, space and Earth’s oceans come to mind. But even in human bodies, there’s still much to be discovered…
Science News
Spiral galaxies might have been lentil-shaped before becoming starry whirls
The Milky Way might have once looked more like a legume than a starry whirlpool. Over their unfathomably long lifetimes, spiral galaxies like the Mi…
50 years ago, mysterious glass hinted at Earth’s violent past
Microtektites found in Caribbean may shed light on tektite origin — Science News , August 11, 1973 Though their origin remains a mystery to scie…
Extreme heat taxes the body in many ways. Here’s how
July 2023 was the hottest month ever recorded. It could even be the hottest month in human history. And it’s just one in a chain of broken heat reco…
A fantastical world of potential giant viruses lurks beneath the soil
Giant viruses may try out all sorts of funky lewks. New images reveal the varied — and sometimes whimsical — shapes of hundreds of potential soil-d…
Climate change puts children’s health at risk now and in the future
Climate-related environmental disasters have not let up this summer. Heat waves are roasting the United States, Europe, China and North Africa ( SN:…
The thymus withers away after puberty. But it may be important for adults
A mysterious organ that’s most active in childhood might play a previously underappreciated role in adults. In a study of almost 2,300 adults who un…
A child’s ornate necklace highlights ancient farmers’ social complexity
A Middle Eastern child interred in a stone-lined grave around 9,000 years ago wore an elaborate necklace that illustrates the complexity of social li…
A colossal ancient whale could be the heaviest animal ever known
Move over, blue whales. There could be a new heavyweight champ in town. Fossilized vertebrae and ribs from a newly discovered ancient whale suggest…
July 2023 nailed an unfortunate world record: hottest month ever recorded
Most humans felt the scorching touch of climate change in July. July 2023 was the hottest month ever recorded, and climate change made the elevated …
The newfound Los Angeles thread millipede is ready for its close-up
Despite living in the entertainment capital of the world, the Los Angeles thread millipede has avoided the limelight. But when researchers spotted it…
50 years ago, scientists thought they had found Earth’s oldest rocks
Oldest rocks — Science News , July 21, 1973 Until recently, Greenland possessed the oldest known rocks in the world. They date back 3.7 billion …
‘Blight’ warns that a future pandemic could start with a fungus
Blight Emily Monosson W.W. Norton & Co., $28.95 In the summer of 1904, American chestnut trees in the Bronx were in trouble. Leaves, normal…
Playful behavior in rats is controlled by a specific area of their brains
Rats are extremely playful creatures. They love playing chase, and they literally jump for joy when tickled. Central to this playfulness, a new study…
Cow poop emits climate-warming methane. Adding red algae may help
Earth has a cow problem. Cow agriculture is one of the largest emitters of climate-warming methane to the atmosphere. But adding a type of red algae…
How geometry solves architectural problems for bees and wasps
Honeybees and yellow jackets don’t look much like mathematicians — for one thing, they’re smaller. But collectively, the insects can solve a common a…