New ancient DNA evidence reveals that Yersinia pestis, the bacterium behind the Black Death, was infecting humans as far back as 5,000 years ago—and may have triggered some of history's most mysterious Bronze Age collapses. Discover how plague silently shaped the ancient world long before medieval Europe ever knew its name.
Coral reefs cover less than 1% of the ocean floor yet support roughly 25% of all marine species — and they're vanishing at an alarming rate. This deep-dive explores the science of coral death, the mechanics of bleaching, and the hard-won efforts to bring reefs back from the brink.
New temperature records, accelerating feedback loops, and emerging climate science suggest our best models may be systematically underestimating how fast Earth is warming—with profound consequences for the timelines we use to plan our response. A deep-dive into what the data reveals.
Clinical trials reveal a surprising and nuanced picture of how the ketogenic diet affects liver health — offering potential treatment for fatty liver disease while raising new concerns about long-term metabolic consequences. Here's what the science actually shows.
Ancient manuscripts made from animal skin are turning out to be unexpected biological archives, preserving the DNA of pathogens for centuries. Scientists are now mining these historical texts to trace the origins and evolution of deadly diseases.
Droughts are no longer confined to arid regions — they are increasingly devastating temperate climates like the UK's, driven by complex interactions between climate change, shifting jet streams, and aging water infrastructure. Here's what science knows, what it doesn't, and why the uncertainty itself is the crisis.
Spacewalks are among the most complex and dangerous activities in human spaceflight, requiring months of preparation, layers of redundant safety systems, and split-second decision-making 250 miles above Earth. Here's what it actually takes to step outside the International Space Station—and what can go terrifyingly wrong.
Despite decades of public recycling campaigns, less than 10% of all plastic ever produced has been recycled — a failure rooted in chemistry, economics, and a fossil fuel industry that shaped the myth of a circular plastic economy. This deep-dive investigates how plastic recycling actually works, why it mostly doesn't, and what genuinely transformative solutions might look like.
Measles, a disease once declared eliminated in the United States, has staged a troubling resurgence fueled by vaccine hesitancy, misinformation, and gaps in global immunization coverage. Here's what scientists, epidemiologists, and public health officials say it will take to stop it.
As climate change reshapes precipitation patterns worldwide, meteorologists are discovering that the very models built to predict extreme rainfall are struggling to keep pace with a rapidly destabilizing atmosphere. Here's why forecasting floods has become harder, not easier, despite decades of technological progress.
Scientists studying hibernating animals have discovered that brains can shed and regrow synapses on demand — a finding that could revolutionize our understanding of brain plasticity, memory, and treatments for neurological disease. Here's what happens inside the brain of a sleeping bear, and why it might one day matter for yours.
The James Webb Space Telescope is detecting massive, fully-formed galaxies in the earliest epochs of the universe, challenging the standard model of cosmology and forcing scientists to confront whether our understanding of dark matter, galaxy formation, and the Big Bang itself needs a fundamental overhaul. Explore the discoveries upending decades of established science.
Scientists are uncovering how speaking multiple languages reshapes the brain from childhood through old age, building a powerful cognitive reserve that may delay dementia by years. Here's what the research reveals about multilingualism and long-term brain health.
Scientists have uncovered the real mechanisms behind quality sleep, from circadian rhythms to body temperature. Here's what the research says actually works.