Planet Earth

Simushir Island, part of the Kuril islands, where the 1831 mystery eruption took place.

Mysterious climate-changing eruption that turned the sun blue traced to remote Pacific island

By Patrick Pester published

Zavaritskii volcano in the Kuril Islands was responsible for the mysterious 1831 volcanic eruption that cooled the climate and turned the sun different colors, a new study finds.

Volcanos
Split image of volcano and extreme winter storms

Polar vortices and volcanoes undersea

By Pandora Dewan published

Science news this week Jan. 3, 2025: Our weekly roundup of the latest science in the news, as well as a few fascinating articles to keep you entertained over the weekend.

Science news this week
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Space

Someone using one of the best telescopes

Best telescopes 2025: Observe galaxies, nebulas and planets

By Jase Parnell-Brookes last updated

The best telescopes offer an unparalleled view of the cosmos, and we've gathered our favorites just in time for Amazon Prime Big Deals Day.

Space
Montage of NASA Hubble Space Telescope views of our solar system's four giant outer planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, each shown in enhanced color.

Space photo of the week: Hubble celebrates 10 years of hunting giants

By Shreejaya Karantha published

Behold, the giants! The Hubble Space Telescope has completed a decade of observing Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

Space
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archaeology

A painting of the Battle of Nineveh

Roman Empire grew after catastrophic volcanic eruption, study finds

By Lev Cosijns, Haggai Olshanetsky published

Research shows that A.D. 536 was not the worst year to be alive.

Romans
a pile of old coins

2,100-year-old coin hoard dating to dynasty of Jewish kings discovered in Jordan Valley

By Owen Jarus published

A coin hoard dating back about 2,100 years, during the time of the Jewish Hasmonean kings, has been discovered at a site in the Jordan Valley.

Archaeology
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Health

Polar Grit x2 Pro Titan as being worn by our reviewer

Polar Grit X2 Pro Titan review

By Andrew Williams published

Is the Polar's flagship outdoor watch worth its premium price?

Exercise
an illustration of DNA

How do DNA tests tell if two people are related?

By Skyler Ware published

How can DNA from a cheek swab determine if someone is closely related to you?

Genetics
a woman lies on a couch in a therapist's office

Hypnosis is real — and it can help with IBS, poor sleep and anxiety, experts say

By David Acunzo published

Hypnosis is safe and can work as both a standalone or a complementary treatment with other therapies.

Mind
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Animals

One eyed wolf walking on thick snow next to a camera set up on a trail.

Yellowstone's 'queen of the wolves' killed by rival pack after living to 11 years old and having 10 litters of pups

By Jacklin Kwan published

Record-breaking Wolf 907F, the alpha of the Junction Butte pack, died after a confrontation with a rival pack at Yellowstone River on Christmas Day.

Land Mammals
a baby eats next to a dog

Are cats and dogs smarter than babies?

By Marilyn Perkins published

It's possible to compare some aspects of animal and human intelligence, but not all researchers like to.

Animals
Tahlequah, or J35, carrying her dead calf in Puget Sound on Jan. 1.

Grieving orca mom carries dead calf around on her head for a 2nd time

By Patrick Pester published

An orca famous for carrying a dead calf around has once again been spotted with a deceased newborn on her head in Puget Sound, but there's some good news for her endangered southern resident killer whale pod.

Orcas
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Human Behavior

An artist's interpretation of a black hole surrounded by stars

10 mind-blowing black hole discoveries from 2024

By Ben Turner published

An artist's interpretation of a black hole surrounded by stars

Human Behavior
Collage of three pictures, from left to right: an ancient royal tomb in Greece, T. rex reconstruction and Sagittarius A*.

The 8 most controversial science stories of 2024

By Sascha Pare published

From a piece of cloth that may have belonged to Alexander the Great to an image of our galaxy's central black hole, here's our pick of controversial science stories in 2024.

Human Behavior
Three siblings sitting on a couch looking at an iPad and laughing

Middle children are more agreeable, humble and honest than siblings, new study suggests. The baby of the family would like a word.

By Stephanie Pappas published

A new study finds that middle kids and kids from larger families are more agreeable, honest and humble than younger and older kids or kids from smaller families, but the results contradict other research on the topic.

Human Behavior
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Physics & Mathematics

An illustration shows the creation of antihyperhydrogen-4 in a collision between two nulcei of lead.

Large Hadron Collider finds 1st evidence of the heaviest antimatter particle yet

By Robert Lea published

Scientists at CERN's ALICE detector are replicating conditions found during the Big Bang, attempting to get to the bottom of how matter came to dominate over antimatter.

Particle Physics
a psychedelic-style illustration of two hands touching while holding an abstract orb

Do atoms ever touch?

By Sarah Wells published

Atoms make up everything around us, but do these building blocks of matter ever actually touch?

Physics & Mathematics
an illustration of many colorful monkeys typing on typewriters

Could monkeys really type the complete works of Shakespeare?

By Marilyn Perkins published

The infinite monkey theorem is a fun thought experiment, but does it actually apply to our finite world?

Mathematics
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Chemistry

The hydrogen fuel tank of a Toyota vehicle on display.

Scientists discover revolutionary method that makes fuel from water and sunlight — but it's not finished yet

By Ben Turner published

The hydrogen fuel tank of a Toyota vehicle on display.

Chemistry
Periodic Table of Elements.

Periodic table of elements: How it works and who created it

By Jeanna Bryner, Tim Sharp last updated

The Periodic Table, first created by Dmitri Mendeleev, organizes all of the known elements in an informative array.

Elements
Hand dipping a paint brush into a large tin of pink paint as it drips back into the tin. Paint is one source of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in your home.

What are VOCs? The facts about volatile organic compounds

By Kimberly Hickok last updated

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are gaseous chemicals that are emitted by various household items, as well as natural sources.

Chemistry
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Tech

AirPods Max and AirPods Pro next to each other

Apple AirPods Max vs AirPods Pro: Which is better?

By Lloyd Coombes published

Which Apple headphones reign supreme?

Tech
students using a microscope in a classroom

Best microscopes for students 2025

By Morgan Bailee Boggess McCoy last updated

Discover a microscopic world with one of the best microscopes for students and young scientists, without emptying your wallet.

Tech
Panasonic Leica DG Elmarit 200mm f/2.8 POWER O.I.S telephoto lens.

Panasonic Leica DG Elmarit 200mm f/2.8 POWER O.I.S lens review

By James Abbott published

REVIEW The Panasonic Leica DG Elmarit 200mm f/2.8 POWER O.I.S delivers professional image quality and functionality in a compact and lightweight package.

REVIEW
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