1431 Items Tagged

Science

Vienna, Austria

Gedenkstätte der Anatomie

A memorial to those who donated their bodies to science.

World’s Oldest Human Footprint Found in South Africa

The ichnofossil, or trace fossil, is more than 150,000 years old.

Charles Helm and Andrew Carr August 19, 2024

The island of Cyprus was an ancient mecca for herbal perfumes.

Resurrecting the Scents of Ancient Cyprus

An experimental archaeology park lets visitors get a whiff of the island's aromatic past.

Anna K. Cottrell August 15, 2024

Beneath downtown Minneapolis, Schieks Cave has surprisingly warm groundwater, evidence of a subterranean heat island.

The Strange Heat Island Lurking Beneath Minneapolis

An urban explorer ventured deep below downtown in search of Schieks Cave. What he found changed science.

Sarah Scoles August 13, 2024

In British Columbia, Dead Salmon Make for Happy Butterflies and Bees

Researchers hauled bins of fish carcasses through bear country to learn how salmon affects plants and pollinators.

Suzie Hodges August 6, 2024

Trees and other plants can’t escape wildfire smoke.

Trees Hold Their Breath to Avoid Wildfire Smoke

Researchers made the surprise discovery when wildfire smoke blanketed their test site.

Delphine Farmer and Mj Riches August 5, 2024

Marlborough, New Hampshire

The Caterpillar Lab

This curious and colorful space invites visitors to delve into the hidden and often mind-boggling world of caterpillars.

Mastodons once roamed over much of North America. One of them died near the future site of San Diego, causing a scientific controversy 130,000 years later.

The Wild Tale of the Cerutti Mastodon, a Fossil That Could Rewrite the Human Story

The Cerutti Mastodon, found near San Diego, shows signs of being butchered 130,000 years ago—but by who? Or what?

Gemma Tarlach August 1, 2024

<em>Approaching Storm</em> by German landscape painter Julius Bergmann shows a cowherd bringing his animals to shelter.

Can Thunderstorms Spoil Milk?

The answer eluded scientists for centuries.

Andrew Coletti July 30, 2024

A variety of animals, from birds to mammals, including lemurs, have been observed eating fermented fruit, apparently to get a little tipsy.

From Naming Each Other to Getting Drunk, Animals Are More Like Us Than We Thought

We're not so special after all.

Robin George Andrews July 24, 2024

Octopuses investigate the skeleton of a whale at a whale fall site off the California coast.

There Are More Whale Falls Off Los Angeles Than the Rest of the World Combined

The surprising discovery reveals how much we don't know about the deep ocean and its residents.

Douglas Main July 22, 2024

Small rocks can be great souvenirs from camp and other summertime adventures—they can also reveal secrets about Earth's deep history.

How to Identify Rocks, the Ultimate Summer Camp Souvenir

Who hasn't stopped to marvel over a cool rock along the lakeshore or on the trail? Here's how to learn its backstory.

Yinan Wang July 11, 2024

For more than half a century, the traveling International Astronomical Youth Camp has offered a gateway to careers in astronomy—and to lifelong friendships.

Up at Noon, Out All Night: This Summer Camp Is for Serious Stargazers

For more than half a century, the International Astronomical Youth Camp has attracted aspiring astronomers from around the world.

Hannah Seo July 5, 2024

The Kutuk River in Alaska's Gates of the Arctic National Park is one of 75 orange-stained rivers found in the region.

Dozens of Alaska Rivers are Turning an Eerie Orange

The cause is just as concerning as the color.

Charis McGowan June 28, 2024

Sharing nightly ghost stories and other scary tales was a tradition for generations of summer campers—until now.

The Tale of the Vanishing Summer Camp Ghost Story

To avoid traumatizing children, many camps are banning scary stories. But can a little fun with fear be a good thing?

Roxanne Hoorn June 21, 2024

Because many predators hunt at night, humans evolved to be particularly vigilant in low-light environments.

Why a Night in the Woods Can Scare Even Seasoned Campers

As the sun goes down when you're camping, every sound can seem like a threat. Blame evolution—and our phones.

Suzie Dundas June 18, 2024

Upton, New York

Brookhaven Gamma Forest

Starting in 1961, Brookhaven National Labs regularly irradiated a section of forest with a canister of Cesium-137 to study the effects of hard gamma radiation on an ecosystem.

The Ancient Secrets Hidden in 41,000 Bison Bones

Thousands of bones from Colorado's Jones-Miller site offer a detailed picture of Ice Age hunting—and a few mysteries.

Stephen E. Nash June 3, 2024