Scientists at Work

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.

Ecologists are finding unexpected changes in the delicate ecosystems below Lava Beds National Monument.

The first-ever expedition to the bottom of a startling desert sinkhole found wonders—but only natural ones.

A remarkable ancient technology and tradition that united communities in the Andes is fading into history.

Scientists' creative approach to collecting spotted skunks led to a new family tree for the handstanding li'l stinkers.

The country's extensive fossils include early ancestors of whales, the largest mammals on the planet.

A look inside the Mediterranean trading power, courtesy of its hard-working 16th-century porters.

Researchers scramble to find and study everyday items preserved for millennia and now at risk.

The western false asphodel has an appetite for insects, but it’s not a great time to be a meat-eating plant.

Decades of work has revealed a "megadiverse" ancient landscape in northern Peru that was destroyed in a volcanic eruption.

A languid fish has a story to tell about longevity, lifestyle, and loss.

Team members at the remote desert site brave challenging conditions to make the most of its clear, dark skies.

Researchers braved storms and monstrous underwater mountains to learn why one region’s earth-shaking is so peculiar.

Prehistoric people may have created 'proto-cinema,' with galloping bison and tail-swishing horses.

The bean-sized snail has persevered despite hundreds of related species going extinct in recent decades.

Studying the animal’s nerve network may help scientists understand our own.

With a new train line threatening its habitat, the big cat may be the key to protecting this Mexican reserve—and everything else in it.

Now scientists want to try the same trick on Venus.