How to watch the Perseid meteor shower this weekend
The Perseid meteor shower is one of the astronomic highlights of any year, and luckily for those of us slaving away in front of a …
Science
Scientists finally have a suitable explanation for Jupiter’s weirdly colorful bands
Of all the planets in our Solar System, Jupiter is probably the most interesting to look at. It’s just a big ball of fast-moving gasses …
Smoke from California wildfires is drifting all the way to New York City
California is currently in the midst of a pretty serious wildfire crisis. Emergency management officials are working tirelessly to contain the fires as they jump …
Black Widow spiders are spreading north to entirely new areas
One of the many side effects of climate change is the gradual shift in territories of some species. Most animals have certain temperature thresholds that …
Ancient human ancestors went extinct because they were lazy
In news that should surprise absolutely no one, scientists now believe an ancient ancestor of modern humans died off because they were too lazy for …
MIT created a high-tech pill that spews glowing bacteria into your gut, for science
For all the ultra-powerful technology that doctors have at their disposal, it’s still shockingly difficult to see what’s actually happening inside the human body. Sure, …
Space Shuttle astronaut says he thought he saw an alien in the cargo bay
NASA astronauts are usually pretty dismissive of conspiracy theorist claims of aliens hanging out around Earth. You see a lot of weird stuff when you’re …
Scientists find teeth of an ancient ‘Mega Shark’ that could have destroyed a Great White
Swimming in the ocean today comes with a unique set of risks. One of those risks is encountering a creature that could harm you, like …
People in Florida are paying thousands of dollars to be ‘buried’ in an underwater graveyard
Making plans for what will happen to you after your death is always kind of weird, whether you believe in an afterlife or not. Where …
NASA is about to launch the fastest manmade object ever
You’ve already heard plenty about the Parker Solar Probe over the past year or so, and with good reason. It’s NASA’s long-planned attempt to “Touch …
Dinosaurs were sniffing flowers millions of years before humans even existed
You don’t normally think of dinosaurs doing the kinds of things that modern animals might do — like taking a nap in a grassy field …
Scientists trained an AI to write poetry, and now it’s standing toe-to-toe with Shakespeare
If science fiction has taught us anything it’s that artificial intelligence will one day lead to the downfall of the entirety of mankind. That day …
That horrific E. coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce was probably caused by cow poop
It’s now been some time since the growing season for romaine lettuce in the Yuma, Arizona, region came to a close, and it was a …
These bizarre ancient creatures looked like huge aquatic plants, but they were actually animals
Fossil hunting isn’t quite as cut-and-dry as you might think it is. Finding the leftovers of a creature that lived a hundred million years ago …
This meteorite was hiding a mineral that has never been found on Earth
Humans have been on Earth for long enough that we have a pretty darn good idea of what our planet is made of. Scientists have …
The massive wildfire raging in California is now the largest in the state’s history
Wildfires can be incredibly devastating, taking down forests and grasslands and encroaching on populated towns and cities as they relentlessly march forward. Californians have become …
NASA’s planet-hunting TESS satellite spies comet cruising through space
NASA’s new TESS spacecraft — which stands for Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, in case you were wondering — is all ready to get its scientific …
NASA’s historic mission to ‘Touch the Sun’ will begin on Saturday
It’s been a long time coming, but NASA’s Parker Solar Probe is finally just days away from its historic launch towards the star that hosts …
Jupiter’s moons create invisible ‘killer’ waves that could destroy spacecraft
Here on Earth, electromagnetic waves around the planet are typically pretty calm. When the Sun fires a burst of charged particles at the Earth we …
Apple Watch warns man about strange heartbeat, doctors find hole in his heart
We’ve heard of a handful of cases of the Apple Watch alerting its wearer to life-threatening health conditions in the past, and it seems we …
NASA’s Curiosity rover just celebrated its sixth birthday, but it didn’t sing itself a song
NASA’s Mars Curiosity rover has been delivering all kinds of fantastic data and observations from the Martian surface since it landed back in 2012, and …
Astronomers discover bizarre rogue planet glowing with auroras
When astronomers are searching the depths of space for new objects it’s typically easier to find undiscovered planets if they’re orbiting a star. That’s because …
Elon Musk claims scientists are wrong about Mars terraforming, says we can definitely do it
Elon Musk has long had his sights set on an eventual goal of making Mars a more habitable planet. His dreams of manned SpaceX flights …
Almond milk recalled for containing actual milk
HP Hood, the company that produces the Vanilla Almond Breeze that is definitely not milk, has issued a recall of some half-gallon cartons as they’re …
Poop-tained McDonald’s salads have now made 395 people in 15 states sick
The number of people affected by an outbreak of disease caused by tainted McDonald’s salad has now grown to 395, according to the Center for Disease Control …
Manned space flight is coming back to the US, and these NASA astronauts will fly the first missions
After a years-long hiatus, manned space flight is coming back to the US, thanks to two private space companies. Boeing and SpaceX are both scheduled …
Canada’s new radio telescope just picked up a strange signal from deep space
Canada’s shiny new radio telescope is up and running, and it just heard something very, very odd coming from deep space. The Canadian Hydrogen Intensity …
Science says there’s a good reason why humans use ‘baby talk’ on infants
You’ve probably never given a second thought to why people tend to use “baby talk” when speaking to small children. Babies are cute and so …
Astronomers now have a formula for finding planets that are perfect for life
One of the biggest challenges for astronomers searching for habitable exoplanets is trying to match up newly-discovered worlds with the increasingly long list of criteria …
Boeing’s Starliner has been delayed again, because of course it has
Another day, another news story that makes it seem like NASA is never actually going to send astronauts back into space. The administration has been …
