NASA’s Europa Clipper launches on mission to icy Jupiter moon
Scientists are eager to see if Europa's subsurface ocean could support life, as NASA's Europa Clipper is scheduled to begin its journey.
By Joel Achenbach
The complete list of Nobel Prize winners in 2024
The 2024 Nobel Prize recipients have been announced. See the complete list of laureates and their winning work.
By Lizette Ortega
Blown off course and washed away, wildlife hit by hurricanes
Hurricanes Helene and Milton disrupted wildlife. Some have capitalized on the destruction, in search of groceries now suddenly available. Far more have been displaced or killed.
By Mark Johnson
AI helps scientists track ‘twangy’ whales
The majority of “biotwangs” were detected in waters off the Mariana Archipelago and nearby Wake Island.
By Erin Blakemore
Can an icy Jupiter moon sustain life? NASA’s biggest space probe will investigate.
NASA is set to launch a jumbo spacecraft, Europa Clipper, to see if an icy moon of Jupiter has the characteristics of a habitable world.
By Joel Achenbach, William Neff and Leslie Shapiro
Woman attempted to kayak to Canada with bag full of protected turtles
Border Patrol agents in Vermont stopped the woman on the shore of Lake Wallace, on the U.S.-Canada border, with a duffel bag containing $40,000 worth of turtles.
By Frances Vinall
Death rates for working-age and young Black people rose during pandemic
The study reveals how mortality rates among young Black people and working-age people rose during the pandemic, highlighting disparities and structural racism.
By Lizette Ortega
How farm animals survived Milton: ‘Animals are smarter than us’
The safest thing for most farm animals during a hurricane is to leave them outside rather than in a barn.
By Sydney Page
Earth’s wildlife populations have disappeared at a ‘catastrophic’ rate in the past half-century, new analysis says
The Living Planet Index tracks thousands of vertebrate species globally and found the worst declines were in Latin America and the Caribbean.
By Frances Vinall and Allyson Chiu
Nobel Prize in chemistry awarded to three scientists for work on proteins
The prize was awarded Wednesday for research that cracked the code of proteins.
By Carolyn Y. Johnson and Lizette Ortega
Tampa zoo and aquarium staff to ride out Milton with the animals
Evacuation is unrealistic for many zoo and aquarium animals, so staffers are rolling out all their safety precautions as Hurricane Milton bears down.
By Ben Brasch
John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton awarded Nobel Prize in physics
One laureate recognized for foundational discoveries and inventions that enable machine learning warns of “possible bad consequences” of artificial intelligence.
By Joel Achenbach, Lizette Ortega and Nitasha Tiku
New archaeology tools unearth lost cities and other ancient marvels
LiDAR and artificial intelligence are just some of the technological advances that make discovery faster and easier.
By Joel Achenbach
Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine awarded for discovery of microRNA
The prize was awarded for the discovery of microRNA and “its role in post-transcriptional gene regulation.” MicroRNA plays an important role in gene regulation and how organisms develop and function.
By Mark Johnson and Lizette Ortega
Hvaldimir autopsy finds no gunshot wounds in alleged Russian spy whale
Animal rights groups questioned the report’s conclusion that there were no human-caused injuries, and they called for further police investigation.
By Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff
In eagle nirvana, avian flu is decimating America’s national bird
The bald eagle was removed 17 years ago from the endangered species list, signaling the comeback of an iconic species. A new threat imperils that recovery.
By Mark Johnson and Demetrius Freeman
Ice is getting more dangerous as the world warms, study suggests
As the climate has warmed in recent years, ice thickness across the Northern Hemisphere has declined.
By Erin Blakemore
Plastic-eating bacteria could combat pollution problems, scientists hope
A bacteria commonly found in wastewater can break down plastic to turn it into a food source, a new study finds. Scientists hope it is a pollution solution.
By Lizette Ortega
Celebrity ‘diva’ beaver caught in dramatic court case over her future
A rescue center took in Nibi the beaver after she was orphaned. MassWildlife officials say she must be released — but her caregivers say she won’t survive.
By Adela Suliman
Intricate map of tiny fruit fly brain marks major neuroscience milestone
Scientists mapped the fruit fly brain’s more than 50 million connections, a step in aiding future human brain research.
By Mark Johnson