The world’s fastest microscope makes its debut
The motion of whizzing electrons has been captured like never before. Researchers have developed a laser-based microscope that snaps images…
‘Turning to Stone’ paints rocks as storytellers and mentors
Turning to StoneMarcia BjornerudFlatiron Books, $28.99 Marcia Bjornerud sits in the basement of a soon-to-be-demolished building at Lawrence University in…
The historic ‘Wow!’ signal may finally have a source. Sorry, it’s not aliens
One of the most compelling potential signs of extraterrestrial communication might have an astrophysical explanation. Called the “Wow!” signal, the…
The nearest midsized black hole might instead be a horde of lightweights
Contrary to a previous report, there’s no evidence of an intermediate-mass black hole in Omega Centauri, the Milky Way’s most…
This spider makes its home in the burrows of extinct giant ground sloths
Deep in the unyielding darkness of a Brazilian cave, a pale, blind, spiny beast carefully feels its way across rust-colored…
This spider uses trapped fireflies to lure in more prey
Sometimes fireflies shouldn’t follow the light. A single flash from a female usually helps male Abscondita terminalis fireflies find…
The world’s record-breaking hot streak has lasted 14 months. When will it end?
In its latest global climate report, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration confirmed that July was the 14th straight month…
Old books can have unsafe levels of chromium, but readers’ risk is low
Old books can be beautiful to look at. But handle with care — they just might be toxic. The covers…
This spiky fossil shows what early mollusks looked like
An animal that could be mistaken for a spiky fruit is giving scientists a peek into what mollusks looked like…
A distant quasar may be zapping all galaxies around itself
One of the farthest known quasars seems to have shut down the creation of new stars in all the galaxies…
