Satellites can now track ocean garbage from space, marking a potential “game changer” for tracking the vexing problem of marine litter, new research suggests.The study, published in Nature Communications, suggests that even satellites that haven’t been special... More »
For more than two decades, Elon Musk has focused SpaceX, his rocket company, on his lifelong goal of reaching Mars.Over the last year, he has also ramped up work on what will happen if he gets there.Mr. Musk, 53, has directed SpaceX employees to drill into the... More »
The latest made-ya-look image from the James Webb Space Telescope has arrived, and it looks like … a penguin. A giant penguin in space.NASA officials on Friday marked two full years of scientific results from the telescope with the release of the image, which ... More »
Asteroid impacts and volcanism have led to mass extinctions on our planet. Illustration by Emily Lankiewicz / NASA / Public DomainLife’s first major catastrophe crept across the planet with the spread of ice. Early life had... More »
A 52,000-year-old woolly mammoth was impeccably freeze-dried by nature, its swatches of fur remaining intact — remarkably enough — and allowing a global team of scientists to reconstruct the creature’s three-dimensional genome for the first time.A study publis... More »
Emily LankiewiczFour decades ago, Pablo Escobar brought to his Medellín hideaway four hippopotamuses, the centerpieces of a menagerie that included llamas, cheetahs, lions, tigers, ostriches and other exotic fauna. After Colombian... More »
A British rower making a solo journey across the Atlantic Ocean suddenly found himself with plenty of company when a huge pod of whales surrounded his boat, in a stunning scene captured on video.Tom Waddington, a U.K.-based ski coach documenting his 2,000-naut... More »
The speed with which we reach a decision can reveal the strength of our biasesDavid Williams/Bloomberg via Getty Images In a large group of independent decision-makers, those who reach a decision most quickly also tend to be those with the strongest initial bi... More »
Maya Wei-Haas ReporterIn a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand, a lush, almost tropical oasis hides behind the home of Sean and Annie Jacob. Palm trees tower over the verdant lands. Cheery mar... More »
Europe's big new rocket, Ariane-6, has blasted off on its maiden flight. More »
Liz Lindqwister, bioGraphicNow in its 11th year, the California Academy of Sciences’ renowned BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition celebrates some of the world’s best photographers and... More »
To save one vulnerable owl species, the federal government has a contentious plan: killing hundreds of thousands of another owl species.The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said its proposal, released last week, might be the only way to save the spotted owl, who... More »