Archaeologists studied hundreds of unfinished stone heads in a quarry on Easter Island to better understand how they were constructed and the society that made them.

Easter Island quarry reveals how Polynesians made enigmatic stone statues

A telescope in Chile has captured a stunning new picture of a grand and graceful cosmic butterfly.  At the heart of this bipolar nebula is a white dwarf star that cast aside its outer layers of gas long ago.  Schoolchildren in Chile chose this astronomical target to celebrate 25 years of operation by the International Gemini Observatory.

Telescope in Chile captures stunning new picture of a cosmic butterfly

The mysteries of Easter Island, subjects of speculation for centuries, yield to scientific inquiry.

Drones, physics and rats: Studies show how the people of Rapa Nui made and moved the giant statues – and what caused the island’s deforestation

We have more neurons in our cortices than any other species, courtesy of an early technology – and along with them came our long, slow lives, with plenty of chances to gather around the dinner table.

Your big brain makes you human – count your neurons when you count your blessings

Tryptophan, found in food, is an important ingredient in the neurotransmitter serotonin. But is that enough to support it as a possible mood booster? The research is decidedly mixed.

Turning to turkey’s tryptophan to boost mood? Not so fast

Volcanoes and earthquakes are both natural phenomena driven by the dynamic processes that shape Earth’s interior and surface.

Ethiopian earthquakes and volcanic eruptions: earth scientist explains the link

South Korea lofted the CAS500-3 Earth-observation satellite and a dozen ride-along cubesats Wednesday (Nov. 26) on the fourth-ever launch of its Nuri rocket.

South Korea launches Earth-observation satellite on homegrown Nuri rocket

Fossils from a 3-ton shark unearthed in northern Australia suggests these creatures grew into massive, fearsome predators earlier than previously thought

This Huge Ocean Beast Shifts Sharks’ Evolutionary Timeline

Satellite space quiz: What's orbiting Earth?

When last year's solar superstorm Gannon slammed into Earth, it not only painted the sky with beautiful auroras, but also shrunk one of the planet's protective layers to just one-fifth its usual size.

Satellite data reveals a huge solar storm in 2024 shrank Earth's protective plasma shield

A wild wolf in British Columbia was recorded pulling a crab trap out of the ocean, potentially marking the first time the species was observed using tools.

In a scientific first, biologists recorded a wild wolf potentially using tools

Boeing and NASA have agreed to keep astronauts off the company’s next Starliner flight and instead perform a trial run with cargo to prove its safety.  Monday’s announcement comes eight months after the first and only Starliner crew returned to Earth aboard SpaceX after a prolonged mission.  Although NASA test pilots Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams managed to dock Starliner to the International Space Station in 2024, the capsule had so many problems that NASA ordered it to come back empty, leavi

Boeing's troubled capsule won't carry astronauts on next space station flight

Today’s wolves and dogs share a common ancestor. But a deeper look at their genes reveals that interbreeding since dogs were domesticated 20,000 years ago hasn’t been as rare as scientists assumed.

Thousands of genomes reveal the wild wolf genes in most dogs’ DNA

Two cute rovers recently teamed up in a moon-like facility in search of water, to support future Artemis missions and their astronauts.

These 2 moon rovers used cameras and lasers to hunt for simulated water ice — and one looks like WALL-E

Raccoons have easy access to food in the form of human trash. It could be jump-starting physical and behavioral changes in the masked bandits, new research suggests.

New research reveals urban raccoons across the US show early signs of domestication

Will the universe keep existing forever? An astrophysicist explains how scientists aren’t entirely sure, but they can make predictions.

How will the universe end?

A subset of AI called reinforcement learning is helping scientists improve nuclear fuel technology, which they could use to power spacecraft and rockets.

AI is making spacecraft propulsion more efficient – and could even lead to nuclear-powered rockets

The people who manage America’s aquifers, wetlands, shorelines and recreation areas rely on federal science as they face new and rising risks in a changing climate.

From invasive species tracking to water security – what’s lost with federal funding cuts at US Climate Adaptation Science Centers

Paleontologists spotted injuries on the tails of duck-billed dinosaur fossils that might have occurred during mating.

Mating injuries may lead scientists to identify dinosaurs’ sex

Researcher Matthew Graham said scientists didn't initially "believe the numbers about the energy" emitting from the cosmic display.

Scientists discover black hole flare with the light of 10 trillion suns

Scientists working in Mexico have recorded multiple incidents in which a group of orcas hunt young great white sharks and eat their energy-rich livers.

Orcas seen hunting great white sharks to eat their livers in drone footage recorded in Mexico

The hunt for dark matter: a trivia quiz

Hubble sees spiral galaxy in Lion's heart | Space photo of the day for Nov. 4

Dark matter obeys gravity after all — could that rule out a 5th fundamental force in the universe?

"This discovery ends a protracted search for these waves that has its origins in the 1940s."

Scientists find twisting magnetic waves on the sun. Could this help solve a huge solar mystery?

The brief flashes were captured from Earth and could be from the Taurid meteor shower.

Astronomer captures 2 meteors slamming into the moon (video)

James Webb Space telescope spots 'big red dot' in the ancient universe: A ravenous supermassive black hole named 'BiRD'

How AI fixed the James Webb Space Telescope's blurry vision

China's Shenzhou 20 and 21 astronauts enjoyed freshly cooked BBQ aboard the Tiangong space station recently, thanks to a new microgravity oven.

Watch Chinese astronauts enjoy '1st ever space BBQ' from Tiangong's brand-new oven (video)

Our biggest evolutionary advantages are an ability to walk on two legs and our big brains.

How did humans evolve, and will we evolve more?

A SpaceX rocket carrying 29 Starlink satellites launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on the company's 150 Falcon 9 mission of 2025.

SpaceX launches Starlink satellites on its 150th Falcon 9 mission of the year

"This study demonstrates the astonishing resilience of life that originated on Earth."

Science