
Were the first dentists Neanderthals?
Archaeologists analyzed a Neanderthal molar that seems like it was intentionally drilled, but some experts are skeptical

Were the first dentists Neanderthals?
Archaeologists analyzed a Neanderthal molar that seems like it was intentionally drilled, but some experts are skeptical

See the National Park Service’s newest canine rangers
Sled dogs have worked alongside humans for thousands of years. In the harsh Alaskan winter they remain the best option for traversing the snowy landscape


National Academies experts denounce Trump’s NSF board purge
In an open letter, thousands of researchers criticized the White House’s firing of the National Science Foundation’s board as “an alarming attack” on U.S. science

Happy birthday, David Attenborough! Famed naturalist marks 100 years
David Attenborough once directed programming at the BBC and has hosted numerous award-winning nature documentaries, but he’s always stayed down-to-earth, colleagues say
Peering into Earth’s climate past is getting ever more bizarre
Earth’s ancient climate is written in... ostrich eggshells and stomach oil?

Could this fungus live on Mars? Maybe it already does
An almost unkillable fungal strain isolated from NASA’s ultrasterile clean rooms hints at “critical gaps” in interplanetary quarantine

Scorpion stingers with metals, preeclampsia hope, more cuts to U.S. wind energy
A look at what makes scorpions so deadly, why there’s hope for preeclampsia and how President Trump is gutting wind energy

Do octopus brains work like humans’—or is there another way to be smart?
Just like vertebrates, cephalopods—such as octopuses and squid—have elaborate brains. Neuroscientists are flocking to them for insights into how intelligence evolved.

The spring migration of birds is peaking. Here’s how to watch
The migration of birds from their southern wintering grounds to their breeding grounds in the north is in full swing

City birds appear to be more afraid of women than men, and scientists have no idea why
“I fully believe our results, that urban birds react differently based on the sex of the person approaching them,” said a co-author of a study that made this finding, “but I can’t explain them right now”

‘Bat feast’ animal videos at African cave offer clues to how deadly viruses spread
Researchers filmed 10 species eating or scavenging bats at a known Marburg-virus hotspot—and caught hundreds of humans visiting

How darkness might save migratory birds
Light pollution is dangerous for birds flying over towns and cities. Here’s how you can help