Alex is said to have mastered 100 words and even asked questions – something that’s almost unheard of in non-human animals.

Far below the ice, the secrets of our planet's past hang on – and so do those of the aliens we may one day meet out near Jupiter.

“Introduced? Ma’am, I was here first.”

The record-breaking discovery shows that planetary systems can truly be bizarre.

Catching a comet and a shooting star at the same time.

Nature has become a rounding error on a planet dominated by humanity, and for some things we don’t even need our machines to do it.

After that, it will begin its long trek out of the Solar System.

Hormones are just part of the story.

Even the skies are not safe!

Are our humble eyes a match for this futuristic technology?

It’s estimated that 3-4 percent of the population could have advanced liver fibrosis.

Picking up and keeping feathers is illegal in the US, and the reason why has a surprising amount to do with hats.

If you're caught in a crash, this is where you'll want to be.

The difference between solving a great mystery requiring vast computing power and enduring ignorance could be one hungry intern.

Saturation is one of the more sophisticated arguments against climate action, and one that some great scientists used to believe, but it’s wrong all the same.

No surprises.

Angel Falls who?

What happens if someone actually finds Nessie? Can you learn to roll your Rs? All this and more exclusively in the latest issue of our e-magazine.

It is not giant worms like on Arrakis.

Whoops...

All the biggest science news stories of the week.

It's not what you think it isn't.

Delays, explosions, and drama are pushing the next Moon landing further into the future.

Come aboard the Japan “Ring Of Fire” Expedition.

This is the first time we've ever found a dinosaur with hooves.

Luckily, no one was injured.

This is much greater than the previous interstellar objects.

Did you think the figure was based in hard science? Think again.

“Any birth of a Bornean orangutan is incredibly special given how threatened the species is."

Sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down in episode 78…

The land bridge over the Bering Strait wasn't the way in after all.

In the 15th-18th century, English vowel sounds shifted, and nobody really knows why.

Because nothing says "love me please" like a sponge on the head.

Extreme ocean temperatures in 2023 caused a mass coral bleaching event, devastating the reef.

Though the trick can help you sleep anywhere, we recommend that you don't do it at the wheel.

Not-so-toxin-free Willy.

This is the 74th closest star to the Sun, so pretty much a neighbor, but 18 light-years is still a very long way to borrow a cup of sugar.

Long before the invention of the telescope, people have reported odd phenomena on the Moon.

Happens to the best of us.

Ever cooked a bunch of pasta into mush? This is why.

"They are the parents of all matter in the universe today, including our own bodies, while the knots can be thought of as our grandparents," physicist Yu Hamada explained.

Could you be among them?

The Inca were great sonic engineers.

“It was like seeing your dog that you haven’t seen in six months.”

H5N1 outbreaks are popping up around the world, but that’s not the only flu strain to watch.

Reduced blood supply to the brain may result in tunnel vision and other unusual geometries.

"Right now, the existence of live saolas can neither be proven nor disproven."

Some industries are untouchable, and this is currently one of them.

Algorithms pretending to be therapists may be putting people in danger.

"If the object is an alien spacecraft slowing down, and the anti-tail is braking thrust, then this change from anti-tail to tail would be entirely expected near perihelion," Avi Loeb wrote, but there is a better explanation.

“It felt wild to see this cephalopod!"

Hair follicle stem cells choose one of two paths when faced with DNA damage: graying or (potentially) melanoma.

Brick after brick of day-glow-orange gold.

One study concluded that it “significantly enhances fitness, muscle strength, and health markers”, which sounds pretty good to us.

I want to believe, but maybe our brains can't handle it.

In a 1972 experiment, patient B-19 was given access to a brain stimulation device and a button to activate it. What took place next has widely been condemned as unethical.

For many people, the things that go bump in the night are not just the stuff of stories; they’re real. How do we explain that?

It required resetting before the whole table was finished though!

Heading to Silver Springs? Keep one eye on the sky.

Spiders can fly without a breeze, but something else is vital.

And there’s not much Moon to spoil the spectacle!

Celebrating the settlement, Cards Against Humanity announced a special pack of Elon Musk-themed cards.

Before Sputnik – the first satellite – was launched, something unidentified was lighting up the night sky. A new study ties it to UAPs.

The ancient Jomon of Japan may have passed on breeding with this extinct human species.

These hints might provide a way to explain the fundamental asymmetry in the universe.

Three Culiseta annulata mosquitoes were recorded by a local insect enthusiast.

Although we regret to inform you that you shouldn't get too excited – there's still a long way to go.

Didn't know reptiles peed solids? Urine for a treat.

I think we can all agree that both are a pain.

170 spacecraft in the classified constellation are emitting odd signals. It's unclear why.

Homo sapiens played a key role in the Neanderthals’ demise, but not in the way you might think.

The daring strategy would have the beleaguered vehicle slow down by flying through the planet’s atmosphere.

"After-death communications" are actually a lot more common than most people realize.

Carefully matched challenges activate different brain regions when visualizing and responding to visuals, offering hints at where the mind’s eye really lies.

Not the most famous fictional plague of Egypt, but an important one nonetheless.

As AI continues to advance, will we see new and increasingly sophisticated monster hoaxes like the classic ones of the Loch Ness Monster or Bigfoot?

Goat a load of these guys.

It’s an astronomical version of the tortoise and the hare, with the longest GRB ever recorded releasing more energy than the brighter but shorter GRB 221009A.

Key to the game was an analog computer designed to calculate ballistic trajectories, which Higinbotham adapted for more entertaining purposes.

Using a tricksy camera, he filmed light as it ricocheted off two angled mirrors and a disco ball.

It's almost as if he was trying to send a message.

Did Joseph Smith consider the decaffeinated iced latte?

Geometers hate it!

It's near, it's visible, and it's getting brighter!

According to a local legend, the Texas horned toad can live a century without food or water. One local Texas man put that idea to the test, using his son's frog Blinky.

This bacterial infection used to cause thousands of serious illnesses every year before a vaccine was developed.

We didn't evolve from chimps, but our ancestors were somewhat chimp-like.

Turtles do it, baby dragonflies do it, so why shouldn’t people with clogged lungs survive by breathing through their posteriors?

Not often you get to see something like this moving.

The simpler answer is: there is no simple answer.

If the age of the universe is one year, this galaxy's light comes from January 3.

Joao lived in social isolation for about 45 years, but now he keeps an eye on young chimpanzees.

"If you want to take a vacation, take it before then, because who knows what will happen?" astronomer Avi Loeb said, but most other scientists are pretty sure what will take place.

New research has revealed broad public support for a vilified carnivore's return to its historical range.

Now, conservationists have teamed up with nuns to try microchipping them for the first time.

City meat consumption in the US alone produces more emissions than Italy.

But not everyone believes the mystery is solved.

According to one hypothesis, the comet is responsible for giving humans the swastika symbol, thousands of years in the past.

Getting a COVID shot within 100 days of starting immunotherapy meant patients were twice as likely to be alive after three years.

And Tutankhamun's tomb may also be stashed with dope.

Ouroboros by Latin name, ouroboros by nature.

The broken windscreen of the plane is scary, but the answer to what caused it might be more complicated than some reports claim.

This could open up a new threat from space we haven’t really considered.

Not everyone has the stomach to embark on this trip.

Welcome to… Ice Age Plant Park.

"I would rather self immolate than experience that," one X user reacted.

The protein changes observed in a group of trans women after gender-affirming hormone treatment were similar to what is seen in cis women receiving HRT in menopause.

It’s not even been an official species for 10 years, and it’s already in danger of disappearing.

Worth a punt.