Spiders’ ability to spin webs may be one consequence of a really big genetic mistake. A close look at the genetics and development of spinnerets — spiders’ silk-making organs — reveals that an
A digging stick and a tiny tool of unknown purpose are among the oldest handheld wooden tools ever found. The objects, from 430,000 years ago, indicate early human ancestors were using wood for
Southern elephant seal pups were among the first to die when a deadly strain of avian influenza arrived in the Crozet Islands in 2024. But as the virus spread across the sub-Antarctic archipelago,
The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine. The reason we can gracefully glide on an ice-skating rink or clumsily slip on an icy sidewalk is that the surface of ice
Nancy Shute is editor in chief of Science News Media Group. Previously, she was an editor at NPR and US News & World Report, and a contributor to National Geographic and Scientific American.
Meghan Rosen is a senior writer who reports on the life sciences for Science News. She earned a Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology with an emphasis in biotechnology from the University of
Carly Kay is the Fall 2025 science writing intern at Science News. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communication from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a master’s degree in science communication from the
Sci-fi loves a multiverse. Everyone from Rick and Morty to Spider-Man has stepped through a portal and met their alter egos. My personal favorite use of this trope comes from the sitcom Community,
As part of the Chinese spacecraft Shenzhou-15 tumbled back to Earth, its disintegration was tracked by a surprising source: seismometers. Seismic networks in southern California picked up ground vibrations induced by shock waves
The brain’s “little brain” may hold big promise for people with language trouble. Tucked into the base of the brain, the fist-sized cerebellum is most known for its role in movement, posture and
