Simulations of a potential impact by a hill-sized space rock event next century have revealed the rough ride humanity would be in for, hinting at what it'd take for us to survive such a catastrophe. It's been a long, long time since Earth has been smacked by a large asteroid, but ...

As far as supermassive black holes go, the one at the center of the Milky Way is relatively sedate. But, even in its supposed quiescent state, Sagittarius A* is prone to the occasional belch or rupture – and now, using JWST, astronomers have recorded it doing something we've never seen ...

There is no sea creature whose name inspires terror – rightly or wrongly – as much as the great white shark. With its sleek body optimized for hunting, its sharp teeth, and its (somewhat undeserved) reputation for enjoying human flesh, the great white (Carcharodon carcharias) is widely ...

Earth's day-night cycle is defined precisely, each a span of 24 hours before the next begins. Such is the yardstick by which we live our lives, strictly adhering to the ticking of the clock. Earth, however, is not precise. Our planet is a big wobbly gooey ball rocketing around the ...

If you are reading this, you are probably not alone. Most people on Earth are habitats for mites that spend the majority of their brief lives burrowed, head-first, in our hair follicles, primarily of the face. In fact, humans are the only habitat for Demodex folliculorum. They are ...

There was water on Mars as early as 4.45 billion years ago, just a short time after the planet formed from the leftover dust of the growing Sun. The evidence? A tiny grain of zircon, smaller than the width of a human hair, with minerals trapped inside that could only have formed in the ...

A rock on Mars spilled a surprising yellow treasure after Curiosity accidentally cracked through its unremarkable exterior. When the rover rolled its 899-kilogram (1,982-pound) body over the rock back in May, the rock broke open, revealing yellow crystals of elemental sulfur: brimstone. ...

Picture yourself sinking, slowly, beneath the waves. As you fall, the Sun becomes smaller, and dimmer, and dimmer still. The cold waters crush in around you as the pressure increases. Now you're in complete darkness, so deep that the sunlight can't reach you. Then, astonishingly, you see a ...

Off the coast of Chile and Peru, along the entire western length of South America, the seafloor takes a sharp, steep plunge deep into the Pacific Ocean. Known as the Chile margin, the region is defined by three tectonic plates sliding underneath the continental plate of South America. ...

If you've ever thought to yourself, "Gee I sure would like to see some vampire bats on treadmills," then do we have the science for you. That's exactly what a team of scientists has done, and it's not because little Vladi needed to get his chiropteran steps in. Rather, the new ...

The constant ebb and flow of hormones that guide the menstrual cycle don't just affect reproductive anatomy. They also reshape the brain, and a study has given us insight into how this happens. Led by neuroscientists Elizabeth Rizor and Viktoriya Babenko of the University of ...

"They took a dead man and cast him into the well, and then filled it up with stones." So declares the 800-year-old Norse Sverris Saga, an accounting of the rise and reign of King Sverre Sigurdsson, who went on to rule Norway from 1184 until his death in 1202 CE. Now, thanks to the ...