Wednesday, May 6, 2026

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Large-scale wildfires seem to turn visitors away, while prescribed burning may have the opposite effect. Helen H. Richardson/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images

science

Fire is transforming the US West’s public lands – research shows overlooked cost to recreation

Staff Writer - May 6, 2026

This screenshot juxtaposes a fossil of stem from the plant Archaeopitys eastmanii (bottom) and a close-up of its vascular system (top). The specimen was found in Kentucky and is over 350 million years old. Ingrid C. Romero, CC BY-SA

science

Galaxies of life are collecting dust in museums – digitizing microscope slides can uncover billions of fossils for natural history

A pregnant mother with untreated syphilis can pass it to the unborn fetus. Halfpoint Images/Moment via Getty Images

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Syphilis cases in expectant mothers have dramatically risen since the pandemic – here’s what’s driving the trend

The new federal classification of marijuana regulates only medical use; recreational use is still determined by state laws. tvirbickis/iStock via Getty Images Plus

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Reclassification of marijuana opens doors for much‑needed medical research into the benefits and risks of the drug

An artisanal miner holds a cobalt stone at a mine near Kolwezi, Congo, in 2022. About 20,000 people work there among toxic materials. Junior Kannah/AFP via Getty Images

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The race to mine critical minerals for AI and clean energy is creating ‘sacrifice zones’ that harm water and health of world’s poor

This small drone is using sonar, similar to bats’ echolocation, to navigate through a grove of trees. Nitin Sanket

science

Ultralightweight sonar plus AI lets tiny drones navigate like bats

Staff Writer - March 28, 2026

The Artemis II crew poses during a ground systems test ahead of launch. NASA/Frank Michaux

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From ‘Project Hail Mary’ to Artemis II, spaceflight captures audiences when...

Staff Writer - March 27, 2026

The snow drought was evident in Park City, Utah, on Feb. 9, 2026. This golf course is normally used for cross-country skiing in winter. Mario Tama/Getty Images

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2026’s historic snow drought brings worries about water, wildfires and the...

Staff Writer - March 26, 2026

Gloves used in the laboratory that led to microplastic overestimation. Madeline Clough

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Scientists may be overestimating the amount of microplastics in the environment...

Staff Writer - March 26, 2026

Bottlenose dolphins are social creatures that use whistles and clicks to communicate with each other. Brookfield Zoo Chicago's Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, taken under NMFS MMPA Scientific Research Permit

science

How dolphins communicate – new discoveries from a long‑term study in...

Staff Writer - March 23, 2026

Capstone Copper’s Pinto Valley Mine in Miami, Arizona. Jim West/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

science

Global copper demand outstrips supply, threatening electrification and industrial growth

Staff Writer - March 20, 2026

An estimated 85% of K-12 public school teachers recently reported that they used AI during the 2024-2025 school year. ismagilov/iStock/Getty Images Plus

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More and more teachers and students are using AI – even...

Staff Writer - March 18, 2026

In this illustration, Spinosaurus mirabilis fight over a carcass some 95 million years ago in what is now the Sahara Desert in Niger. Dani Navarro

science

Paleontologists uncover a new Spinosaurus species by following a clue from...

Staff Writer - March 16, 2026

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EXPLORING NATURE

Pope Leo XIV arrives to celebrate Mass at the Malabo stadium in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, on April 23, 2026, on the last day of his 11-day pastoral visit to Africa. AP Photo/Misper Apawu

science

‘Just war’ has guided Catholic thinking on conflict for centuries –...

Staff Writer - April 26, 2026

Valerie Morkevičius, Colgate University Since the beginning of the Iran war, Pope Leo XIV has frequently called for peace,...

A striking 51.7% of Gen Z respondents ranked casket burial as their first choice, compared with just 27.1% of baby boomers. Ashley Cooper/The Image Bank via Getty Images

Boom in cremation hides surprising truths about what Americans really want...

April 24, 2026

Seagrass has made an unexpected return to Mosquito Lagoon. Captain William B. Wolfson, Grassroots Guide Service, New Smyrna Beach, FL

Hurricanes devastated Florida’s East Coast – then seagrass made an unexpected comeback

April 22, 2026

A German security guard checks for radiation after the Chernobyl accident in April 1986. Patrick Piel/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

Chernobyl at 40: Secret Stasi files reveal extent of Soviet misinformation...

April 22, 2026

A long-running experiment is testing tree mixes to develop the healthiest forests. Mickey Pullen/Smithsonian Environmental Research Center

Don’t just plant trees, plant forests to restore biodiversity for the future

April 21, 2026