Thríhnúkagígur: The only volcano on Earth where you can descend into a magma chamber
Thríhnúkagígur is a volcano near Reykjavík in Iceland with an empty magma chamber decorated with vivid colors that scientists and tourists can access via an
Category: Science
A real-life Kraken stalked the seas of the late Cretaceous
Researchers discovered evidence of enormous Kraken-like creatures who hunted in the seas some 100 million years ago, competing with large apex predators. (Image credit: Yohei
‘Self-aware’ robots can learn complex tasks by watching humans. Is that a good thing?
Scientists say they’ve made a key breakthrough that would allow robots to figure out complex tasks on their own, but experts say it raises questions
The earliest evidence of the first stars may lie in a distant gas clump
James Webb data reveal pristine gas irradiated by energetic light some 450 million years after the Big Bang — a sign it may house primordial
Ancient DNA tests the notion that allergies are due to our dirtier past
An analysis of ancient DNA and modern disease risk suggests some immune genes may reduce allergy risk rather than increase it.
Claude Mythos explained: Is Anthropic’s most powerful AI model really too dangerous to release to the public?
Anthropic’s Mythos AI is being kept behind closed doors as governments assess what faster, AI-driven vulnerability discovery means for cybersecurity.
DNA study of nearly 200 Indigenous genomes reveals unknown Asian ‘ghost’ population contributed to American ancestry
New genetic results reveal a previously unknown wave of people settled in South America 1,300 years ago and that Indigenous Americans carry remnants of a
Planning to stargaze in May 2026? Here’s all the gear you’ll need
Here’s all the stargazing gear you need for May’s night sky. Be ready for two full moons, a meteor shower, and a pretty cool solar
Earth quiz: What do you know about our planet’s most amazing features?
Do you know Earth’s highest peak, deepest point, and more? Test your knowledge about our planet in this quiz.
In cities, wild things are hiding everywhere — if you put on your ‘nature eyes’
NPR’s Ailsa Chang talks with Amy Jaecker-Jones of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County about a worldwide community science project happening this weekend
AI’s a suck up. Research shows how it flatters and suggests we’re not to blame
The AI models and chatbots that we interact with tend to affirm our feelings and viewpoints — more so than people do, with potentially worrisome
‘A landmark moment for the field’: FDA approves first-ever gene therapy for inherited deafness
A gene therapy made by Regeneron is the first treatment of its kind approved for genetic hearing loss.
‘Strong, undeniable public examples of something positive’: Astronaut Chris Hadfield on why Artemis II hit him hard, and why we need to send a guitar to the moon
Astronaut Chris Hadfield discusses the value and risks of space travel, his emotional response to the Artemis II mission, and his love of music ahead
‘Kraken’ octopus that lived at the time of the dinosaurs was a 62-foot-long apex predator of the ocean
A close inspection of 27 fossil jaws from finned octopuses challenge the longstanding belief that the apex oceanic predators of the Cretaceous were all vertebrates.