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Science

The latest science news, photos and videos covering space, the environment, human development and more.


In case you missed it

Playing with dogs helps people concentrate and relax, brain recordings show

In a study of brain activity, walking a poodle made people more relaxed, brushing the dog improved concentration and playing with her had both effects.
Photo Illustration: A woman experiencing alpha brainwaves while hugging her dog
Photo Illustration: A woman experiencing alpha brainwaves while hugging her dog

Wildfires are becoming night owls — and that’s a big problem

Droughts leading to dry vegetation are providing the fuel for wildfires to remain hot overnight, making them more destructive.
Wildfires spread through residential houses in Sicily, Italy on Sept. 23, 2023.
Wildfires spread through residential houses in Sicily, Italy on Sept. 23, 2023.
2d ago

SpaceX prepares third test of Starship rocket

The launch is scheduled for Thursday morning. The company hopes to test a variety of capabilities, including a controlled re-entry through Earth’s atmosphere.
The SpaceX Starship lifts off from the launchpad
The SpaceX Starship lifts off from the launchpad

Olympic athletes could face a tough opponent: Brutal Paris heat

The Olympics are planned for the same stretch of days as a catastrophic 2003 heat wave. Continued global warming has only increased the odds of another.
france hot heat cool off sunbathe landmark
france hot heat cool off sunbathe landmark

Australia’s Great Barrier Reef hit by fifth mass bleaching event in eight years

Bleaching does not necessarily kill coral reefs, but it can make them more susceptible to disease.
Bleaching affecting branching coral at a site in the Keppel Islands, Southern Great Barrier Reef, on March 5, 2024.
Bleaching affecting branching coral at a site in the Keppel Islands, Southern Great Barrier Reef, on March 5, 2024.
6d ago

No evidence that U.S. covered up existence of UFOs, Pentagon report says

"Investigative efforts determined that most sightings were the result of misidentification of ordinary objects and phenomena," according to Pentagon review.
An unidentified aerial phenomenon in a U.S. military video.
An unidentified aerial phenomenon in a U.S. military video.

A lack of ice is reshaping winter life around the Great Lakes

The lack of snow and lake ice has left some hearty Midwesterners who ski, skate and fish to question how their lifestyles will persist as the world warms.
Rae-Ann Eifert gathers buckets of water for testing from Lake Michigan
Rae-Ann Eifert gathers buckets of water for testing from Lake Michigan

Wildfire seasons are starting earlier and getting longer

Blazes in western Canada and Texas highlight how the elements that fuel wildfires are becoming present earlier in the year. Scientists say climate change is a factor.
Smokehouse Creek Fire north of Canadian, Texas, on Feb. 28, 2024.
Smokehouse Creek Fire north of Canadian, Texas, on Feb. 28, 2024.

U.S. companies will have to start telling the public about their climate risks

New rules from the Securities and Exchange Commission require sizable public companies to disclose their emissions and how a warming world could threaten their businesses.
The Phillips 66 Los Angeles Refinery Wilmington Plant
The Phillips 66 Los Angeles Refinery Wilmington Plant
8d ago

Aliens, killer asteroids and Mars: Lawmakers announce caucus focused on space and planetary science

The lawmakers will have their hands full, as several major NASA endeavors have come under budgetary scrutiny.
Psyche Spacecraft Launch
Psyche Spacecraft Launch

Florida Senate passes bill blocking local rules protecting workers from heat

The legislation comes after the planet notched its hottest year in recorded history in 2023.
People stand under umbrellas while waiting for a bus during a heatwave in Miami, Florida, on June 26, 2023.
People stand under umbrellas while waiting for a bus during a heatwave in Miami, Florida, on June 26, 2023.