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Science

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

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Texas is used to mild winters. This December was different.

"It's like the entire state moved south for the winter," the state's climatologist said.
Image:
Image:
8h ago

NASA’s new space telescope ‘hunky-dory’ after problems fixed

The tennis court-size sunshield on the James Webb Space Telescope is now fully open and in the process of being stretched tight.
The James Webb Space Telescope separates from Arianespace's Ariane 5 rocket after launching from Europe's Spaceport, the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana, on Dec. 25, 2021.
The James Webb Space Telescope separates from Arianespace's Ariane 5 rocket after launching from Europe's Spaceport, the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana, on Dec. 25, 2021.
12h ago

Omicron symptoms: What we know about illness caused by the new variant

Symptoms of omicron may be different than those of previous strains. But it's still Covid, and it can still cause severe disease.
Covid testing
Covid testing

New science on exercise shows how it affects nearly every cell in the body

Even if it doesn't move the scale much, the benefits are tremendous, experts say.
A jogger on the river walk in San Antonio, Texas.
A jogger on the river walk in San Antonio, Texas.

'Very unsettling': Scientists see troubling signs in humans spreading Covid to deer

The findings are a reminder that human health is intertwined with that of animals and that inattention to other species could prolong the pandemic.
Image: Whitetail Deer In Woods In Pennsylvania
Image: Whitetail Deer In Woods In Pennsylvania
2d ago

Richard Leakey, Kenyan conservationist who campaigned against ivory trade, has died

Leakey was the son of palaeontologists Louis and Mary Leakey, whose work helped demonstrate that human evolution began in Africa.
Image: Anthropologist Richard Leakey
Image: Anthropologist Richard Leakey
6d ago

Pluto should be reclassified as a planet, scientists argue

A group of researchers say Pluto was unfairly maligned by a decision to relegate it to "dwarf planet" status — and that we should consider our solar system to have more than 150 planets.
Scientists are making the case that Pluto is actually a planet. It lost its celestial status in 2006 when it was demoted to a dwarf planet.
Scientists are making the case that Pluto is actually a planet. It lost its celestial status in 2006 when it was demoted to a dwarf planet.
7d ago

Egyptian pharaoh reveals his secrets after ancient mummy is 'digitally unwrapped'

“The technique enabled me to ... visualize the amulets in between the layers, and to visualize the face,” one researcher said.
Sarcophagus of Amenhotep I
Sarcophagus of Amenhotep I
8d ago

Bird flu kills thousands of cranes, forces slaughter of hundreds of thousands of chickens in Israel

Environmental Protection Minister Tamar Zandberg called the crisis “the most serious damage to wildlife in the history of the country.”
Image: FILE PHOTO: Cranes gather during the migration season on a foggy morning at Hula Nature Reserve, in northern Israel
Image: FILE PHOTO: Cranes gather during the migration season on a foggy morning at Hula Nature Reserve, in northern Israel
9d ago

Edward O. Wilson, biologist known as ‘ant man’ and 'Darwin’s natural heir,' dies at 92

The pioneering Harvard professor and two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author first gained widespread attention for his 1975 book, “Sociobiology: The New Synthesis."
Edward O. Wilson, co-author of "The Ants," poses for a portrait on June 10, 1991.
Edward O. Wilson, co-author of "The Ants," poses for a portrait on June 10, 1991.

Pfizer antiviral pills may be risky with other medications

One of the two drugs in the antiviral cocktail could cause serious interactions with widely used prescriptions, including statins, blood thinners and some antidepressants.
Image: A stack of pills.
Image: A stack of pills.

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