Science

This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Space.com’s Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. About a century ago, scientists were struggling to reconcile what seemed a contradiction in Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity. Published in 1915, and already widely accepted worldwide by physicists and mathematicians, the theory assumed the universe was static – …

Disaster victims trapped beneath the rubble of a collapsed building or mine may one day be rescued by a tiny and unlikely savior: a beetle with a backpack. Researchers have made major strides in cyborg technology, creating a breed of cyborg beetles that can climb walls, obstacles, and sloped surfaces while being remotely guided by a video game controller. Called …

In a world where towering waterfalls like Niagara Falls and Angel Falls capture our imagination, there is one waterfall so vast, yet hidden, that it dwarfs all others. Found beneath the cold waters of the Arctic, the Denmark Strait cataract, Earth’s largest waterfall, is a natural wonder that no human eye has ever seen in its full, mighty descent. Stretching …

The annual Perseid meteor display is one of the best-known and commonly observed meteor showers in the Northern Hemisphere. But this year, if you want to enjoy the show, it’s best to get in early. The Perseids will be active from Thursday, July 17, through Saturday, Aug. 23 and will peak this year on Aug. 12 and 13. But the …

Paleontologists have unlocked a groundbreaking discovery that brings clarity to the evolutionary history of rhinos. A recent study, published in Nature, reveals how ancient protein sequences recovered from the fossilized tooth of Epiaceratherium sp., a rhinocerotid from the Early Miocene period, are transforming our understanding of this species’ past. These ancient proteins, preserved for over 24 million years, have not …

A 140,000-year-old skull discovered in Skhul Cave on Mount Carmel, Israel, may represent one of the most significant findings in human evolutionary history. According to a new anatomical analysis, the cranium likely belonged to a 5-year-old girl whose parents came from two different human species: Neanderthal and Homo sapiens. Clues Hidden in Ancient Bones First unearthed in 1929 during early …

NASA’s Opportunity rover, one of the most successful interplanetary missions in history, came to a dramatic and poignant end in 2019, after 15 years of groundbreaking exploration on Mars. The rover’s final transmission was sent amidst a planet-wide dust storm that left scientists and engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) holding onto hope until the very last moment. In …

Cannabis use may leave lasting fingerprints on the human body, a study of over 1,000 adults suggests – not in our DNA code itself, but in how that code is expressed. US researchers found it may cause changes in the epigenome, which acts like a set of switches that activate or deactivate genes involved in how our bodies function. “We …

The scientific community was appalled by the news that president Donald Trump’s administration was looking to deal a devastating blow to NASA’s science budget. In its 2026 budget request, released last month, the White House announced it was looking to more cut funding for NASA’s science directorate by more than half, leading to overwhelming criticism from the scientific community, as …

A few years ago, Simon Lorenz, owner of marine tour company Insider Divers, led a group through the waters surrounding Sri Lanka. While he and the guests were looking for whales, they noticed a pile of debris floating by. Simon Lorenz / Insider Divers Whenever Lorenz comes across a clump of trash in the ocean, he makes sure to pause …