Physicists caught protons ‘surfing’ on shock waves
Protons can surf some truly gnarly waves. A new experiment suggests that the subatomic particles can be accelerated by a process akin to surfers...
SCIENTIFIC NEWS
This big-headed pterosaur may have preferred walking over flying
In 2013, a police raid at Santos Harbor in Brazil recovered about 30,000 smuggled fossils, including the most intact specimen of a type of...
Ancient DNA shows the peopling of Southeast Asian islands was surprisingly complex
A young woman who lived on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi as early as around 7,300 years ago had a surprisingly ancient East Asian...
Racism lurks in names given to plants and animals. That’s starting to change
With lemon and black plumage, the Scott’s oriole flashes in the desert like a flame. But the bird’s name holds a violent history that...
Frog and toad pupils mainly come in seven different shapes
Frog and toad pupils come in quite the array, from slits to circles. But overall, there are seven main shapes of these animals’ peepholes,...
‘Flashes of Creation’ recounts the Big Bang theory’s origin story
Flashes of CreationPaul HalpernBasic Books, $30 The Big Bang wasn’t always a sure bet. For several decades in the 20th century, researchers wrestled with...
The definition of planet is still a sore point – especially among Pluto fans
For 76 years, Pluto was the beloved ninth planet. No one cared that it was the runt of the solar system, with a moon,...
Climate change made Europe’s flash floods in July more likely
Climate change has increased the likelihood of heavy downpours in Western Europe such as the July rains that led to devastating flash floods, researchers...
A giant tortoise was caught stalking, killing and eating a baby bird
Justin Gerlach thought there must be some sort of misunderstanding. Tortoises don’t hunt. These gentle, lumbering herbivores spend their days leisurely munching on greenery,...
Here’s how cool a star can be and still achieve lasting success
If you want to be a successful star by making the minimum possible effort, aim for a surface temperature about a quarter of the...
World marks second warmest July on record 
Ebola deaths top 2,000 as scientists race to develop vaccine 
South Sudan: UN mission decries deadly attacks, works to calm tensions after ‘nothing but devastation’ 
After post-pandemic improvement, youth unemployment is rising again