Scrub mints are among the most endangered plants you’ve probably never heard of. More than half of the 24 species currently known to exist are considered threatened or endangered at the state or federal level. In a new study, researchers show there are likely more scrub mint species waiting to be scientifically described. And at …

These plants evolved in Florida millions of years ago: They may be gone in decades Read More »

It’s no surprise that your dog can learn to sit when you say ‘sit’ and come when called. But a new study has made the unexpected discovery that dogs generally also know that certain words ‘stand for’ certain objects. When dogs hear those words, brain activity recordings suggest they activate a matching mental representation in …

Your dog understands that some words ‘stand for’ objects Read More »

Ground-based measuring devices and aircraft radar operated in the far northeast of Greenland show how much ice the 79 N-Glacier is losing. According to recent measurements, the thickness of the glacier has decreased by more than 160 meters since 1998. Warm ocean water flowing under the glacier tongue is melting the ice from below. High …

Enormous ice loss from Greenland glacier Read More »

A strange world is being stretched out of shape by its neighbouring planets, heating it up so intensely that it probably has a molten surface ​A strange world is being stretched out of shape by its neighbouring planets, heating it up so intensely that it probably has a molten surface A strange world is being stretched …

Planet caught in a gravitational ‘tidal storm’ is so hot that it glows Read More »

The fungus yartsa gunbu, which grows by turning caterpillars into zombies, is prized in traditional medicine, but its harvest is having an increased ecological impact on its native Himalayan home ​The fungus yartsa gunbu, which grows by turning caterpillars into zombies, is prized in traditional medicine, but its harvest is having an increased ecological impact …

I went hunting for a zombie fungus worth more than its weight in gold Read More »

An experimental therapy that grows miniature livers inside a person’s lymph nodes has been used in a human for the first time, but it will be months before we know if it fully replaces their liver function ​An experimental therapy that grows miniature livers inside a person’s lymph nodes has been used in a human …

Therapy that turns lymph nodes into livers gets first human trial Read More »

A tiny clump of stars orbiting our galaxy should have been ripped apart by the Milky Way, but its continued existence hints it may be held together by a massive amount of dark matter ​A tiny clump of stars orbiting our galaxy should have been ripped apart by the Milky Way, but its continued existence …

Astronomers have found what may be the smallest galaxy ever Read More »

Growing up in the Boston suburbs, MIT senior Daisy Wang spent her spare time upside down underwater, dancing with her competitive artistic swimming team.  “It feels like you and your teammates are one unit in the water, moving and working together, and there is an incredible amount of trust involved with all of the lifts …

Designing solutions to ensure equity in health care Read More »

A person in Texas has been infected with bird flu after exposure to dairy cows who had the virus – it is the first time a human has contracted the disease from a mammal ​A person in Texas has been infected with bird flu after exposure to dairy cows who had the virus – it …

Bird flu confirmed in person who had contact with infected dairy cows Read More »