Research News

When working out in the summer, watch for the signs of dehydration and heat stroke. Choosing a later evening or early morning time for a run in one smart way to stay safe.

How To Heat-Proof Your Summer Workout

5:49pm July 19, 2021

by Suzette Lohmeyer

With much of the U.S. already sweltering this summer, even avid runners, hikers and bikers are wilting. We've got 10 strategies from experts on how to enjoy hot weather exercise without keeling over.

Though they're called ice worms, the creatures Hotaling (right) and his colleagues study on the glaciers of Mount Rainier can't handle the slightest bit of freezing. If temperatures dip even slightly below zero degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit), Hot

It's Summer, And That Means The Mysterious Return Of Glacier Ice Worms

12:24pm July 13, 2021

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

On mountaintop glaciers of Alaska, Washington and Oregon, billions of tiny black worms are tunneling upward to the barren, icy surface. What lures them, and how do they survive the frozen depths?

Aerial picture of a deforested area close to Sinop, Mato Grosso State, Brazil, taken on August 7, 2020. Mato Grosso is one of the leading producers of soybeans in the world.

Why Clearing Brazil's Forests For Farming Can Make It Harder To Grow Crops

11:02am July 13, 2021

by Dan Charles

Clearing natural forests in Brazil in order to grow crops like soybeans has actually made it harder to grow those crops. That's because deforestation makes the weather hotter and drier.

Science

You Can Learn A Thing Or Two From Dinosaur Poop

8:50am July 11, 2021

There's a lot to be learned from fossilized dinosaur dung. Paleontologist Martin Qvarnstrom and entomologist Emmanuel Arriaga-Varela detail some of their discoveries.

A 51,000-Year-Old Bone Carving Supports Neanderthals' Creativity

5:01pm July 06, 2021

Scientists have discovered a giant deer toe bone, engraved by Neanderthals — a hint that our ancient cousins had conceptual imagination.

To help keep weak swimmers safe, stay "touch-close" and don't rely on a busy lifeguard to be the only eyes on a crowded pool or beach. It's best, say experts working to prevent drownings, to designate a nondrinking adult to scan the water at any pool part

You Could Save A Child From Drowning This Summer. Here's How

7:00am July 03, 2021

by Kristen Kendrick

A swimmer of any skill level might need your help, and preventing a drowning takes closer supervision of the kids than you might think. The distress signs can be subtle and quick.

An artistic image of what happens when a monstrous black hole collides with — and gulps down — a neutron star the size of a large city.

Science

When A City-Size Star Becomes A Black Hole's Lunch, The Universe Roils

4:50pm June 29, 2021

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

It's a smackdown of one space monster by another: Scientists have made unprecedented observations of two black holes gobbling two neutron stars — among the weirdest space collisions ever detected.

A computer-enhanced image of the HIV virus.

Protecting The Immuno-Compromised Against COVID Could Be Key To Ending The Pandemic

6:50pm June 28, 2021

by Nurith Aizenman

Vaccines may not be as effective for those who are immuno-compromised. Protecting them needs to be made a top priority, says researchers — to keep them safe and to slow the emergence of variants.

This photomicrograph depicts Leishmania donovani parasites contained within a canine bone marrow cell. One of the more dangerous of 20 different species of Leishmania, L. donovani is endemic to parts of India, Africa, and South-West Asia.

Flesh-Eating Parasites May Be Expanding Their Range As Climate Heats Up

5:00am June 25, 2021

by Agostino Petroni

Scientists caution that as the planet warms, more Americans could be exposed to disfiguring varieties of the Leishmania parasite. Overtreatment can be a problem, too, experts warn.

An illustration shows a pair of adult tyrannosaurs and their young living in the Arctic during the Cretaceous Period.

A New Study Suggests Dinosaurs Might Not Have Been As Cold-Blooded As We Thought

7:01pm June 24, 2021

Researchers have found hundreds of baby dinosaur bones in the Alaskan Arctic, suggesting that dinosaurs may have lived at cold northern latitudes year-round.