Kakapel rock art traces millennia of painters in Kenya

From public kissing to talking during movies, a simple formula predicts moral norms across cultures

Neanderthals may have shared key DNA for complex language, reshaping when human speech began

Physicists revive 1990s laser concept to propose a next-generation atomic clock

Mysterious gas clouds near Milky Way’s black hole now have a likely source

These eight coastal cities sit on America’s flood front line, and AI shows why

Quantum chips could scale faster with new spin-qubit readout that reduces sensors and wiring

Scraped from ancient Roman toilets, these crusted remains expose a pathogen found far earlier than expected

Why groups slowly stop working well together, even when conditions are good

Family environment can shape life outcomes across generations

The ‘resource curse’: Why natural resource abundance can be a double-edged sword

Q&A: Scientists decode the logic behind cells’ mysterious protein stockpiles

Chicken gene-editing advance opens path to drug-producing eggs

Promiscuity and parental behavior in birds are driven by demographics, not the other way around

In Eastern Africa, the cradle of humankind is tearing apart

These eight coastal cities sit on America’s flood front line, and AI shows why

Eight US coastal cities, including New York, New Orleans, and Miami, face the highest flood risk due to factors such as low elevation, high drainage density, and dense urban development. AI-driven analysis integrating environmental, infrastructural, and demographic data identified elevation as the main driver for general flooding and drainage density for extreme flood damage. Population density further amplifies risk in these areas.

In Eastern Africa, the cradle of humankind is tearing apart

Seismic data reveal that the Turkana Rift in Eastern Africa has undergone significant crustal thinning, indicating advanced rifting and approaching continental breakup. This necking process began after major volcanism about 4 million years ago and is expected to eventually lead to ocean formation. The resulting rapid sediment accumulation created ideal conditions for fossil preservation, suggesting the region’s rich hominin fossil record may reflect preservation bias rather than unique evolutionary significance.

Scientists discover how the Twelve Apostles were formed—and their real age

The Twelve Apostles were formed by tectonic plate movements that uplifted and tilted limestone layers between 8.6 and 14 million years ago, with coastal erosion after the last Ice Age shaping the current rock pillars. The structures preserve detailed records of ancient climates, sea levels, and tectonic activity, providing insights into past and future environmental changes.

How an Atlantic island narrowly escaped ‘stealthy’ eruption

A large magma intrusion rose rapidly beneath São Jorge Island in March 2022, stalling 1.6 km below the surface without erupting. Most seismic activity occurred after the magma ascent, which was largely undetected in real time. The Pico do Carvão Fault Zone guided the magma upward and allowed gas escape, reducing pressure and preventing eruption. These findings highlight the role of faults in controlling magma movement and eruption risk.

Nuclear war at Ukraine-Russia border could trigger years of global climate disruption and radioactive fallout

A regional nuclear conflict at the Ukraine–Russia border could cause significant global climate disruption, including rapid atmospheric soot spread, sunlight reduction, and temperature drops of up to 5°C regionally, lasting about six years. Precipitation would decline in key agricultural areas, and radioactive fallout could disperse worldwide, with 40% depositing in the Southern Hemisphere, making the consequences global.

How earthquakes stop: Near-fault records uncover overlooked phase

A distinct negative phase in near-fault seismic records corresponds to the abrupt arrest of earthquake rupture, representing a previously unrecognized stopping phase in ground motion. This phase is most pronounced near rupture endpoints and is linked to sudden rupture termination, producing strong, whiplash-like motions that have significant implications for seismic hazard assessment and engineering near strike-slip faults.

A huge tectonic boundary shook the ground where dinosaurs once stood

A previously unrecognized Jurassic tectonic plate boundary, the Rovuma Transform Margin, has been identified near Mozambique and Tanzania, marking where East and West Gondwana separated 180 million years ago. This 500 km structure clarifies the continent-ocean transition in the region, informs plate tectonic theory, and may explain the area’s abundant offshore natural resources and geothermal energy potential.

How a sinking lithospheric root raised Mongolia’s Hangay Mountains

The Hangay Mountains’ uplift resulted from the foundering of a dense lithospheric mantle root, which detached and sank into the deeper mantle about 125–114 million years ago, triggering mantle melting, magmatism, and crustal doming. This process was facilitated by prior oroclinal bending that thickened the lithosphere, providing a mechanism for mountain formation far from plate boundaries and linking deep geodynamic events to surface topography and climate.

What intentional communities can teach us about resilience amid global instability

Intentional communities enhance resilience to global instability by collectively managing resources, such as energy and food, reducing dependence on volatile markets. Cooperative structures lower costs and foster social support, mitigating financial and psychological stress. These communities increase adaptability through diversified systems, serving as models for broader policy and community initiatives.

Chernobyl at 40: The lies, the loss and why we can’t let go

The Chernobyl nuclear disaster of 1986 resulted in immediate and long-term health, environmental, and social consequences, including acute radiation deaths, widespread contamination, and the displacement of over 100,000 people. The event exposed systemic governmental secrecy and misinformation, shaping cultural memory and ongoing discourse about nuclear safety, truth, and the enduring impacts of technological catastrophe.