Black-bellied whistling ducks, once largely confined to a few counties in South Texas, now breed in 90% of Texas counties as their range expands across the United States. Native to Mexico, Central America and South America, the tropical birds have spread along the Gulf Coast, up the Eastern Seaboard and across the Midwest. Researchers point…
Representative Image of a drone tracking a large Burmese python in the lush wetlands of the Everglades ecosystem (AI-generated image) A 16-foot Burmese python weighing 147.9 pounds was included in a US Geological Survey test of drone technology being evaluated for tracking invasive snakes in the Greater Everglades Ecosystem. In material published September 23, 2026,…
Archaeologists working with Indigenous rangers have documented two underwater sites off Murujuga in Western Australia, uncovering evidence of how First Nations communities used the landscape before rising sea levels submerged it thousands of years ago. The findings, reported by ABC News and detailed in a new study published in Quaternary Science Reviews, expand on earlier…
Black Smoker at Hafa Adai. Image Credit: NOAA Ocean Exploration Since scientists first documented the Hafa Adai hydrothermal vent field in 2016, an underwater chimney has fallen over in the Pacific Ocean. When researchers returned in 2025, they discovered a smaller chimney growing in its place, a dramatic example of how rapidly the deep-sea landscape…
BENGALURU: Isro has successfully completed a series of Crew Module–Service Module (CM-SM) separation tests for the Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme, validating the system that will separate the crew capsule from its service module before re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere.“The tests were conducted using a specialised setup at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Thiruvananthapuram. The…
Buffalo Mountain protects forests, scenic views and outdoor recreation opportunities. There are landscapes that become part of a place’s identity long before they receive an official designation. Buffalo Mountain, with its rounded summit, expansive views and deep Appalachian forests, has long been one of Southwest Virginia’s most recognisable natural landmarks. Now, more than 2,200 additional…
A family hike sparked an idea that has since taken 13-year-old Advaith Atulasimha into the world of engineering. Worried about how someone could be found after getting lost in an area without mobile phone reception, he began exploring a way to power a tracking device without relying on a conventional battery. With guidance from his…
The Neanderthal’s left shoulder blade had a circular hole about 15mm wide. (University of Cambridge photo) A Neanderthal who lived around 75,000 years ago survived a serious facial injury for at least a year before suffering what researchers believe was a fatal spear wound. The discovery, made at Shanidar Cave in Iraqi Kurdistan, could provide…
Many young people fill their free hours with video games, team sports, and time with friends. Ji-Hong Wu chose a different path. While in Grade 10 at Holy Trinity Catholic High School, he taught himself how to build an invention that converts hand gestures in the air into music. Today, that idea is a patented…
During her Flight of the Swans expedition, Sacha Dench crossed 11 countries, raising awareness about lead poisoning and safer ammunition alternatives. For Sacha Dench, conservation has rarely meant standing at a distance. Known as the ‘Human Swan’ for flying alongside migrating birds in a paramotor, the Dartmoor-based conservationist has spent years taking difficult environmental issues…
Students at a California high school developed a cooling device designed to help firefighters and agricultural workers cope with hot working conditions. The students filed a patent application for their invention and went on to present it beyond the classroom, including at the California State Capitol.The team from Calistoga Junior/Senior High School began the project…
Scientists have reprogrammed blood-cell precursors from an 80-year-old donor into neural stem cells that showed an epigenetic age below 20 in a laboratory study. Scientists at the University of Bonn in Germany have found a way to make human cells display biological characteristics associated with much younger cells, with those derived from an 80-year-old donor…
