Genetics triggers male black widows to blackflip into death, study finds
A wild cannibalistic sexual behavior in spiders has a simple genetic explanation, new study finds. Source: https://www.livescience.com/animals/spiders-arachnids/genetics-triggers-male-black-widows-to-blackflip-into-death-study-finds
New 'magnetoelastic' tent generates electricity from wind, body movement and sound to power small devices
A magnetoelastic tent concept could one day turn wind, movement and fabric flexing into usable electricity. Source: https://www.livescience.com/technology/new-magnetoelastic-tent-generates-electricity-from-wind-body-movement-and-sound-to-power-small-devices
Diagnostic dilemma: Doctors performed surgery to remove a mass in a woman's gut — and a bug-like creature immediately jumped out
In a strange case, doctors removed a mass from a woman's digestive tract and encountered a live organism they didn't expect. Source: https://www.livescience.com/health/diagnostic-dilemma-doctors-performed-surgery-to-remove-a-mass-in-a-womans-gut-and-a-bug-like-creature-immediately-jumped-out
Using AI has an environmental impact — here are 4 ways you can minimize it
Escalating use of tools like Gemini and ChatGPT saps more and more power. Experts offer some tips on how to consume less. Source: https://www.livescience.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/using-ai-has-an-environmental-impact-here-are-4-ways-you-can-minimize-it
'These were harder than any other blades, cut sharper and cost more': How ancient Sri Lankans created steel of legends by harnessing monsoons
In this excerpt from "The Age of Alchemy," author Kit Chapman reveals how ancient Sri Lankans created steel of legends by harnessing monsoons. Source: https://www.livescience.com/chemistry/these-were-harder-than-any-other-blades-cut-sharper-and-cost-more-how-ancient-sri-lankans-created-steel-of-legends-by-harnessing-monsoons
Where and when to see the Aug. 12 solar eclipse — exact times for North America and Europe
Here's exactly when and where to watch the Aug. 12, 2026 solar eclipse in Europe, North America and North Africa. Source: https://www.livescience.com/space/the-sun/where-and-when-to-see-the-aug-12-solar-eclipse-exact-times-for-north-america-and-europe
Bacterial 'postbiotic' may help preserve fertility in the aging uterus, preliminary research suggests
A bacteria-derived "postbiotic" may help restore the aging uterus, but experts say it is too early to know whether it could improve fertility as a treatment. Source: https://www.livescience.com/health/reproductive-health/bacterial-postbiotic-may-help-preserve-fertility-in-the-aging-uterus-preliminary-research-suggests
NASA grants Voyager 2 probe another year of power with risky 'Big Bang' maneuver. Now, will it work for Voyager 1?
Voyager 1 is running low on power for science, but a successful energy-saving maneuver on Voyager 2 raises hope that the 50-year-old spacecraft can keep going. Source: https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/nasa-grants-voyager-2-probe-another-year-of-power-with-risky-big-bang-maneuver-now-will-it-work-for-voyager-1
New recyclable yarn is as stretchy as spandex and could help tackle fashion's plastic waste problem
A new yarn combines the stretch of spandex with the recyclability of a single plastic, offering a potential path toward more sustainable clothing. Source: https://www.livescience.com/chemistry/new-recyclable-yarn-is-as-stretchy-as-spandex-and-could-help-tackle-fashions-plastic-waste-problem
Where to buy last-minute solar eclipse glasses and viewing gear before August 12
A partial eclipse is still worth seeing, but only with the right protection. Here's where you can still find eclipse glasses, solar binoculars and filters before eclipse day. Source: https://www.livescience.com/products/optics/where-to-buy-last-minute-solar-eclipse-glasses-and-viewing-gear-before-august-12
Uberaba Geopark: A time capsule from the Late Cretaceous period nestled in Brazil's tropical savanna
Uberaba Geopark, also known as the "Land of the Giants," is a region in Brazil's Cerrado biome that preserved thousands of prehistoric fossils. Source: https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/geology/uberaba-geopark-a-time-capsule-from-the-late-cretaceous-period-nestled-in-brazils-tropical-savanna
A star 20 times the size of the sun died in a supernova — and telescopes around the world joined forces to watch it
A team of telescopes around the world, including the newly activated Vera C. Rubin Observatory, joined forces to observe the first shocking moments of a supernova explosion in unprecedented detail. Source: https://www.livescience.com/space/astronomy/a-star-20-times-the-size-of-the-sun-died-in-a-supernova-and-telescopes-around-the-world-joined-forces-to-watch-it
Stunning fossil from Australian outback reveals pliosaur killed a sea monster that had just eaten a pterosaur
Using advanced neutron imaging, researchers scanning fossils from Queensland uncovered clues about the complex food chain of prehistoric Earth. Source: https://www.livescience.com/animals/extinct-species/stunning-fossil-from-australian-outback-reveals-pliosaur-killed-a-sea-monster-that-had-just-eaten-a-pterosaur
Why the Aug. 12 total solar eclipse appears to move backward on maps
While eclipse paths always move from west to east, this one seems to reverse direction on maps as it crosses the Arctic. Here's the geometry behind the illusion. Source: https://www.livescience.com/space/the-sun/why-the-aug-12-total-solar-eclipse-appears-to-move-backward-on-maps
Diagnostic dilemma: Man who consulted ChatGPT about cutting out table salt ended up hospitalized with psychosis
A man looking for healthy alternatives to table salt consulted ChatGPT for help, but he ended up hospitalized with paranoia and hallucinations. Source: https://www.livescience.com/health/diagnostic-dilemma-man-who-consulted-chatgpt-about-cutting-out-table-salt-ended-up-hospitalized-with-psychosis
Half of the world's dams could be 'functionally inoperable' by 2060 from being flooded with sediment — and the American West is a major hotspot
Research shows a fifth of the world's reservoirs are currently at high risk of filling with sediment, creating a "ticking time bomb" that threatens lives and livelihoods. Source: https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/rivers-oceans/half-of-the-worlds-dams-could-be-functionally-inoperable-by-2060-from-being-flooded-with-sediment-and-the-american-west-is-a-major-hotspot
Brains don't always rot: Scientists may finally know how human brains have evaded decay for thousands of years
Thousands of skeletal human remains have been discovered with their brain tissue unexpectedly intact. Now, a team of scientists may have finally figured out why. Source: https://www.livescience.com/chemistry/brains-dont-always-rot-scientists-may-finally-know-how-human-brains-have-evaded-decay-for-thousands-of-years
'Darwin’s hypothesis provided an important inspiration': Scientists bolster 150-year-old Darwinian theory with a carnivorous plant in China
Researchers have confirmed that a plant native to alpine regions in southwest China is carnivorous, supporting a Darwinian theory from 1875. Source: https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/plants/darwins-hypothesis-provided-an-important-inspiration-scientists-bolster-150-year-old-darwinian-theory-with-a-carnivorous-plant-in-china
Physicists find a way to control heat in a way once thought impossible
Researchers designed a material that can independently control how it absorbs and emits heat, and it even retains those settings once the power is turned off. Source: https://www.livescience.com/physics-mathematics/physicists-find-a-way-to-control-heat-in-a-way-once-thought-impossible
'The apparent chaos of the Anthropocene is turbocharging evolution itself': Plants are finding ways to survive and thrive in the climate crisis — if we let them
In this excerpt from "Despite it All," author Fred Pearce explores the ways plants are adapting and evolving in the face of climate change — and how we need to recognize this reality and foster its potential boost to biodiversity, rather than holding steadfast to our notions of what types of nature should and shouldn't be allowed to thrive. Source: https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/climate-change/the-apparent-chaos-of-the-anthropocene-is-turbocharging-evolution-itself-plants-are-finding-ways-to-survive-and-thrive-in-the-climate-crisis-if-we-let-them