Live Science

Why do cats lick each other?

Cats lick each other for multiple reasons, and some are more mysterious than others.

Telescope image that echoes Van Gogh's 'Starry Night' contains some of the oldest stars in the universe — Space photo of the week

The Corona Australis Molecular Cloud shines in a stunning new image revealing glowing nebulae, newborn stars and the Chandelier Cluster.

Which building blocks of life have been found in space, and which haven

So far, researchers have found many signs of the building blocks of life in space, but what exactly have they discovered, and what remains to be…

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.

'Now our lives have changed': Drop in coal burning is helping the African Sahel turn green after decades of drought

Warming has brought extreme rain to the parched Sahel, which is seeing aquifers refill as monsoons grow stronger. But heavier downpours alone ca…

'His urine goes on tour around Europe, showing the kings and queens this glowing pee': The weird world of alchemy before chemistry

Editor Hannah Osborne spoke with science writer Kit Chapman about his book

Who are the least-contacted people on Earth?

"Uncontacted" and "isolated" peoples live in roughly 10 countries around the world, including one group that erases their footprints so they can…

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.

'These were harder than any other blades, cut sharper and cost more': How ancient Sri Lankans created steel of legends by harnessing monsoons

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New documentary looks for Cleopatra

Hundreds of coins that depict Cleopatra VII have been discovered in an Egyptian temple. The archaeologist who led the team believes the female p…

Which Roman emperor ruled the longest?

The question of which Roman emperor ruled the longest is tricky to answer.

After Mount Vesuvius erupted, Romans returned to Pompeii and stayed for 400 years — but it was likely anarchy

New excavations in Pompeii

Ancient Egypt: History, dynasties, religion and writing

The rich history of ancient Egypt involves power struggles, amazing feats of engineering, advances in writing and art, and more.

How do we know pi is an irrational number?

Are there mathematical ways to prove that pi is an irrational number that has no end?

Thutmose II tomb discovery raises new mysteries: Where is his mummy, and why wasn

Why did Hatshepsut have her husband buried to the west of the Valley of the Kings, while she was buried in the valley itself?

Stone Age people made sun stone

Hundreds of stone artifacts discovered on a Danish island may have been offered to the gods to ward off a climate crisis.

Hairy giant tarantula: The monster among mini tarantulas with

The newly discovered tarantula Trichopelma grande has unusually hairy legs for a ground-dwelling species. It

'Space trash' will lead us to intelligent aliens, Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb says

Long-sought evidence of alien life could lurk in Earth