Could the brain’s own “caregivers” be making things worse in depression? A new study says yes—and it’s turning what we thought we knew about mental illness upside down. A depressed person. Credit: Wikimedia Commons/Sander van der Wel Depression is one of the most common mental health disorders in the world, […]

In a quiet corner of your office plant or garden center, a tiny predator is changing what we thought we knew about how spiders kill. Instead of using venom-filled fangs like most of its eight-legged cousins, the feather-legged lace weaver spider (Uloborus plumipes) takes a different—and frankly, disgusting—route to mealtime:

Imagine waking up one day to find that an entire continent is slowly tearing itself apart—not metaphorically, but literally. It’s not a plot from a sci-fi movie; it’s real, and it’s happening in East Africa. Right now, deep beneath our feet, one of the most dramatic geological transformations on Earth

Could your next trip to the bathroom help grow tomorrow’s tomatoes? Scientists say yes—and they’re serious. A new study by environmental researchers at the Autonomous University of Barcelona shows that human urine could be a surprising ally in the fight for food security and climate sustainability. Rich in nitrogen, one

Brian Armstrong, the billionaire behind cryptocurrency giant Coinbase, isn’t just dreaming of digital revolutions anymore—he now has his sights set on something even more radical: gene-edited human embryos. In a bold move that could reshape the future of reproduction and genetics, Armstrong publicly announced plans on June 2 to build

Where is the center of the universe? It’s one of those questions that sounds simple—until you try to answer it. For centuries, scientists imagined the cosmos as a calm, steady place, like a giant snow globe that never changed. Even Albert Einstein once assumed the universe was static. But when

Behavioral ecologist Michael Weiss was browsing through drone footage of orca pods in the Salish Sea. In this footage, he found one of the orcas carrying something green in its mouth. He also noticed a peculiar behavior: Some orcas rubbed against each other for up to 15 minutes at a

Bats might look harmless hanging from trees or in caves, but they quietly harbor some of the world’s most dangerous viruses. From COVID-19 and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) to influenza and hantavirus, bats are linked to several major outbreaks. And yet, scientists have long struggled to understand how these

Forget what you thought you knew about reptile hearing. A new study reveals that geckos might be listening through their feet—literally. Biologists have discovered that the tokay gecko, a brightly colored lizard known for its piercing bark, can detect vibrations in the ground using part of its inner ear. This

Darwin viewed evolution as a slow, gradual process in which species accumulated small changes over time. New research in some marine worm species is challenging this view. According to this school of thought, called punctuated equilibrium, organisms remain stable for ages before undergoing a massive change, taking a large leap

In a historic move, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the first-ever at-home self-collection device for cervical cancer screening. Called the Teal Wand, this tampon-like tool allows users to collect a vaginal sample in the privacy of their homes—no stirrups, no appointments, and no waiting room anxiety required.