Animals experience joy. Scientists want to measure it

Citations S.L. Winkler et al. Bonobos tend to behave optimistically after hearing laughter. Scientific Reports. Published online June 26, 2025. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-02594-8. X.J. Nelson et al. Joyful by nature: approaches…

New study finds indirect evidence for existence of Moctezuma’s Zoo

A recent archaeological study has renewed interest in the role of animals within the ceremonial and urban landscape of ancient Tenochtitlan. Tenochtitlan was the capital of the Mexica (Aztec) civilisation,…

Save 33% and watch Disney+ for just £3.99 a month

The Mandalorian and Grogu, Maul – Shadow Lord, and VisionQuest are just a few of the huge Star Wars and Marvel shows and movies dropping throughout 2026. With all of…

Antibiotic resistance could undo a century of medical progress – but four advances are changing the story

Imagine going to the hospital for a bacterial ear infection and hearing your doctor say, “We’re out of options.” It may sound dramatic, but antibiotic resistance is pushing that scenario…

Why ‘unwinding’ with screens may be making us more stressed – here’s what to try instead

As Americans increasingly report feeling overwhelmed by daily life, many are using self-care to cope. Conversations and social media feeds are saturated with the language of “me time,” burnout, boundaries…

Breakthrough disruptive technology ‘flops’: What can we learn?

In some cases, the vision behind a breakthrough was prescient but the technology of the day was not the best way to achieve it. Social TV (featured on the list…

There’s life beneath the snow, but it’s at risk of melting away

A soft, thick coat of snow makes a lot of the world seem to slow down or even stop — at least temporarily. The fluffy piles absorb sound and make the world…

Northern lights may be visible in 10 states Jan. 20 as Earth’s magnetic field ‘rings like a bell’ after CME impact

Earth is still reverberating from the colossal coronal mass ejection (CME) that struck on Jan. 19, triggering dazzling aurora displays worldwide. And while tonight’s show (Jan. 20) may be somewhat…

‘In Botanical Time’ explores the ways Earth’s oldest plants cheat death

In Botanical TimeChristopher WoodsChelsea Green, $40.00 On a talus-strewn slope in eastern California’s mountains, a gnarled tree twists toward the sky. It is Methuselah, a Great Basin bristlecone pine (Pinus…

What air pollution does to the human body

I grew up in rural Colorado, deep in the mountains, and I can still remember the first time I visited Denver in the early 2000s. The city sits on the…