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The arrival of oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere marked a defining moment in the planet’s history, transforming it into a world capable of supporting complex life. This major shift, known as the Great Oxidation Event (GOE), took place approximately 2.1 to 2.4 billion years ago. However, oxygenic photosynthesis — produced by cyanobacteria — had likely evolved…

For most of Earth’s history, scientists have viewed the slow breakdown of silicate rocks as the planet’s main natural thermostat. In this process, rainwater absorbs carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air, lands on exposed rocks, and gradually dissolves them. The carbon and calcium released eventually flow into the oceans, where they form the raw materials…

Astronomers have produced the first three-dimensional map of a planet outside our solar system, revealing distinct temperature regions, including one so hot that water vapor breaks apart. The findings appear in Nature Astronomy, published October 28, 2025. Led by researchers at the University of Maryland and Cornell University, the study charts temperatures across WASP-18b, a…

The question of whether spacetime truly exists should not be particularly controversial or even conceptually difficult once we understand what is meant by “spacetime,” “events,” and “instants.” Believing that spacetime is a real, physical entity is no more defensible than believing in the old idea of a celestial sphere. Both are human-centered frameworks that help…

A new study in Nature Microbiology analyzes soils collected across Kansas to test the role of “legacy effects,” which refers to how soils at a given site are shaped by microbes that have adapted to the local climate over many years. “The bacteria and fungi and other organisms living in the soil can actually end…

Plankton are the unseen drivers of life on Earth. These microscopic organisms produce a large share of the planet’s oxygen and form the base of the ocean food chain. They are also astonishingly diverse, with tens of thousands of species already identified and many more waiting to be discovered. Among them, protists — tiny, single-celled…

After nearly a quarter century of investigation, scientists have solved a remarkable mystery. Europe’s largest bat doesn’t merely snack on small birds — it hunts and captures them more than a kilometer above the ground and consumes them while still in flight. An international research team has uncovered how this massive bat hunts and eats…

Could everything we thought we knew about T. rex growth be wrong? A remarkably complete tyrannosaur skeleton has brought new clarity to one of paleontology’s longest debates: whether Nanotyrannus was its own species or merely a young Tyrannosaurus rex. The fossil comes from the famous “Dueling Dinosaurs” discovery in Montana, which preserved two creatures locked…