Scientists have discovered for the first time that there are two distinct species of red panda, not just one — and the find could have important ramifications for conservation efforts. The small mammals, which are already endangered, are native to China, Nepal, India, Bhutan and Myanmar. Although red pandas’ physical differences have led many to…… MORE
A celestial phenomenon is set to occur between Venus and the moon Thursday night, according to NASA’s calendar. If you live in the Northern Hemisphere and you’ve got a clear sky Thursday, look to the southwest and you’ll see a very bright Venus alongside a crescent moon, together two of the brightest objects in the…… MORE
The more scientists learn about exoplanet K2-18b, the more intriguing it becomes. And it could broaden the types of exoplanets astronomers target in their search for life beyond Earth. Last year, astronomers peered into the atmosphere of the exoplanet — a planet outside our solar system — and discovered both water vapor and temperatures that…… MORE
It’s not the moon, but you can call it mini-moon. Earth has captured a tiny object and pulled it into orbit. The asteroid, known as 2020 CD3, is only the second asteroid known to orbit Earth. And while it won’t last, this asteroid acts as a temporary mini-moon whirling around our planet. The discovery was…… MORE
China’s Chang’e-4 mission, the first to land on the far side of the moon, is unveiling lunar secrets one layer at a time, according to a new study. Chang’e-4 landed in the Von Karman crater on January 3, 2019, after which it deployed a lunar rover named Yutu-2. The rover’s purpose was to explore the…… MORE
While it’s not possible to go back in time and see if Mars truly was habitable billions of years ago, scientists are investigating the next best possibility: ancient meteorite impact sites on Earth. And there just happens to be a very Mars-like one in southern Germany. Today, Mars is a frozen desert with a thin…… MORE
Covid-19, meet democracy. It’s one thing to battle an epidemic in an authoritarian state like China, which can isolate an entire epicenter city. It’s another in a free nation like Italy, where government curfews and curtailed rights are relics of a tortured history. The world is now finding out what happens when a contagion hits…… MORE
You’d think all animals would need oxygen to live, right? Wrong. Researchers just discovered a unique organism that doesn’t need to breathe. Instead, the tiny parasite lives in salmon tissue and evolved so that it doesn’t need oxygen to produce energy. It’s a brilliant simplification that proves, sometimes, less is more, said Stephen Atkinson, senior…… MORE
Are you ready to give up caffeine for 40 days? What about your social media accounts? While giving up those things may seem hard for you, Christians long ago used to give up a whole lot more. Ash Wednesday is today. It marks the first day of Lent in Western churches. The ashes symbolize penance…… MORE
The science is looking pretty unanimous on this one: Drivers of expensive cars are the worst. A new study has found that drivers of flashy vehicles are less likely to stop and allow pedestrians to cross the road — with the likelihood they’ll slow down decreasing by 3% for every extra $1,000 that their vehicle…… MORE
