how inventions changed the world essay

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What is DANA, the strange weather phenomenon that has caused deadly flooding in Spain?

María de los Ángeles Orfila published 31 October 24

With record-high Mediterranean temperatures and a year's worth of rain falling in mere hours, Spain has been devastated by the weather phenomenon known as DANA.

1st image of Milky Way's 'black hole heart' has errors, study claims

Ben Turner published 31 October 24

The image of Sagittarius A*, the black hole at the heart of the Milky Way, captured by the Event Horizon Telescope.

Trigger for deadly neurodegenerative disorder identified

Emily Cooke published 31 October 24

The discovery of an important enzyme involved in Huntington's disease may pave the way for future treatments to prevent the condition, researchers say.

Boston Dynamics' robot dog Spot can now 'play fetch' — thanks to MIT breakthrough

Roland Moore-Colyer published 31 October 24

The future of smarter robots may lie in combining neural networks with advanced computer vision.

Earth is racing toward climate conditions that collapsed key Atlantic currents before the last ice age, study finds

Sascha Pare published 31 October 24

Global warming during the Last Interglacial period caused so much Arctic ice to melt that Atlantic currents collapsed — and scientists say these are the conditions we could be heading toward.

Watch the 'Halloween comet' ATLAS burn up as it flies into the sun

Brett Tingley published 31 October 24

Watch Comet C/2024 S1 (ATLAS) make a death dive into the sun in this eerie footage from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory spacecraft.

Planet Earth

Massive blue 'melt pond' in Arctic glacier is an eerie sign of things to come

By Harry Baker published 29 October 24

Earth from space A 2014 photo shows a massive, iceberg-littered pool of vibrant blue meltwater sitting alone on top of a glacier in Alaska. Similar "melt ponds" are becoming increasingly common in the Arctic due to climate change and are further accelerating the rate of ice loss across the region.

What's the difference between a tsunami and a tidal wave?

By Richard Pallardy published 28 October 24

Tsunamis and tidal waves are the powerful types of wave on Earth, but very different processes are involved in their formation.

• 2 1st image of Milky Way's 'black hole heart' has errors, study claims
• 3 Trigger for deadly neurodegenerative disorder identified
• 4 Boston Dynamics' robot dog Spot can now 'play fetch' — thanks to MIT breakthrough
• 5 Earth is racing toward climate conditions that collapsed key Atlantic currents before the last ice age, study finds

Witch's head to God's eye: 12 of the spookiest objects in the universe

By Brandon Specktor last updated 30 October 24

A shrieking skull, a cackling witch, a ghostly hand and other cosmic illusions haunt our skies. Which do you think is the spookiest object in the universe?

James Webb telescope finds 1st possible 'failed stars' beyond the Milky Way — and they could reveal new secrets of the early universe

By Brandon Specktor published 29 October 24

The James Webb Space Telescope may have found dozens of elusive brown dwarfs — strange objects larger than planets but smaller than stars — beyond the Milky Way for the first time ever.

archaeology

1,200-year-old Viking cemetery with 'stone ship' burials discovered in Sweden

By Kristina Killgrove published 29 October 24

Archaeologists in Sweden were expecting to find an ancient settlement, but they were surprised to discover a Viking Age cemetery with boat-shaped burial outlines.

Ancient Indigenous weapons from Australia can deliver 'devastating blows,' 1st-ever biomechanics study of its kind reveals

By Laura Diamond, Michelle Langley published 29 October 24

A first-ever biomechanics study of two First Nations weapons systems has identified the design features that make them so formidable.

Bird flu could become deadlier if it mixes with seasonal flu viruses, experts warn

By Kamal Nahas published 30 October 24

As of now, 17 states have reported H5N1 bird flu cases in humans, but there is still no evidence for transmission between people. Could that change?

Can air purifiers help with asthma?

By Lou Mudge, Anna Gora last updated 30 October 24

Reference We take a closer look to see if using air purifiers helps with asthma.

Do air purifiers help with allergies?

By Kerry Taylor-Smith, Anna Gora last updated 30 October 24

REFERENCE Air purifiers can improve air quality, but do these devices help relieve allergies?

From black cats to white spirit bears, 'superstitions, lore and myths can shape your subconscious' − biases that have real effects

By Elizabeth Carlen, Tyus Williams published 27 October 24

What may be scariest about a spooky black cat is the way superstition and tradition shape people's perceptions and biases about animals based only on their color.

Babirusa: The prehistoric 'deer' pigs with huge antler teeth

By Lydia Smith published 26 October 24

Babirusas are believed to have diverged from their pig ancestors between 26 million and 12 million years ago after getting isolated on Sulawesi when sea levels rose at the end of the last ice age.

Predatory birds from the Jurassic may have driven cicada evolution for millions of years

By Sierra Bouchér published 25 October 24

Researchers calculated the flight ability of more than 80 ancient cicada species to analyze their evolution over time.

Human Behavior

How many nuclear bombs have been used?

By Sierra Bouchér published 26 October 24

The first nuclear bomb test, conducted in 1945, set off an international arms race that included nuclear testing. But how many nuclear bombs have been detonated during tests and in active war?

What's the scientific explanation for 'ghost encounters'?

By Patrick Pester published 19 October 24

People all over the world believe they've seen or heard a ghost, but there's no scientific evidence for spirits, hauntings or the paranormal. So what's behind these "encounters"?

28 best science books for kids and young adults

By Ben Biggs last updated 18 October 24

Looking to inspire the next generation of curious minds? These are our picks of the best popular science books for children of all ages.

Physics & Mathematics

High school students who came up with 'impossible' proof of Pythagorean theorem discover 9 more solutions to the problem

By Sascha Pare published 28 October 24

In a new peer-reviewed study, Ne'Kiya Jackson and Calcea Johnson outlined 10 ways to solve the Pythagorean theorem using trigonometry, including a proof they discovered in high school.

Keeping time: The history, origin and meanings of B.C. and A.D.

By Robert Coolman, Owen Jarus last updated 24 October 24

The use of "anno domini" and "before Christ" to mark time began in the early days of Christianity, when clerics needed to know when Easter would fall.

What is the largest known prime number?

By Charles Q. Choi last updated 23 October 24

There are infinitely many prime numbers, but the biggest one we know of goes by the name M82589933 and contains more than 24 million digits.

Periodic table of elements quiz: How many elements can you name in 10 minutes?

By Alexander McNamara published 14 October 24

Can you name everything from Ac to Zr? Test your knowledge of the periodic table and see if you can top the leaderboard

Watch atoms fuse into world's 'smallest bubble' of water in 1st-of-its-kind 'nanoscale' video

By Harry Baker published 10 October 24

A new study captured never-before-seen footage of hydrogen and oxygen atoms combining to form a miniature water droplet out of "thin air." The newly improved reaction could one day help astronauts make water in space.

Nobel Prize in Chemistry: 1901-Present

By Live Science Staff last updated 10 October 24

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry includes famous winners such as Marie Curie and Otto Hahn.

Air purifiers vs ionizers: What's the difference?

By Kerry Taylor-Smith last updated 29 October 24

REFERENCE We pit air purifiers against ionizers to get to the bottom of what each appliance really does.

How well do air purifiers work?

By Helen Alexander last updated 29 October 24

Reference Air purifiers are intended to remove pollutants from the air, but how well do they really work?

AI-powered app performs full-body motion capture using just your smartphone — no suits, specialized cameras or equipment needed

By Keumars Afifi-Sabet published 29 October 24

Motion capture requires special equipment and infrastructure that can cost upward of $100,000 — but scientists have created a smartphone app and AI algorithm to do the same job.