Dogs share food with other dogs even in complex situations

Dogs also share their food, albeit mainly with four-legged friends rather than strangers. A new study has now confirmed this prosocial behavior among canines. The more complex methodology of the study, however, showed that the experimental set-up has an impact on the dogs' behavior and that even the mere presence of another dog makes the animals more generous.

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Scale of the universe in 3 minutes

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How a Scientist Mapped the Entire Peruvian Amazon by Plane

Next stop: space.

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Tasmanian Tree Projects: an intimate portrait from an impossible perspective

The Tree Projects team spent 67 days documenting one eucalyptus regnans in the Styx valley of Tasmania. Using a combination of tree-climbing and elaborate arboreal rigging techniques, they produced an intimate portrait from an impossible perspective of one of the world’s largest individual flowering trees, which goes by several common names. These photos document the process that resulted in an extraordinary ultra high-definition photograph.

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President Trump Prepares to Withdraw from Groundbreaking Climate Change Agreement

The United States will switch course on climate change and pull out of a global pact to cut emissions, said Myron Ebell, who headed U.S. President Donald Trump's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) transition team until his inauguration. Ebell is the director of global warming and international environmental policy at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a U.S. conservative think tank, and helped to guide the EPA's transition after Trump was elected in November until he was sworn in on Jan. 20.

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The Stunning Early Infographics and Maps of the 1800s

Educational diagrams of scientific discoveries, from the moon's surface to the longest rivers.

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Alien-like critter forces creation of new insect category

​​There are around one million insects that have been discovered and described by scientists, with every last one slotting into one of 31 categories, known in entomology circles as orders. But the discovery of a new alien-like insect preserved in amber has forced them to revisit the playbook.

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Chimps beat up, murder and then cannibalise their former tyrant

A gang of chimps overthrew their alpha male, ostracised him for years and then killed him when he returned.

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Earth’s Magnetic Poles Are Set to Swap Places - and We're Totally Unprepared

Earth’s magnetic field surrounds our planet like an invisible force field - protecting life from harmful solar radiation by deflecting charged particles away. Far from being constant, this field is continuously changing.

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The Secret History of the First Cat in Space

On October 18th, 1963, the Centre national d’études in France was set to send a small cat named Félix into space. After lagging behind its Soviet and American competitors, France was eager to stake its claim in the space race—with cats, for some reason. But on launch day, the mischievous little beast went missing—and an accidental heroine stepped in to take his place. Her name was Félicette.

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The Stegosaurus Plate Controversy

You live in the Jurassic and you’ve evolved giant, diamond-shaped bone plates that stick out the top of your neck, back and tail. Why, evolution, why? By Darren Naish.

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Pig-Human Organ Farming Doesn’t Look Promising Yet

Effort to grow organs stirs debate over ethics of human-animal chimeras. By Antonio Regalado.

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Science off to a rough start in the Trump administration

Every day seems to bring more bad news for science in the US. Websites vanish, funding is cancelled, and scientists are denied the ability to address the public. But each time something terrible happens, we only have to wait a few days before half of these ideas gets changed or completely rescinded. It can be hard to tell what's going on and what that means for the future of science in the world's leading producer of the stuff.

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Amazon Reef: First images of new coral system

Huge coral system reef where the Amazon River meets the Atlantic Ocean was discovered last year.

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There used to be 4 billion American chestnut trees, but they all disappeared

The kings of the Eastern forest now die as shrubs

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75-Year-Old Texas Woman Flies Through Tornado in Bathtub, Lands in Woods Unharmed

In the Southern United States, the weather can be deadly, but it can also be surprisingly courteous, as an elderly Texas woman learned this weekend when a tornado picked up the bathtub she was hiding in, spun it in the air, and put her back down in the woods without injury.

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When Did the Environment Become a Partisan Issue?

When it comes to the environment, it seems that political divisions in America only grow wider. According to a recent survey by the Pew Research Center, 90 percent of Democrats believe that the “country should do whatever it takes to protect the environment,” compared with 52 percent of Republicans. But it wasn’t always that way. American Experience spoke with environmental historian Naomi Oreskes, author of the book Merchants of Doubt, about the early days of environmental activism, and how it gained — and then lost — broad bipartisan support. By Cori Brosnahan.

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Grass carp have invaded three of the Great Lakes, study says

Grass carp have been found in Lake Erie, Lake Michigan and Lake Ontario, although it’s uncertain how many there are or how widely they have spread. By John Flesher.

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Fossils of giant pterosaurs found in Transylvania

A pair of researchers in the U.K. has identified fossils found in the Transylvania area in Romania as those of a pterosaur they have named Hatzegopteryx—a giant, muscle-bound flying reptile that could eat prey as large as a small horse. By Bob Yirka.

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This Scary, Alien-Like Specimen Trapped in Amber Represents a Brand New Order of Insect

Researchers have discovered two 100-million-year old insects trapped in amber that are so unusual, they represent an entire new order of insect.

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Claim made for Hydrogen 'Wonder Material'

US scientists draw controversy as they claim to have fulfilled the decades-long quest to turn hydrogen into a state where it behaves like a metal.

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Two of Nation's Worst Droughts See Significant Improvement

Southern California and parts of the South both saw improvement in drought conditions this week.

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Thylacines: Getting Inside the Head of an Extinct Predator

The thylacine, or Tasmanian tiger, believed extinct, had the quick wit of a killer new research reveals. By Gemma Tarlach.

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Ireland just became the world's first country to stop investing in fossil fuels

Ireland has voted to be the world’s first country to fully divest public money from fossil fuels. The Irish Parliament passed the historic legislation in a 90 to 53 vote in favour of dropping coal, oil and gas investments from the €8bn (£6.8bn) Ireland Strategic Investment Fund, part of the Republic’s National Treasury Management Agency. The bill, introduced by Deputy Thomas Pringle, is likely to pass into law in the next few months after it is reviewed by the financial committee. 

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After the Oxbow: Mississippi River Backwaters Are Disappearing. Why?

Along the Mississippi River, largely beyond our notice, an essential wildlife habitat is beginning to disappear. Can it be saved?

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Invasive Fern In Florida Threatens To Take Down More Than Just Trees

The tenacious Old World climbing fern — native to Africa, Asia and Australia — is toppling trees as it swamps the state. It also threatens to derail a national wildlife refuge.

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Canadian scientists lend support to muzzled US counterparts

Canadian scientists – who were muzzled for nearly a decade by the country’s previous Conservative government – have been making contact with their counterparts in the US to offer their support and solidarity amid mounting fears that Donald Trump’s presidency will seek to suppress climate science.

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Robot swarm measures the motion of the ocean

Oceanographers dropped mini underwater drones off the coast of California and found they congregated like plankton. By Vishnu Varma.

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Parasite turns wasp into zombie then drills through its head

It’s Russian dolls of nature’s manipulators: a wasp that fools oak trees to make it a crypt to live in is in turn made to drill a route out of the crypt by another wasp.

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EU says it will remain top investor against climate change in defiance of Trump

The European Investment Bank has pledged to maintain its target of investing around $20bn (£16bn) a year to fight climate change over the next five years.  “We, Europeans, must lead the free world against climate sceptics,” EID president Werner Hoyer said. He also said Europe must become a leader in funding the next generation of sustainable technologies.

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'It's A Big One': Iowa Pipeline Leaks Nearly 140,000 Gallons Of Diesel

The leak from an underground pipeline in north-central Iowa was first discovered in a field on Wednesday morning. Crews for the company, Magellan Midstream Partners, are working to clean it up.

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Government Scientists at U.S. Climate Conference Terrified to Speak with the Press

The responses I received from federal employees working on climate reminded me of interviewing scientists in China. My presence inspired fear. By Sharon Lerner.

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Donald Trump signs orders advancing construction of Keystone, Dakota pipelines

President Donald Trump took steps to advance construction of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines, marking the start of an era with fewer constraints on the oil industry to the chagrin of environmentalists who have bitterly fought the projects. The moves, among Trump’s first actions since taking office, are a major departure from the Obama administration, which rejected TransCanada Corp.’s Keystone proposal in 2015 and has kept Dakota Access blocked since September.

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If you were an elephant …

… the world would be a brighter, smellier, noisier place – and you would be a better, wiser, kinder person. Charles Foster, the author of Being a Beast explains all.

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Brief exposure to Pope Francis heightens moral beliefs about climate change

In his recent encyclical letter Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home, Pope Francis issued a moral appeal to the global community for swift action on climate change. However, social science research suggests a complex relationship between religious concepts and environmental attitudes, raising the question of what influence the pope’s position may have on public opinion regarding this polarizing issue.

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India just banned all forms of disposable plastic in its capital

India’s capital city Delhi has introduced a ban on disposable plastic. Cutlery, bags, cups and other forms of single-use plastic were prohibited by the National Green Tribunal (NGT). There is particular concern in the country about the amount of plastic waste it produces. According to the Times of India, it is responsible for an astonishing 60 per cent of the plastic that is dumped in the world’s oceans every year. The ban affects the whole National Capital Territory (NCT) area of Delhi.

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Hole In the Earth's Ozone Layer Is Finally Closing Up, NASA Says

A hole in our atmosphere more than twice the size of the United States is finally beginning to close up, and might even be completely gone by the end of the century, according to a new study by NASA scientists. The report was published in the journal Geophysical Research: Atmospheres. In short, it tells us that the measures taken to heal our ozone layer are, and will be, successful.

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Beavers are back in the UK and they will reshape the land

It has been 400 years since Britain was home to beavers. Now they have returned, and they are rapidly proving their worth

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USDA disavows gag-order emailed to scientific research unit

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Tuesday that an internal email sent to staff at its Agricultural Research Service unit this week calling for a suspension of “public-facing documents,” including news releases and photos, was flawed and that new guidance has been sent out to replace it. The ARS focuses on scientific research into the main issues facing agriculture, including long-term climate change. President Donald Trump has cast doubt on whether man-made climate...

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Can the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker Be Found in Cuba?

A birder, ornithologist, writer, and photographer set off on an extreme adventure through the muck and memories of eastern Cuba. By Mac McClelland.

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How insects like bumblebees do so much with tiny brains

It is tempting to assume that animals need large brains to perform complicated tasks, but the immense skills of some insects and worms suggest small brains are surprisingly powerful.

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'I watched the little monster shred it,' says woman who shot video of raven plucking ticket off car

A raven was caught on video plucking a parking ticket off the windshield of a car in downtown Yellowknife on Thursday, and the videographer says she saw the bird "shred it." It's unclear if the raven was disputing the ticket or just hungry. Annemieke Mulders posted the video on Facebook. "I watched the little monster take the ticket from under the windshield wiper and shred it, and (I think) eat some of it," Mulders told CBC News in an email.

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Badlands National Park tweets on climate change deleted; messages defied Trump policy

Seemingly defying the Trump administration’s new social media policy, the Badlands National Park went rogue on Tuesday and tweeted several scientific facts related to climate change — but the tweets were deleted after a just a few hours as the White House apparently reeled in the wayward park.

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We are destroying rainforests so quickly they may be gone in 100 years

At current rates of deforestation, rainforests will vanish altogether in a century. Stopping climate change will remain an elusive goal unless poor nations are helped to preserve them. By John Vidal.

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Tesla quietly brings online its massive – biggest in the world – 80 MWh Powerpack station with Southern California Edison

After announcing the project back in September, we have now learned that Tesla and Southern California Edison (SCE) have completed the massive 80 MWh energy storage station using Tesla’s new Powerpack 2 at the Mira Loma substation. There are a few bigger projects in various phases of development, but it looks like this one is the biggest energy storage project in the world using lithium-ion batteries currently in operation.

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How warming seas are forcing fish to seek new waters

Rising sea temperatures are pushing shoals hundreds of miles from native grounds.

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Polar Bear Cubs at High Risk from Toxic Industrial Chemicals, Despite Bans

Levels in young animals elevated to 1,000 times the acceptable amount in people. By Deirdre Lockwood.

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Trump to Advance Keystone, Dakota Access Pipelines

President Trump will sign orders Tuesday to advance construction of the controversial Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines, Bloomberg reports.

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Organisms created with synthetic DNA pave way for entirely new life forms

E coli microbes have been modified to carry an expanded genetic code which researchers say will ultimately allow them to be programmed. By Ian Sample.

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EPA Freezes Grants, Tells Employees Not To Talk About It, Sources Say

It's unclear whether the freeze is temporary or indefinite.

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