Headlines

El Niño alters marine life in the Pacific

As of June 2026, El Niño has officially arrived. This naturally recurring phenomenon is characterized by warmer-than-normal water temperatures in parts of the equatorial Pacific, along with changes to atmospheric and oceanic circulation patterns. Its regional effects range from

Slow spin could explain why planets become hellish

Hundreds of Venus-like planets could soon help determine why some worlds become sweltering greenhouse hellscapes while others remain capable of supporting life. But before answering that question, scientists first need to know how fast those planets are spinning.

Helping students be better organized

Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often struggle with executive functions—tasks involving managing their time, completing their homework, turning in assignments and planning for upcoming projects. These limitations, says clinical psychologist Jenelle

Greenland glacier break creates new ice island

An international research team partly led by the University of Ottawa reports that Petermann Glacier in northwest Greenland calved a 76.4 km² (29.5 square miles) ice island on Aug. 4, 2026, marking the glacier's largest loss of floating ice since 2012 and the largest Arctic

Early snakes explored life underground, on land and at sea

Snakes are highly modified lizards, with more than 4,000 living species today. The origin of snakes has long been one of evolutionary biology's most debated questions. Their sparse fossil record has made it hard to pin down what drove the evolution of their limbless body plan.