Earth
Stories that ground us
Researchers Identify Rare Meteorite That Killed Dinosaurs, Reshaping Extinction Story
A new study pins the Chicxulub impact on a rare CO chondrite and hints that fine dust, rather than sulphur-rich fumes, delivered the final blow to life 66 million years ago.
By Jeff Kent • Aug 17, 2026
Lunar Customs: Why Some Scientists Want a Port of Entry on the Moon
To guard Earth from alien microbes hitchhiking home on Mars rocks, researchers are proposing a biocontainment base on the moon. A planetary firewall for the new space age.
By Serrae Bell • Aug 12, 2026
The Baby Rattlesnake Superkiller Myth You Heard at Summer Camp Is Wrong
A 2026 study shows baby rattlesnakes control their venom and inject far less than adults, dismantling a media-driven myth with real medical stakes.
By Ethan Denma • Aug 10, 2026
The Goldfish You Set Free Can Wreck an Entire Lake
New experiments show released pet goldfish cloud the water, gut the food web and tip whole ecosystems into a degraded state that's slow and costly to reverse.
By Nate Gesar • Jul 13, 2026
The Forever Young Butterfly That Didn't Age
Deep in rainforests across the Americas, a pollen-eating insect is living close to a full year and gripping onto life as hard at the end as it did at the start. Could it be a new blueprint for the biology of longevity?
By Ethan Denma • Jul 8, 2026
There’s a New T. Rex in Town & It Ruled the Ocean
A misidentified 43-foot marine reptile from Texas has been crowned Tylosaurus rex, a newly recognized mosasaur that’s forcing paleontologists to redraw the family tree of dinosaur-age sea monsters.
By Serrae Bell • Jul 3, 2026
These Tarantulas Evolved Massive Genitalia Just to Survive Sex
A newly discovered genus of spider, named after the well-endowed creatures of Greek myth, may have grown the massive members to avoid being eaten alive by aggressive females.
By Ethan Denma • Jun 22, 2026
Breeding for Cuteness Made Some Dogs and Cats Evolutionary Look-Alikes
Researchers analyzed 1,800 skulls and found that “baby-faced” breeds have converged evolutionarily, but at the cost of our beloved pets’ health.
By Sarah Simon • Jun 15, 2026
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Scientists Just Hacked Axolotl Genes to Nudge Mice Toward Regrowing Limbs
Are humans next?
By Alex Tisdale • Jun 10, 2026
The Salmon Are on Cocaine, and They're Swimming Farther Than Ever
Traces of your weekend bender are turning up in Swedish lakes, and the fish are wired.
By Nate Gesar • May 21, 2026
Filmed Twice, Identified Never: The Deep-Sea Animal That Fits No Known Branch of Life
Marine biologists are openly disagreeing about whether the creature is a sea slug, a sea cucumber, or a category of animal that humans haven't discovered yet.
By Ethan Denma • May 14, 2026
This Fuzzy Baby Dinosaur Was Hiding for 100 Million Years in a Rock in South Korea
Meet Dooly, a recently discovered, potentially fluffy dino baby, so cute it was named after an adorable Korean cartoon character.
By Ethan Denma • Apr 22, 2026
Scientists Built a Psychedelic Superplant That Includes Shrooms, Ayahuasca, and Toad Venom Compounds
The genetically modified tobacco plant could reshape how researchers source mind-altering drugs for mental health treatments.
By Milky Way News Editorial • Apr 17, 2026
Seven Dogs, One Highway, and a Heartwarming Story That Was Completely Made Up
The viral video of a dog pack "escaping captivity" in China captivated hundreds of millions. Chinese state media and officials say it was all fiction.
By Milky Way News Editorial • Apr 1, 2026
The 5 Most Unnerving Things Cops Saw While Chasing New Jersey's Mystery Drones
A massive cache of recently released police documents related to the 2024 drone wave reveals what officers experienced, from jammed radios, stalked helicopters, and a nuclear lab.
By Milky Way News Editorial • Mar 26, 2026