The hottest temperature ever recorded in every state
5 min read
The Silicon Valley leaders who have experimented with psychedelics
Silicon Valley has a long history with psychedelics, and some of its best-known leaders have partaken, including Bill Gates and Sam Altman.
5 min read
26 photos of the worst hurricanes to have hit the US
In 2024, Hurricane Helene brought catastrophic rainfall to North Carolina, causing flooding and landslides.
9 min read
How the Smithsonian safeguards 148 million specimens
We went behind the scenes to see how the museum is digitizing its entire collection and building a DNA library to help solve real-world problems.
CEO of space company Axiom breaks down what a $70 million ticket gets you
Axiom's crewed missions visit the International Space Station for about two weeks of extensive research work, where "every minute is accounted for."
7 min read
Elon Musk threatened, then walked back a decision to 'decommission' SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft after Trump hit out at his businesses
Elon Musk said SpaceX would decommission its Dragon spacecraft "immediately" after Trump threatened his government contracts in their online feud.
3 min read
Starship fumbled its 3rd flight in a row. It's another setback for Elon Musk.
SpaceX's Starship failed its third attempt to put cargo into Earth's orbit, spinning out of control and breaking apart again.
5 min read
15 bizarre creatures from the bottom of the ocean that look like aliens
To survive the deep ocean, sea creatures need all kinds of adaptations that give them alien-like appearances, like huge eyes and needle-like teeth.
10 min read
The historical figures who inspired Nvidia's product names, from Grace Hopper to David Blackwell
Nvidia chips take their names from pioneering figures in STEM fields like mathematics and computer science.
4 min read
A 17-year-old designed a cheaper, more efficient drone. The Department of Defense just awarded him $23,000 for it.
Cooper Taylor built a drone with an innovative tilt mechanism that eliminates the need for extra motors. He hopes to make drones cheaper.
5 min read
Nuclear engineers want the industry to get 'unstuck' after years of bad PR. The AI boom could be the key.
Nuclear engineers told BI that Big Tech's investments could propel nuclear out of a slump. Others are skeptical about buzzy "small modular reactors."
8 min read
14 of the most significant archaeological sites in the US
The US' history goes back thousands of years, thanks to a wealth of archaeological sites that give insight into the first humans in North America.
12 min read
Blue Origin's next crew includes entrepreneurs and founders. Here's who's following Katy Perry and Lauren Sánchez into space.
Blue Origin's next crew includes business figures and entrepreneurs after the high-profile mission featuring Katy Perry and Lauren Sánchez.
3 min read
9 stunning natural mysteries scientists can't fully explain
Scientists have hypotheses about some of nature's biggest mysteries but are still working on proof. Some beautiful phenomena can't be explained yet.
8 min read
Photos show the eruption of Mount St. Helens, the worst volcanic disaster in US history, 45 years ago
In 1980, Mount St. Helens erupted, killing dozens and forever changing how the US monitors earthquakes. The volcano is still active but not erupting.
9 min read
Andrea, Jerry, Wendy: Here's what hurricanes will be named in 2025
The National Hurricane Center chooses storms' names in advance. This year's list of hurricane names includes Karen, Pablo, Wendy, Chantal, and Dexter.
3 min read
A 19-year-old won $100,000 for inventing a cheaper, faster way to make antiviral drugs out of corn husks
Adam Kovalčík figured out how to make an antiviral drug for a fraction of the normal cost, using an alcohol from corn husks.
4 min read
15 vintage photos show what New York City looked like before the US regulated pollution
Pollution regulations began after the Environmental Protection Agency formed in 1970. The Trump administration has recently announced plans to cut back on EPA funding.
6 min read
A doctor who studies toxic chemicals explains why he avoids paper receipts at the store
Many receipts contain the chemical BPS, which can absorb through your skin when you hold a receipt paper.
4 min read
The American brain drain has arrived. Just ask these scientists.
"There is no opportunity here anymore, and I don't want to waste my time," said a scientist who is studying Alzheimer's and moving to Germany.
6 min read
I study microplastics and toxic chemicals. That's why my family doesn't wear shoes in the house.
Outside, your shoes can pick up microplastics and toxic street runoff. Tracey Woodruff's research convinced her to stop wearing shoes inside the home.
3 min read
The biggest cities in the US are sinking, a study found. The phenomenon could tilt buildings and damage infrastructure.
Cities including Seattle, San Diego, and Chicago are all sinking, a new study found.
4 min read
32 vintage photos reveal what Los Angeles looked like before the US regulated pollution
Before the EPA, the US environment was not federally protected. Vintage photos show Los Angeles before regulations limited the damage.
8 min read
A Soviet spacecraft is set to fall back to Earth in the next week. Nobody knows where it will land.
The Kosmos 482 capsule was built tough for Venus. Its fall to Earth will make a huge fireball and may pose a small risk of hitting people or property.
3 min read
Europe aims to lure US scientists with a $566 million fund and calls education cuts a 'gigantic miscalculation'
Trump has aggressively slashed education funding in his first three months in the White House, leading some to fear a "brain drain" from US academia.
3 min read
The first nonverbal patient to receive Elon Musk's Neuralink shares a video he edited and narrated using his brain chip
Brad Smith is the third person in the world to get a brain chip implant with Elon Musk's Neuralink, and the first nonverbal ALS patient to do so.
3 min read
13 coastal cities in the US that are slowly sinking
Cities from New York to Houston are sinking into the ground little by little, putting an estimated $109 billion of property at risk of flooding.
5 min read
I study toxic microplastics. Here's how I protect myself and my kids at home.
Tracey Woodruff studies how microplastics and plastic chemicals affect human health. She's cutting plastic out of her home in some unexpected ways.
5 min read
This startup says it's made the first biodegradable sneaker — and that others are fake
A startup says it's made the world's first fully biodegradable sneaker in an industry rife with greenwashing. We put seven shoe brands to the test.
An award-winning invention by 3 teens could help get plastic out of shipping boxes. They want to pitch to Amazon and Home Depot.
A new cardboard design by three New York teenagers, inspired by kirigami, could help make plastic-free shipping a reality. It just won a $12,500 prize.
5 min read
Stroke patients have high levels of microplastics in the plaque clogging their arteries, researchers find
Microplastics discovered in life-threatening arterial plaque are associated with strokes. A new study found altered gene activity, too.
4 min read
A century ago, the government hired unemployed young men to build America's forests, trails, and parks. Photos show FDR's 'tree army.'
During the Great Depression, Franklin Roosevelt created a tree army. Civilians planted trees, built dams, and transformed state and national parks.
19 min read
The hardest part of discovering alien life may be announcing it. Here's how NASA might break the news.
If extraterrestrial life is real, NASA could discover evidence in your lifetime. It will probably be a slow build-up, rather than a eureka moment.
6 min read
3 teens invented a salt-powered refrigerator that doesn't need electricity. They're building 200 of them for hospitals to use.
The Thermavault refrigeration unit can keep vaccines cool with a reusable salt solution. The teens who built it plan to test it at 120 hospitals.
4 min read
Scientists captured the first-ever footage of a colossal squid in the deep sea after a 100-year search. It's a baby.
A baby colossal squid was filmed in the deep sea by an ocean expedition near Antarctica. The world's largest squid has eluded cameras for 100 years.
4 min read
See the most detailed images ever taken of Titanic's wreckage, which might offer clues about how it sank
Submersibles captured images of the Titanic wreck to create a "digital twin" of the ship. Researchers are using it to explore the Titanic's mysteries.
7 min read
The wreckage of the Titanic was found nearly 40 years ago during a secret US Navy mission to recover nuclear submarines
The Titanic, which sank in April 1912, was found on September 1, 1985, during a Navy search for two missing nuclear submarines.
3 min read
Lauren Sanchez's first trip to space gave her major perspective. Here's what she realized while floating above the Earth.
Jeff Bezos' fiancée Lauren Sánchez went to space with the first female-only crew since 1963. She talked about Bezos and how proud she is of the crew.
3 min read
Photos show what daily life is like on the International Space Station, from sleeping arrangements to haircuts
Life on the International Space Station isn't always easy. There's not a lot of room, no showers, and no laundry. Photos show how astronauts live.
10 min read
All about Blue Origin: How Jeff Bezos launched a rocket company that's competing with SpaceX
Blue Origin rockets are launching people to the edge of space, but Jeff Bezos wants the company to compete with SpaceX. It's getting closer.
7 min read
A teen won $12,500 for building a playground out of recycled tires. She plans to build 3 more parks across Nigeria.
Amara Nwuneli plans to put her prize money toward building three more parks in Nigeria to help combat extreme heat and flooding.
4 min read
What's the maximum weight a human being can theoretically lift?
Elite athletes have achieved lifts of up to 1,200 pounds. Here's what's made that possible — and what the limit may be.
Dire wolves have been extinct for over 10,000 years. Now, the startup Colossal Biosciences says it's brought them back.
The startup Colossal Biosciences says it achieved de-extinction and made three new dire wolves named Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi.
5 min read
Chewing gum is the latest sneaky source of microplastics, releasing thousands of pieces into your saliva
Microplastics are building up in human brains, blood, reproductive organs, and more. A new study suggests you ingest more plastic when you chew gum.
4 min read
8 forgotten women Egyptologists that history overlooked
Since the late 1800s, women have studied Ancient Egypt, but it wasn't always easy to enter the profession. Here are 8 trailblazers who led the way.
13 min read
Archaeologists discovered a mysterious pharaoh from a war-ridden era of ancient Egypt. Take a look inside his tomb.
Archaeologists discovered the tomb of an unknown pharaoh from a tumultuous, war-ridden era of ancient Egypt. Now they're searching for his name.
4 min read
I'm a space nutritionist sending the first mushrooms into orbit. It could make travel to Mars a whole lot more palatable.
Flavia Fayet-Moore, a space nutritionist, partnered with NASA and SpaceX to send the first mushrooms into orbit.
5 min read
Vintage photos reveal what American cities looked like before the EPA regulated water and air pollution
President Trump's EPA administrator aims to roll back environmental protections in an effort to reduce the agency's spending.
10 min read
How to survive nuclear war after a bomb is dropped: what to do, how to prepare
A minute-by-minute guide on how to survive a nuclear bomb attack, and ways to be prepared for war.
9 min read