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New tech called ‘mind captioning’ turns thoughts and mental images into simple text A person lies in an MRI scanner, watching rapid video clips. Outside the room, a computer tries to write sentences that reflect what is happening in that person’s mind. The computer’s goal is to produce not just a single word like “dog” or “car,” but full sentences that spell out who is acting, what they

New tech called ‘mind captioning’ turns thoughts and mental images into simple text #EarthDotCom #EarthSnap #Earth

Tropical trees are growing deeper roots to survive droughts Trees lost many surface roots in drought but grew more deep roots that reached wetter soil. Fungal partners helped roots take up water.

Tropical trees are growing deeper roots to survive droughts #EarthDotCom #EarthSnap #Earth

Massive crocodile cousin from 70 million years ago ate dinosaurs and anything else it wanted Scientists discovered Kostensuchus atrox in Argentina, a crocodile relative that hunted dinosaurs 70 million years ago.

Massive crocodile cousin from 70 million years ago ate dinosaurs and anything else it wanted #EarthDotCom #EarthSnap #Earth

Common and potentially serious disease affects 70% of people without them knowing it By late life, about two thirds of people in Western countries develop an intestinal condition called Diverticular disease. It is rarely noticed, yet it can cause great harm. Recent national surveys from the United Kingdom show that most adults fall well short of the fiber intake recommended for a healthy gut. On average they eat

Common and potentially serious disease affects 70% of people without them knowing it #EarthDotCom #EarthSnap #Earth

Routine expedition ended with the discovery of a unique animal with a secret ability On a routine wildlife survey in a forest reserve in southwest China, scientists caught a weasel that turned out to be a species no one had recorded before. The animal, now named Mustela mopbie, is the newest member of a famously elusive group of small carnivores. The discovery happened in the Meigu Dafengding National Nature

Routine expedition ended with the discovery of a unique animal with a secret ability #EarthDotCom #EarthSnap #Earth

Killer sea sponge, unlike anything seen to date, traps and devours live animals Far beneath Antarctic waters, scientists have found a killer sea sponge with a near perfect ball shape that grabs and eats passing animals. It is the star of dozens of newly confirmed deep sea species from a remote part of the Southern Ocean. A team from The Nippon Foundation’s Nekton Ocean Census worked with Schmidt Ocean

Killer sea sponge, unlike anything seen to date, traps and devours live animals #EarthDotCom #EarthSnap #Earth

Fingernail-sized fish species discovered has an organ that is new to science Scientists in the Colombian Amazon have described a new fish species called Priocharax rex, only about 0.8 inches long, in a 2025 study.  It is the largest known member of its tiny genus and carries a round wing-like flap of skin between its pelvic fins that no one had seen before in this group. This

Fingernail-sized fish species discovered has an organ that is new to science #EarthDotCom #EarthSnap #Earth

Cutting-edge tech captures images inside human heart arteries, revolutionizing medical science Heart doctors are capturing images showing the inside of heart arteries, helping them watch plaque respond to powerful cholesterol drugs in real-time. In these studies, PCSK9 inhibitors, drugs that block a cholesterol controlling protein, made plaques smaller and more stable within about one year of treatment. The pictures come from international trials that scanned the

Cutting-edge tech captures images inside human heart arteries, revolutionizing medical science #EarthDotCom #EarthSnap #Earth

Lost lineage of early humans in Africa rewrites our origin story Scientists read ancient DNA from South African hunter gatherers and found a very early human branch that shaped survival traits.

Lost lineage of early humans in Africa rewrites our origin story #EarthDotCom #EarthSnap #Earth

Rare creature with long and sharp spines is found to be a new species In the forests of central Colombia, a roughly 2-foot long, quill-covered mammal has finally been recognized as new. It is a tree-climbing porcupine now named Coendou vossi, long mistaken for a common relative that lives nearby. The animal lives in humid and dry forests along the Magdalena River valley and Caribbean foothills of Colombia. By

Rare creature with long and sharp spines is found to be a new species #EarthDotCom #EarthSnap #Earth

Chemical fingerprints reveal hidden spiral arms in the Milky Way Star chemistry reveals two spiral arms and a faint bridge in the Milky Way, offering a clearer view of hidden structure in crowded regions.

Chemical fingerprints reveal hidden spiral arms in the Milky Way #EarthDotCom #EarthSnap #Earth

How a climate shock led to the deadliest plague in history A sudden climate jolt disrupted harvests and trade, setting in motion the grain routes that helped carry plague into Europe.

How a climate shock led to the deadliest plague in history #EarthDotCom #EarthSnap #Earth

Walking more on your daily commute may be the simplest path to better health Commuters can boost their daily exercise routine simply by walking a bit more without extending their travel time.

Walking more on your daily commute may be the simplest path to better health #EarthDotCom #EarthSnap #Earth

Delayed climate action may leave us with no solution Delaying climate action can weaken future motivation. The study shows how rising damage may reduce the push to cut emissions.

Delayed climate action may leave us with no solution #EarthDotCom #EarthSnap #Earth

Thousands of dinosaur tracks found in Bolivia set a new world record Scientists studied thousands of dinosaur footprints in Bolivia and uncovered how these animals moved, ran, and interacted on shoreline.

Thousands of dinosaur tracks found in Bolivia set a new world record #EarthDotCom #EarthSnap #Earth

Voters can be rapidly swayed by AI chatbots New research shows AI chatbots can nudge voters' attitudes toward candidates and policies by offering rapid, fact-filled arguments.

Voters can be rapidly swayed by AI chatbots #EarthDotCom #EarthSnap #Earth

Life’s ingredients found in the ashes of an exploded star The Cassiopeia A supernova remnant reveals that massive exploding stars can forge far more of life's essential ingredients than predicted.

Life’s ingredients found in the ashes of an exploded star #EarthDotCom #EarthSnap #Earth

Early humans relied on plant foods much more than expected New research shows early humans relied on many plant foods. They ground seeds, cooked roots, and used simple tools long before farming.

Early humans relied on plant foods much more than expected #EarthDotCom #EarthSnap #Earth

How bees could help farmers live safely with elephants Researchers in Botswana are testing bee sounds, strobe lights, and other tools to help farmers reduce conflict with elephants.

How bees could help farmers live safely with elephants #EarthDotCom #EarthSnap #Earth

Teens with supportive but firm parents have better mental health Parenting style strongly shapes teen mental health. Supportive homes link to lower stress. Strict or unclear rules raise emotional problems.

Teens with supportive but firm parents have better mental health #EarthDotCom #EarthSnap #Earth

Rudimentary drill found a hidden gold vein just 650 feet underground A new gold zone just west of the Froome underground mine could keep McEwen Mining’s Fox Complex producing longer than expected.  One drill core from this Froome West area carried far more gold than miners usually see in underground operations. The discovery sits about 650 feet west of the Froome workings near Timmins in northern

Rudimentary drill found a hidden gold vein just 650 feet underground #EarthDotCom #EarthSnap #Earth

Severity of future heatwaves will likely overwhelm hospitals Heatwaves like the one in 2003 could cause tens of thousands of deaths in a single week if they struck today’s Europe. That weekly toll, projected in a new study, would rival the deadliest weeks of COVID-19 on the continent. Global average temperatures are already about 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit (1.5 degrees Celsius) above pre-industrial levels.

Severity of future heatwaves will likely overwhelm hospitals #EarthDotCom #EarthSnap #Earth

Largest fossil database ever compiled rewrites the human origin story A new fossil mega catalog from the Omo-Turkana Basin in East Africa pulls together 1,231 ancient bones and teeth. That single basin now holds roughly one in three hominins, humans and their closest fossil relatives, found from that slice of African prehistory. For decades, early members of our own genus, Homo, seemed strangely scarce in this

Largest fossil database ever compiled rewrites the human origin story #EarthDotCom #EarthSnap #Earth

Scientists crack the 2,000-year-old mystery of chameleons’ eyes For more than 2,000 years, people have watched chameleon eyes swivel around and wondered how they pull it off without twisting their necks. Now high-resolution scans have finally revealed the secret: each eye is wired to the brain by a long, tightly coiled nerve that acts like extra cable hidden inside the skull. Those spiral

Scientists crack the 2,000-year-old mystery of chameleons’ eyes #EarthDotCom #EarthSnap #Earth

How bees could help farmers live safely with elephants Researchers in Botswana are testing bee sounds, strobe lights, and other tools to help farmers reduce conflict with elephants.

How bees could help farmers live safely with elephants #EarthDotCom #EarthSnap #Earth

Camera traps capture a smooth-coated otter for the first time During a tiger survey in a forest sanctuary in northern India, researchers accidentally photographed a different predator. Their cameras captured the first confirmed images of smooth-coated otters living in Nandhaur Wildlife Sanctuary. The discovery confirms that this vulnerable otter species is hiding in a busy landscape that people mostly associate with tigers. It also hints

Camera traps capture a smooth-coated otter for the first time #EarthDotCom #EarthSnap #Earth

Which animal could replace humans as Earth’s dominant species? This scientist has an idea Human beings have been at the center of ecological change on Earth for thousands of years. But as history shows, no species lasts forever.

Which animal could replace humans as Earth’s dominant species? This scientist has an idea #EarthDotCom #EarthSnap #Earth

Two giant stars brushed past the solar system – and left their mark Scientists find that two hot stars passed near our solar system 4.4 million years ago, altering nearby interstellar clouds.

Two giant stars brushed past the solar system – and left their mark #EarthDotCom #EarthSnap #Earth

Scientists predict how and when humans and mammals will face extinction The idea that extreme heat could one day cause a mass extinction and end the dominance of humans and other mammals might sound like something out of sci-fi movie. According to a new study, this is not so farfetched.

Scientists predict how and when humans and mammals will face extinction #EarthDotCom #EarthSnap #Earth

Maya calendar mystery has finally been solved after decades of trying For decades, a mysterious 819-day cycle in the Maya calendar has resisted every neat explanation for researchers. Now, a new analysis from Tulane University scholars shows it actually tracks the motion of all the visible planets. Instead of focusing on a short window, they treated the 819-day count as part of a much longer generational

Maya calendar mystery has finally been solved after decades of trying #EarthDotCom #EarthSnap #Earth