Latest articles by Stephanie Pappas
What If the Earth Was Flat?
A flat Earth would inhabit an entirely different physical reality than the one we know.
Black Holes Grow Hair, Then Go Bald Again
New calculations suggest that some black holes can grow hair, but they can't keep it for long. Alas, they go bald again.
Earth's Mantle and Crust Are in a Fiery Battle to the Death … of Supercontinents
A new model of the whole Earth shows how the mantle and crust drive the movement of tectonic plates as well as the creation and destruction of supercontinents.
One of the Fastest-Spinning Stars in the Galaxy Is Spitting Out Gamma Rays
Lighthouse bursts of gamma rays emanate from one of the fastest-spinning stars in the galaxy.
On Friday the 13th, Don't Be Freaked Out by the 'Micromoon'
The full moon of September 2019 is poised to provide some eerie atmosphere.
Sleuths Find the Top-Secret (and Classified) Satellite Behind Trump's Tweeted Photo
It was only a matter of time: Amateur sleuths think they've tracked down the satellite that took a high-resolution image of the aftermath of an Iranian missile disaster.
AI Created a 3D Replica of Our Universe. We Have No Idea How It Works.
The first-ever artificial intelligence simulation of the universe seems to work like the real thing — and is almost as mysterious.
Philadelphia Refinery Explosion Shoots Fireball Visible from Space
A massive refinery explosion in Philadelphia was so hot and expansive that it was visible on weather satellites, according to the National Weather Service.
The World's Largest Atom Smasher Could Be Tweaked to Hunt 'Dark World' Particles
The Large Hadron Collider should be able to detect these rare particles — if they exist.
Orange Lush: California's 'Superbloom' Wows from the Air
A NASA photographer captured a lush aerial shot of an ephemeral wildflower bloom in the desert.
Airplane Wing Assembles Like a Jigsaw Puzzle and Can Morph Into Any Shape
The new wing could make for lighter, more efficient airplanes.
Dash of Meson, Pinch of Baryon: Scientists Find Recipe for Ultrarare Pentaquarks
Researchers now know what's going on inside mysterious particles called pentaquarks.
World's Largest Atom Smasher May Have Just Found Evidence for Why Our Universe Exists
An asymmetry between matter and antimatter has been observed in the charm quark.
Mariner's Astrolabe from 1503 Shipwreck Is World's Oldest
An astrolabe found at a shipwreck site in Oman is the oldest one ever discovered.
Nebraska Flooding Seen from Space in Dramatic Detail
Nebraska's rivers swell after a "bomb cyclone" hits the central U.S.
83 Gargantuan Black Holes Spotted Guzzling Down Dinner at the Edge of the Universe
The supermassive black holes were birthed during the universe's infancy.
Early Earth's Spin Helped Shape Its Molten Magma Ocean
The early Earth's worldwide sea of magma may have been shaped by the young planet's rapid spin.
Earth Once Swallowed Its Own Superocean. Could It Happen Again?
An ancient supercontinent turned inside out as the Earth swallowed its own ocean some 700 million years ago, new research suggests.
This 'Empty Trash Bag' Is Orbiting Earth in a Very Strange Way
A lightweight object resembling an empty trash bag is winging around Earth in a truly bizarre orbit.
Earth's Tilt May Exacerbate a Melting Antarctic
As sea ice melts, Antarctica may get more sensitive to astronomical cycles.
