science

That coffee you slurped this morning? It’s 600,000 years old. Using genes from coffee plants around the world, researchers built a family tree for the world’s most popular type of coffee, known to scientists as Coffea arabica and to coffee lovers simply as “arabica.” The researchers, hoping to learn more about the plants to better protect them from pests and …

Coral reefs around the world are experiencing global bleaching for the fourth time, top reef scientists declared Monday, a result of warming ocean waters amid human-caused climate change. Coral reef bleaching across at least 53 countries, territories or local economies has been confirmed from February 2023 to now, scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and International Coral Reef …

Functional beverages — or drinks promoted as offering mental or physical benefits beyond hydration — are growing in popularity around the world. Hundreds of companies have jumped into the market, hoping to get some buzz with trendy and sometimes unfamiliar ingredients. Here are some of the latest ones found in functional beverages and what scientists say about them. ADAPTOGENS Adaptogens …

Alien and conspiracy theorists showed up in full force last week after a weather modeling software “error” showed an anomaly the size of Texas moving up the African coastline while generating waves bigger than 80 feet high. Ventusky is an application that presents weather and meteorological data to allow people to monitor developments anywhere in the world. According to the …

A bright fireball was seen dropping from the night sky over New Jersey early Wednesday, capping an eventful week of natural phenomena in the area following Monday’s solar eclipse and last week’s earthquake. The fireball, which many say was a meteor or a falling star, was captured on video lighting up the dark sky in several New Jersey towns. The …

NASA is regularly announcing new discoveries and findings. Its research is consistent, and is conducted in space aboard the International Space Station and right here on Earth. Some of NASA’s biggest achievements to date include the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope that has made more than a million observations; the Curiosity and Perseverance rovers on Mars; and the Apollo …

South Florida researchers trying to prevent predatory fish from devouring laboratory-grown coral are grasping at biodegradable straws in an effort to restore what some call the rainforest of the sea. Scientists around the world have been working for years to address the decline of coral reef populations. Just last summer, reef rescue groups in South Florida and the Florida Keys …

Billions of cicadas are expected to start swarming in more than a dozen states in the coming weeks, and while the strange occurrence may be a nuisance for many, scientists say the activities of the noisy flying insects are a natural marvel beholden to northern America — and anglers say the bugs create ideal fishing conditions to net some hefty …

Whether you saw the moon completely block the sun, were foiled by cloudy weather or weren’t along the path of Monday’s total solar eclipse, there are still more chances to catch a glimpse. Here’s what to know about upcoming solar spectacles: When is the next total solar eclipse? Total solar eclipses happen about every year or two or three, due …

Nobel prize-winning physicist Peter Higgs, who proposed the existence of the Higgs boson particle, has died at age 94, the University of Edinburgh said Tuesday. The university, where Higgs was emeritus professor, said he died Monday “peacefully at home following a short illness.” R&B ICON CLARENCE ‘FROGMAN’ HENRY DEAD AT 87 Higgs predicted the existence of a new particle — …