Drone photograph of the archaeological site of Semiyarka Peter J. Brown A large 140-hectare settlement dating back 3600 years has been discovered in the plains of north-eastern Kazakhstan, transforming our understanding of life in prehistoric Eurasia. It hints that the open grasslands of Central Asia once held a Bronze Age community as connected and complex…
Overtaking a throne sometimes takes a touch of matricide. Some newly mated ant queens sneak into other ant colonies and spray their queens with a liquid that sends workers into a murderous frenzy, researchers report November 17 in Current Biology. After the workers do the parasitic queen’s dirty work, she can ascend the throne and begin laying…
This article is part of a package in collaboration with Forbes on time capsules, preserving information and communicating with the future. Read more from the report. Stuff is old where I live, in greater Boston. Clapboard houses that list with age bear plaques touting the former residence of the town cordwainer or victualler. The gravestones,…
The 12,000-year-old clay figurine from Nahal Ein Gev II depicting a woman and a goose, accompanied by an artistic reconstruction Laurent Davin A tiny, 12,000-year-old clay sculpture of a goose on the back of a woman may depict an animistic ritual involving a gander mating with a human. The sculpture, which is just 3.7 centimetres…
A roughly 12,000-year-old clay figurine unearthed in northern Israel has unveiled a surprisingly ancient turning point in storytelling and artistic techniques. This tiny item, which fits in the palm of an adult’s hand, represents the oldest known figurine to depict an encounter between a human and a nonhuman animal, say archaeologist Laurent Davin of The…
November 17, 2025 2 min read The Leonid Meteor Shower Is Peaking—Here’s How to Watch This Fireball-Filled Event A thin crescent moon and dark skies could give watchers a clear view of this astronomical event By Humberto Basilio edited by Claire Cameron The Leonid meteor shower above Wrightwood, Calif., in 1966. The Leonid meteor shower…
The parasitic ant queen Lasius orientalis (left) infiltrates the nest of Lasius flavus and approaches their queen (right) Keizo Takasuka/Kyushu University A type of parasitic ant takes over the colonies of a related species by inciting the workers to kill their queen, then taking her place. Around 230 species of ants are considered parasites –…
One damp spring evening last year, a wolf hauled a crab trap ashore off the central Pacific coast of British Columbia. The rangy animal made a delectable meal of the bait inside, and unknowingly launched a healthy debate about her feat. The gray wolf (Canis lupus) had been recorded on a motion-triggered camera installed by…
November 17, 2025 5 min read How Influential People Map Their Social World The same brain areas that help us map physical space help us chart social connections, and the best relationship cartographers have most clout By Oriel FeldmanHall edited by Daisy Yuhas What do social climbers and gossipmongers have in common? My mother would…
Located just a few hours’ drive from the Canadian border, Missoula, Mont. is not known for sweltering temperatures. And yet heat waves are becoming more common in the mountainous region due to climate change, and researchers are concerned that a catastrophic heat event could soon shock the 120,000 or so people who call Missoula County…
