Did seabird poop fuel rise of Chincha in Peru?
The pre-Inca Chincha Kingdom (circa 1000-1400 CE), along Peru’s southern coast, was one of the most wealthy and influential of its time before falling to the Inca and Spanish empires.…
February 2026
OpenAI researcher quits over ChatGPT ads, warns of “Facebook” path
On Wednesday, former OpenAI researcher Zoë Hitzig published a guest essay in The New York Times announcing that she resigned from the company on Monday, the same day OpenAI began…
Thomas Edison’s failed rechargeable battery may get a second life
A rechargeable battery based on technology pioneered by Thomas Edison may finally get its due. But while the famous inventor envisioned nickel-iron batteries powering the automobile industry over a century…
9 rare animals caught on camera in the ‘Amazon of Asia’
The results of a new camera-trap survey in Southeast Asia is revealing a bevy of hidden biodiversity tucked within the Annamites mountain range. This largely unexplored wildlife hotspot has a…
SpaceX’s next-gen Super Heavy booster aces four days of “cryoproof” testing
The upgraded Super Heavy booster slated to launch SpaceX’s next Starship flight has completed cryogenic proof testing, clearing a hurdle that resulted in the destruction of the company’s previous booster.…
Nuclear hog hybrids are breeding at breakneck speed in Japan
In the regions surrounding the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster in northeast Japan, radioactive domestic pigs and wild boar are rapidly interbreeding. While far from the only recent incident of animal…
How to connect Apple Music to ChatGPT
AI apps keep adding new features and functions at a near-constant pace, and the latest upgrade to ChatGPT is support for apps. These apps let you access tools such as…
After Republican complaints, judicial body pulls climate advice
On Friday, a body that advises US judges revised the document it created to help judges grapple with scientific issues. The move came after a group of Republican state attorneys…
Winter Grips Japan
Earth Observatory Science Earth Observatory Winter Grips Japan Earth Earth Observatory Image of the Day EO Explorer Topics All Topics Atmosphere Land Heat & Radiation Life on Earth Human Dimensions…
Astronomers close in on long-lost Soviet lunar lander
For nearly 60 years, the first humanmade object to successfully land on the moon has been missing. However, researchers may now be closer than ever to finding the Soviet Union’s…