All Stories by Elise Cutts
- Planets
Huge polygons on Mars hint its equator may once have been frozen
A Chinese rover used radar to reveal long-buried terrain. The discovery hints that Mars’ equator was once much colder and wetter.
- Physics
Before the ancient Egyptians, nature may have carved sphinxes
Steady ‘winds’ can carve clay blobs into lion-shaped landforms called yardangs, a new study suggests. One such yardang may have inspired the Great Sphinx of Giza.
- Planets
In a first, astronomers spot the aftermath of an exoplanet smashup
Infrared light from a distant star appears to be leftovers of an impact between a pair of Neptune-sized worlds.
- Animals
Some cockatoos craft drumsticks, then woo mates like a rockstar
To win over a gal, these flashy males craft and use their signature instruments in a musical display akin to a human rock concert.
- Animals
When it’s hot, echidnas blow snot bubbles to cool off
These spiky Australian mammals have a trick to moisten their noses, allowing them to survive hot temperatures that should kill them.
