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By Mindy Weisberger, CNN (CNN) — An odd little gourd called the squirting cucumber has an explosive reproductive strategy that has intrigued naturalists since the days of the Roman Empire. Squirting cucumbers blast their seeds over distances hundreds of times their length, and now scientists know how the plants do it. A squirting cucumber in

By Ashley Strickland, CNN (CNN) — Researchers have discovered the residues of psychedelic drugs, bodily fluids and alcohol inside a 2,000-year-old mug, suggesting that ancient Egyptians imbibed hallucinogenic beverages during rituals. It’s the first time scientists have been able to identify chemical signatures of the liquid concoctions sipped from mugs decorated with the head of

By Jackie Wattles, CNN (CNN) — Russian cosmonauts on the International Space Station were forced to briefly lock down a segment of the orbiting laboratory this weekend after finding an “unusual odor” emanating from a visiting cargo spacecraft called Progress 90, NASA said Sunday. The odor — along with “droplets” the cosmonauts, or Russian astronauts,

By Ella Nilsen, CNN (CNN) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday he will provide $7,500 electric vehicle rebates for his state if President-elect Donald Trump and congressional Republicans dismantle the federal credit – one of several consumer cost-saving measures in President Joe Biden’s climate bill. It’s the first of what could be several issues

CNN By Lex Harvey, CNN (CNN) — Gazing out the window of a rocket at Earth’s glistening blue perimeter, Emily Calandrelli’s mind was likely far from away from the trolls that inhabit the internet on this planet. But less than 24 hours after the MIT engineer and TV host known as “Space Gal” became the

By Ella Nilsen and Bill Weir, CNN BUCHANAN, New York (CNN) — The Indian Point nuclear power plant was an energy juggernaut for 50 years, generating a quarter of the electricity that powered New York City’s iconic, glowing skyline. It is well into its decommissioning process after shutting down in 2021: The remaining waste of

By Lex Harvey, CNN (CNN) — Gazing out the window of a rocket at Earth’s glistening blue perimeter, Emily Calandrelli’s mind was likely far from away from the trolls that inhabit the internet on this planet. But less than 24 hours after the MIT engineer and TV host known as “Space Gal” became the 100th

By Laura Paddison, CNN (CNN) — The world agreed to a new climate deal at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, Saturday, with wealthy countries pledging to provide $300 billion annually by 2035 to poorer countries to help them cope with the increasingly catastrophic impacts of the climate crisis — a figure many developing countries criticized as

By Ashley Strickland, CNN (CNN) — Woolly mammoths, giant sloths and saber-toothed cats were a fact of life for early humans. But today’s researchers can only hope to find fossils that will shed more light on the existence of these fascinating prehistoric mega-creatures — and why they went extinct. New clues found in Earth’s northernmost

By Katie Hunt, CNN (CNN) — The promise of starting life anew on Mars may appear alluring, even feasible, as the climate crisis intensifies and space and rocket technology advances. But the reality would be dreadful, according to one book that argues that Elon Musk’s intention to settle the red planet within the next 30

By Taylor Nicioli, CNN (CNN) — The disappearance of pioneering aviator Amelia Earhart more than 87 years ago has remained one of the most captivating mysteries in history, with a handful of explorers devoted to scouring the seas for any clue to her final whereabouts. Sonar imagery captured in January revealed a plane-shaped anomaly on

By Ashley Strickland, CNN (CNN) — Astronomers have captured the first close-up image of a star beyond our galaxy, taken during a dramatic moment near the end of the star’s life. In it, the “behemoth” star appears to puff out gas and dust, a critical final step before exploding in a supernova. The star, known

By Katie Hunt, CNN (CNN) — Each human is a finely tuned orchestra of more than 37 trillion cells. Mapping this little-known world is one of biology’s greatest challenges — and one in which scientists say they just made a significant dent. More than 3,600 researchers from over 100 countries have analyzed more than 100

By Rachel Ramirez, CNN (CNN) — The tallest animal in the world is in trouble. Giraffe populations are declining at such an alarming rate — from habitat loss, poaching, urbanization and climate change-fueled drought — that US wildlife officials announced a proposal on Wednesday to help protect several of the species. The US Fish and

By Ashley Strickland, CNN (CNN) — New images of the sun captured by the Solar Orbiter mission showcase the highest-resolution views of our star’s visible surface ever seen, revealing sunspots and continuously moving charged gas called plasma. The images could provide heliophysicists with new clues to help unlock the secrets of the sun like never

By Jackie Wattles and Ashley Strickland, CNN (CNN) — SpaceX aborted a highly anticipated booster catch attempt Tuesday during the sixth test of Starship — the most powerful rocket ever built — just weeks after acing the stunning feat on the first try. But the mission went on to soar through new milestones during a

By Mindy Weisberger, CNN (CNN) — A mummified ice age cub from Siberia is the first known mummy of a saber-toothed cat, and its discovery is generating ripples of excitement among paleontologists. The mummy’s exceptional preservation provided the first view of what saber-toothed cats looked like. Written in its soft tissues are clues about where

By Taylor Nicioli, CNN (CNN) — Famously known for its extensive ring system, Saturn is one of four planets in our solar system that have the distinctive feature. And now, scientists hypothesize that Earth may have sported its own ring some 466 million years ago. During the Ordovician Period, a time of significant changes for