As is the case during every election year, the race for the US Presidency kicked off on February 3, 2020, with the Iowa caucus. However, after a malfunction in an app used to count and report the votes put the results of the Democratic winner in doubt, all attention turned to the year's second noteworthy poll — the New Hampshire primary, which took place on Tuesday, February 11, 2020....

In what can only be described as an extraordinary engineering feat, NASA scientists have remotely fixed a software glitch on the Voyager 2 probe, which lies 11.5 billion miles away at the edge of a transitional region of space. Known as the heliosphere, it is a vast, bubble-like area that surrounds the Sun and the Solar System....

With Valentine's Day fast approaching, people worldwide are scrambling to find the perfect way to show their appreciation for their loved ones. For most, that means buying gifts ranging from cards to chocolates, flowers, expensive outings, and even fine jewelry. However, as the world's most famous stork couple Klepetan and Malena have proved, showering family and friends with material objects is not the only way to demonstrate true love....

On Wednesday, February 5, 2020, the US Senate acquitted President Donald Trump of charges that he had abused the powers of his office and obstructed Congress as it investigated his attempts to pressure Ukraine for his political gain. The historic decision concludes the lengthy judicial process that began on September 24, 2019, when Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, launched a formal impeachment inquiry into the US president....

A shark that walks in water instead of swimming might sound like a creature straight out of a science fiction thriller. However, that is precisely how the four new species of the fish — found in the tropical waters of the Indo-Australian archipelago — move across the seafloor. The unique ocean dwellers were discovered by a team of scientists, led by Dr. Christine Dudgeon from Australia's University of Queensland, during a 12-year global conservation study....

It might be our closest star and absolutely essential for our existence, but, for the most part, the inner workings of the Sun remain a mystery to scientists. However, if the inaugural close-up of our star captured by the world's most powerful telescope — the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST) — is any indication, that may soon be a thing of the past....

Amid the excitement of Super Bowl LIV, which ended with the Kansas City Chiefs' first championship title in fifty years, it may have slipped your mind that yesterday was Groundhog Day. Observed annually on February 2, the fun North American tradition stems from the Pennsylvania Dutch superstition that if a groundhog, emerging from its burrow, sees its shadow, winter will continue for six more weeks. Conversely, the animal's failure to observe one indicates that spring is around the corner....

On December 31, 2019, Chinese officials announced that 27 people in Wuhan, the capital of Central China’s Hubei province, had been infected with a new strain of the coronavirus. Since then, the number of cases of the contagious affliction labeled 2019-nCoV, COVID-19, or Wuhan virus, have rapidly increased, with new cases being reported daily. On Thursday, January 30, 2020, The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a global emergency, highlighting the urgency for a rapid coordinated international response to curb this global health risk....

An elephant, who accidentally fell into a dry, 25-foot deep well in Northeast India, lived to see another day thanks to the quick-thinking rescuers' scientific knowledge. The chain of events unfolded early in the morning on Tuesday, January 28, 2020, when residents of Amliya toli village, in the state of Jharkhand, awoke to the cries of the stranded pachyderm and called the forest department for help....

For those unfamiliar with the sport, the National Football League's (NFL) championship game, aka the Super Bowl, may seem like an ordinary season finale. However, don't tell that to the 194 million Americans who plan to watch the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs battle it out for the coveted Vince Lombardi Trophy at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, on February 2, 2020....

Sports fans around the world are struggling to reconcile with the sudden loss of American basketball icon Kobe Bryant. The 41-year-old died on January 26, 2020, when his private helicopter crashed into a hillside in Calabasas, California — about 30 miles away from Los Angeles. The crash also killed the chopper's eight other occupants — Bryant's 13-year-old daughter Gianna, her middle school basketball assistant coach Christina Mauser, Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife Keri and daughter Alyssa, Sarah Chester and her daughter Payton, and the pilot, Ara Zobayan....

In early January 2020, less than two years after their fairytale wedding, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle announced their intention to step away as "senior" members of the Royal Family. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who revealed the surprising news on their official Instagram account, @sussexroyal, said that though they planned to divide their time between North America and England, they fully expected to continue fulfilling their royal obligations....

Shana Stamey and her family had no doubt that their gorgeous white German Shepherd, Gypsy, would give birth to some adorable puppies. However, the Clyde, North Carolina, residents would have never guessed that one of the eight canines born on January 10, 2020, would emerge into the world with a stunning lime-green coat!...

On January 25, 2020, over 1.6 billion people of Asian descent across the globe will celebrate the first day of the Chinese New Year — China's grandest festival and longest public holiday. Also known as the Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, it is observed on the first day of the lunar calendar, the dates of which fall somewhere between January 21 and February 20 annually....

When 17-year-old Wolf Cukier accepted an internship at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, last summer, he expected to be challenged and gain insights into pursuing a career in astrophysics. Instead, the high school junior from Scarsdale, New York, attained worldwide fame for an achievement that eludes most astronomers — finding a new planet! Even more impressive, Cukier made the discovery on the third day of his two-month-long internship at the US Space Agency....

On Wednesday, January 15, 2020, a solemn group of seven US House prosecutors, known as impeachment managers, delivered the 1,416-word bound "Articles of Impeachment Against Donald John Trump" to the Senate Chamber. The ceremonial procession marked the beginning of a rare Senate impeachment trial — only witnessed twice before in American history — to decide whether or not President Trump pressured Ukraine to conduct investigations for his personal political benefit. Here is how the impeachment trial will proceed....

If you have felt the skies above you seem increasingly empty of chirping birds, you are not alone. A 2018 study by BirdLife International revealed that 40 percent of the world’s 11,000 bird species are in decline, and one in eight bird species is threatened with global extinction. Now, some scientists are using cutting-edge technology to revive the critically-endangered kākāpō; if successful, the techniques used may help save other bird species as well....

The Earth's inner core, which boasts temperatures exceeding 9,000 degrees Fahrenheit (5,000 degrees Celsius), may not evoke images of a winter wonderland. Yet, a new study by a team of scientists led by Youjun Zhang, an associate professor at Sichuan University in China, asserts that the deepest part of our planet may be covered with a 200-mile-thick layer of "snow." However, before you rush to pack your skis, be aware that the "snowflakes" are not composed of frozen water crystals, but of tiny particles of iron!...

On Monday, January 20, 2020, Americans will celebrate Martin Luther King (MLK) Day. The federal holiday, commemorated annually on the third Monday of January, serves multiple purposes. It honors the life and legacy of the activist who led the fight for racial equality, brings focus on current civil rights issues, highlights the power of using nonviolence to bring about social reform, and inspires young people to consider joining public service....

Cotton candy is probably the last thing that comes to mind when one thinks of exoplanets. But the three giant worlds orbiting the Kepler 51 star system, about 2,600 light-years away from Earth, are so "light and fluffy" that they warrant a comparison to the beloved spun-sugar confection....

Though bushfires are a common occurrence in Australia during the summer, they have never been as devastating or as widespread as the ones currently burning across the country. Since September 2019, the blazes, fueled by dry foliage and strong winds, have scorched over 15.6 million acres (24,000 square miles) — an area larger than the state of West Virginia. Even worse, officials warn that Australia's wildfire season — which generally lasts through March — is nowhere near its end....

With no brains or nerve cells, single-cellular microorganisms are often regarded to be simple, primitive beings with few capabilities. However, a new Harvard University study suggests that protozoans, like Stentor roeselii, have the smarts to make "complex" decisions when confronted with unpleasant situations....

Happy 2020! At the stroke of midnight on December 31, 2019, cities worldwide rang in both a new year and a new decade with dazzling fireworks shows. Here are some of this year's most spectacular displays from around the world....

Now celebrating its fifteenth year, The Best Illusion of the Year is a fun contest hosted by the Neural Correlate Society in collaboration with the Museum of Mind. The competition encourages scientists and artists to showcase their ingenuity and creativity by submitting their best illusion through a short video. Here are this year's top 3 illusions selected by fans from the top 10 finalists in an online vote on December 13, 2019....