On February 6, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her Platinum Jubilee — 70 years to the day she became queen. The 95-year-old is the first British monarch and one of only four documented monarchs, worldwide — Louis XIV of France; Johann II of Liechtenstein, and, most recently, Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand — to mark the extraordinary anniversary. The historic milestone will be celebrated with events and initiatives throughout the year, but the main festivities will be held during a four-day holiday weekend in June....

Chimaeras, or ghost sharks, have been around for millions of years. However, the elusive fish, which live at depths of up to 6,000 feet, are largely unknown to science. The lack of crucial information — like how long they live or how often they reproduce — makes it challenging to monitor and protect the 52 known ghost shark species. Now, a rare newborn chimaera, discovered off the coast of New Zealand, may help scientists better understand the mysterious deep-water creatures....

Most 19-year-olds are still trying to perfect their driving skills. But Zara Rutherford had her eyes set a little higher. The British-Belgian teenager wanted to be the youngest woman to fly around the world solo. On January 22, 2022, Rutherford fulfilled her lifelong dream when she successfully landed her two-seat ultralight aircraft back at the Kortrijk-Wevelgem Airport in Belgium, where she had departed from 155 days ago....

Want to enjoy the Super Bowl Sunday celebrations, but pass on the NFL game? Then you may want to check out Puppy Bowl XVIII, which will air on Animal Planet and Discovery+ a few hours before the big game. It features adorable puppies competing for the "Lombarky" trophy in a chaotic, but insanely cute, "football" game. The best part is the "players" — selected from animal shelters around the country — all find permanent homes before the game ends....

Shoppers pondering over which color car to purchase may want to consider German automaker BMW's new concept car. Unveiled at the January 2022 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, the stylish BMW iX Flow is the world's first color-changing car. The vehicle's exterior can be changed from white to gray to black, and back, with the touch of a button....

Biofluorescence refers to an organism's ability to absorb ultraviolet light (UV) and emit it as a colorful glow. The skill has been documented in fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and even microscopic tardigrades. However, glow-in-the-dark mammals are still new to science. They currently include just a handful of nocturnal animals such as flying squirrels, opossums, and platypuses. The latest to hop on to this elite list is a jumping rodent called the springhare....

The countdown to Super Bowl LVI — the National Football League's championship game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals— has begun. On February 13, 2022, an estimated 100 million Americans will tune in to watch the two teams battle it out for the coveted Vince Lombardi Trophy at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The championship game — the fifth one for the Rams and the third one for the Bengals — certainly promises to be exciting. But Super Bowl Sunday is about more than just football....

The XXIV Winter Olympic Games officially kicked off with an opening ceremony at Beijing's National Stadium, aka " the Bird's Nest," on February 4, 2022. The two-hour, 20-minute extravaganza— which emphasized togetherness — was filled with spectacular performances and brilliant light and fireworks displays....

This year's first Grand Slam tennis tournament — the Australian Open — ended with historic wins for both the women's and men's singles champions. On January 29, 2022, 25-year-old Ashleigh Barty became the first Australian to clinch the women's singles title at a home grand slam in 44 years....

The mummified remains of Amenhotep I, who ruled Egypt from around 1525 to 1504 BC, were unearthed over a century ago, in1881. But the pharaoh's sarcophagus, exquisitely dressed in linens and an ornate, lifelike face mask, was left untouched for fear of damaging his fragile body. Now, researchers have used three-dimensional computerized tomography (CT) to peek through the layers and obtain invaluable information about the ancient king, who lived over 3,500 years ago....

Ants are known to undergo extreme measures to save their own. Past studies have shown the industrious insects carrying wounded comrades back to the nest to heal and even exploding and sacrificing themselves to save their colonies from predators. Now, a team of young researchers in Panama has found an empathetic ant species that rapidly repair any damage to its host tree....

The annual Best Illusion of the Year Contest encourages scientists and artists to showcase their ingenuity by creating clever optical illusions. Now celebrating its seventeenth year, the fun contest is the brainchild of the Neural Correlate Society, a nonprofit that promotes scientific research on how the brain functions. Here are 2021's top three winners, selected by fans from the ten finalists in an online vote on December 15, 2021....

Black History Month, celebrated every February, commemorates the many, often overlooked, contributions African Americans have made to society. American historian Dr. Carter G. Woodson came up with the idea in 1926 as a way to share his love for Black history with students. Today, African American History Month, as it is also called, is one of the most celebrated cultural heritage months on the American calendar....

The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai — an underwater volcano located 40 miles (65km) north of Nuku'alofa, the capital of the Kingdom of Tonga — has erupted a couple of times over the past few decades. However, its January 15, 2022, explosion was like none other seen on Earth in over 30 years. The spectacular 13-mile-wide eruption, with a sonic boom heard 6,000 miles away in Alaska, spewed large plumes of ash and gases as high as 19 miles. The massive waves that followed triggered tsunami warnings in Peru, New Zealand, Japan, and the US West Coast....

Researchers have long suspected that Mars was once home to several rivers, lakes, and perhaps even oceans. But while they have been able to detect ice, and some salty lakes, in the planet's polar regions, finding water in other areas has proved elusive. Now, scientists have finally found evidence of a large water reservoir just a few feet below the surface of the Red Planet's Valles Marineris canyon system....

Martin Luther King Day, which will be observed on January 17, 2022, is about more than honoring the legacy of the American civil rights activist. It is the only US federal holiday designated as a national day of service — a "day on, not a day off." Americans are encouraged to celebrate the occasion by participating in service activities to help their local communities....

The season's first winter storm — which brought significant snowfall to the Washington, DC, area on January 3, 2022 — could not have come at a better time for the residents of the Smithsonian's National Zoo. With the park closed to visitors due to the inclement weather, the animals were able to welcome the New Year with several snow days all to themselves....

Desmond Mpilo Tutu, a leading activist in South Africa's fight against apartheid, passed away on December 26, 2021. The 90-year-old retired archbishop, who also spearheaded the country's smooth transition from apartheid to democracy, had been battling prostate cancer since 1997. Mr. Tutu was laid to rest at a state funeral at St. George's Cathedral, Cape Town, on January 1, 2022....

The name millipede, which translates to a "thousand feet," is a bit of a misnomer. Many species of the arthropods have fewer than 100 legs, and even the record holder — the Illacme plenipes — boasts a "mere" 750 legs. Now, a team led by Virginia Tech entomologist Paul Marek has finally found the world's first "true" millipede — one with over 1,300 legs!...

On December 31, 2021, the world happily bid farewell to yet another year of COVID uncertainties and welcomed 2022 with high hopes. The celebrations were scaled back, or in some cases even canceled, due to the rapid spread of the new coronavirus variant, Omicron. However, the variant's milder symptoms and lower fatality rates has renewed optimism that the pandemic would soon be behind us. Here are some of this year's most spectacular fireworks displays from around the world....

On December 14, 2021, NASA officials revealed that the Parker Solar Probe had successfully pierced through the Sun's outer atmosphere — the corona — and "touched" the star. The historical feat was achieved on April 28, 2021, during the spacecraft's eighth flyby, when it was about 8.1 million miles away from the star. The space probe spent five hours collecting magnetic and solar particle data from the Alfvén critical surface — the point that marks the end of the Sun's atmosphere....

To a casual observer, the artwork in the image above may appear to be the scribbles of a toddler or — as is the case here — orangutans. However, a new study by French scientists has found that the seemingly random patterns showcase the primate artists' distinct style and ability, and possibly even state of mind....

On Tuesday, December 21, Northern Hemisphere residents will enjoy the shortest day of 2021. Known as the winter solstice, it also marks the start of the astronomical winter season. This means that while the days following will grow longer, they will also be colder. Conversely, Southern Hemisphere residents will celebrate the summer solstice — the beginning of their astronomical summer — with the longest day and shortest night of the year....

A series of deadly tornadoes swept across a large swath of the Midwestern and Southeastern US overnight on December 10, 2021. The National Weather Service (NSW) estimates that the severe storms spawned about 50 twisters across eight states — Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi, Tennessee, Ohio, and Illinois....