Uranus and Neptune are often called "ice giants." This is based on the theory that they were made from materials that easily freeze in space, like water and ammonia. However, this label does not come from direct observations, since no spacecraft has visited the two giants since Voyager 2 in the 1980s. Instead, it is drawn from computer models built using the planets’ sizes, masses, densities, and gravity fields. Now, a new study by scientists at the University of Zurich is challenging this idea. It suggests that the two planets may contain more rock than ice....

The federal government reopened on November 13, 2025, ending a 43-day shutdown, the longest in US history. This followed President Donald Trump’s signing of a temporary funding bill late on November 12, which let federal employees return to work and allowed government services to resume....

Three taikonauts — the term for Chinese astronauts — aboard China’s Tiangong Space Station have had their trip home postponed after a piece of space debris struck their return capsule. Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie were set to return to Earth on November 5, 2025, after handing over duties to the Shenzhou-21 mission crew. But just hours before departure, engineers found signs of damage to the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft, forcing officials to delay the trip....

Every fall, Americans buy tens of millions of pumpkins for Halloween. Some are transformed into jack-o'-lanterns, while others are left whole for display. Sadly, interest in these festive gourds fades quickly once the holiday ends. Experts estimate that 80 percent of the over 1.3 billion pounds (5.8 billion kg) of pumpkins purchased every year end up in the trash....

Methane is usually linked to global warming. But far below the ocean’s surface, three newly discovered sea spider species have found a way to use this greenhouse gas as a survival tool....

India, like many countries, faces ongoing challenges with poverty and plastic waste. As of 2023, about 5 percent of its population — roughly 73 million people — lived below the $3.00 per day poverty line. The country also produces nearly 29,000 tons of plastic daily. Much of it ends up in landfills. A small cafe in the central Indian city of Ambikapur has found a unique way to tackle both problems....

In the early hours of September 16, 2025, thieves launched a daring heist on the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, France. They made off with native gold specimens worth about $700,000 from the museum’s geology and mineralogy gallery....

Every day, the United Kingdom (UK) loses about three billion liters of water due to leaks in its aging pipe network. That is enough to fill over 1,200 Olympic-sized swimming pools or supply nearly 20 million people. Currently, the only way to check underground pipes is by digging up roads. This process take days and costs billions of dollars. It also disrupts nearby businesses and homes....

In mid-June, over 200 people across the southeastern United States spotted a brilliant fireball streaking across the sky. It was a meteorite that soon slammed into a home in McDonough, Georgia. The space rock ripped through the roof, landing just 14 feet from the startled homeowner. The impact left a small crater on the floor....

On August 25, 2025, parts of Arizona were briefly engulfed by a massive dust storm during the evening rush hour, turning day into near darkness. Known as a haboob, these storms form when strong thunderstorm winds sweep across the desert, lifting loose soil into the sky....

A team of international researchers has captured the first-ever footage of an extremely rare Antarctic gonate squid swimming freely in its natural habitat. The species was previously known only from dead specimens caught in fishing nets or remains found in the stomachs of predators like whales and seals....

A robot built by undergraduate students from Indiana’s Purdue University has solved a Rubik’s Cube in an incredible 0.103 seconds. This is about twice as fast as an average human blink. Named "Purdubik’s Cube," it claimed a new Guinness World Record for the "Fastest robot to solve a rotating puzzle cube" on April 21, 2025. The previous record was held by a robot built in Japan by Mitsubishi Motors engineers in 2024. It completed the task in 0.305 seconds....

A stunning lamp designed by renowned American architect Frank Lloyd Wright has set a new record. It sold for an impressive $7.5 million in just seven minutes at a Sotheby's auction in New York City on May 13, 2025. This is now the most expensive Wright object ever sold at auction. The previous record was held by a ceiling light from 1902, which fetched $2.9 million in 2023....

Kermit the Frog brought a heartfelt and humorous twist to graduation season at the University of Maryland. On May 22, 2025, he took the stage at SECU Stadium to deliver the university’s commencement address, affectionately known as “Kermencement.” Dressed in a custom cap and gown, the beloved Muppet delivered a playful and uplifting speech to more than 13,000 graduates and guests....

Earth Day 2025 marks the 55th anniversary of the global environmental effort that began on April 22, 1970. The first Earth Day united 20 million Americans — about 10% of the US population at the time — to demand environmental protections....

With 146 moons, Saturn had already surpassed its closest competitor, Jupiter, which has just 95. The discovery of 128 more has pushed Saturn's total to 274, further cementing its title as the "moon king." That is nearly twice the combined total of all other planets....

Focaccia bread is often credited to the ancient Romans, who baked it about 2,000 years ago. However, new research suggests Neolithic communities were making their own version of the delicious bread as far back as 9,000 years ago....

Plastic pollution is one of the world's most pressing environmental challenges. A large portion of the 400 million tons of plastic produced annually ends up in landfills or the ocean. Unlike organic waste, plastic never decomposes. Instead, it breaks down into tiny pieces called microplastics. These particles contaminate water, soil, and air, harming marine life, livestock, and even humans....

A treasure trove of original Winnie-the-Pooh manuscripts, drawings, and letters sold for $108,000 on January 16, 2025. This price was much higher than the $18,600 estimated by UK-based Fieldings Auctioneers. Two-thirds of the 1920s-era collection was purchased by British fans. The rest went to buyers in the United States....

Ocean shipping moves about 90 percent of global trade, from oranges to televisions. But the industry also produces over 3 percent of annual greenhouse gas emissions. If nothing changes, its carbon footprint could reach 10 percent by 2050. UK-based startup Seabound aims to tackle this with a device that can capture up to 95 percent of a ship’s emissions....

California's Yosemite National Park is known for its ancient giant sequoia trees and massive rock formations. These include El Capitan and Half Dome. However, from mid-to-late February, the park's main draw is the Horsetail Fall. Under the right conditions, this winter waterfall, takes on a fiery orange glow. This makes it look like lava flowing down El Capitan, giving it the name "firefall."...

Swedish artist Mikael Genberg has been hoping to put a toy red house on the Moon for 25 years. His dream moved a step closer to reality on January 15, 2025. On that day, his "Moonhouse" set off for the Moon aboard a SpaceX rocket with the Resilience lunar lander built by the Japanese company ispace....

Giant pandas are back at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, DC, after 15 months! Three-year-olds Bao Li and Qing Bao made their debut to an excited crowd on January 24, 2025. The cubs arrived from China on October 15, 2024. But they had to complete a three-month quarantine before being introduced to the public....

A team of scientists looking for dinosaur fossils in 2020 made a rare discovery. They found a well-preserved tadpole dating back 161 million years to the middle Jurassic period. This discovery breaks the record for the oldest known tadpole fossil by about 20 million years!...