We have all experienced the strong link between smell and memory. A whiff of chlorine probably reminds you of summer pool parties, while the scent of flowers may bring back memories of your grandma's garden. Now, researchers from the University of California, Irvine (UCI) have found that breathing in pleasant aromas could even help improve memory and learning....

Just days after landing a spacecraft on the Moon's South Pole, India turned its attention to the Sun. On September 2, 2023, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) successfully launched the Aditya-L1 spacecraft to study the fiery star....

Scientists at Aix-Marseille University in France believe they have identified the world's first-known "boomerang meteorite." They think the Earth rock got tossed into space, where it spent thousands of years before returning home....

In a remarkable feat, India successfully landed its Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft on the Moon's surface on August 23, 2023. It is only the fourth nation in the world — after the former Soviet Union, the US, and China — to accomplish this achievement. Even more impressive, India is the only country to land a spacecraft on the southern lunar pole....

On June 25, 2023, four Americans began their 378-day stay on a simulated version of Mars at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. The mission, dubbed CHAPEA, or Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog, is the first of three experiments planned by NASA. They are designed to test the mental and social challenges astronauts will face when they get to Mars....

Like most fish, sharks are largely ectothermic, or cold-blooded. This means their body temperature depends on the water around them. To avoid freezing, most shark species remain close to the ocean's surface, where the water temperatures are warmer. However, scalloped hammerheads have long been known to dive thousands of feet into the ocean's cold depths in search of prey. Researchers from the University of Hawaii at Mānoa have now uncovered the shark's long-kept secret. The smart fish shut their gills and "hold their breath" to stay warm....

It is no secret that play-based learning improves the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children. Researchers now believe that certain board games, like Chutes and Ladders and Monopoly, can also help enhance their math skills....

When a large star dies, it explodes into a brilliant burst of light that temporarily illuminates the night skies. The phenomenon, known as a supernova, often lasts for weeks. However, it is usually only visible to scientists with access to powerful telescopes. But the SN 2023ixf — one of the largest and brightest supernovas in over a decade — can be seen by all!...

Visitors to Utah's Cache County are being treated to a stunning sight — mountain ranges covered with pink and red snow. The "watermelon snow" is not the work of an ambitious artist. Instead, it is a natural phenomenon caused by Chlamydomonas nivalis algae....

On Wednesday, June 21, 2023, Northern Hemisphere residents will celebrate the astronomical start of summer. Also known as the June solstice, it is the day when the North Pole is most inclined toward the Sun. This means those in the Northern Hemisphere will enjoy the longest day of 2023. Conversely, residents of the Southern Hemisphere will mark the first day of winter with the shortest day of the year....

Exposure to microgravity can wreak havoc on the human body. Hence, before astronauts can embark on the long trip to the Moon or Mars, scientists need to find ways to mitigate the physical impacts of space travel....

Scientists have long theorized that older stars swell up as they age and devour nearby planets. However, the assumption has been derived from observations made before and after the event. Now, for the first time, astronomers have caught a star in the act of engulfing a planet. The star, known as ZTF SLRN-2020, resides approximately 12,000 light-years away in our galaxy near the Aquila constellation....

When Suzy Kop entered her father's bedroom on May 8, 2023, she was stunned to find a grapefruit-sized rock next to a big dent on the wooden floor. Upon further investigation, the New Jersey resident saw two holes in the ceiling. It appeared that the stone had struck the floor with such great force that it rebounded and punched a second hole before landing back....

To the untrained eye, the spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) may look like a beautiful butterfly. The insect's front wings are light brown with black spots, while its hind wings have contrasting patches of red and black with a white band in between. However, the spotted lanternfly is a pest that feasts on and damages crops. It poses a serious threat to farmers across America....

On April 25, 2023, Mattel unveiled the latest addition to their Barbie Fashionistas collection — a doll with Down syndrome. The world's largest toy maker hopes it will allow more children to connect with Barbie....

In early March 2023, Murphy, a bald eagle at the World Bird Sanctuary in Valley Park, Missouri, began to spend his entire day sitting on a makeshift nest inside his aviary. The behavior was not unusual in itself. Male bald eagles always help females during the incubation process. However, in this case, the 31-year-old bird was trying to hatch a rock!...

Black holes have incredibly powerful gravitational pulls. They usually gobble up everything around them. However, for the first time ever, scientists have found a black hole that is creating millions of stars as it zips through space....

Over the years, scientists have used 3D printers for various products. They include electronic devices, jewelry and even artificial organs. Now, mechanical engineers from New York's Columbia University have unveiled a 3D-printed cheesecake made with seven ingredients. This is the most number of items ever used to print a single food product....

This year's eclipse season will begin with a bang with a hybrid solar eclipse on April 20, 2023. The rare astronomical event occurs just once every decade. The last one was on November 3, 2013, and the next one will not be until November 30, 2031. Unfortunately, the celestial phenomenon will only be seen in western Australia, East Timor, and eastern Indonesia....

An international team of researchers has found the fossilized remains of the largest-known penguin on Earth. The newfound species is thought to have weighed about 340 pounds (154 kg). This is over three times heavier than the largest living species, the emperor penguin. The record previously belonged to a 256-pound (116 kg) penguin that lived in Antarctica about 37 million years ago....

The fruit fly larva is no more than 10 mm long. Hence, it would be reasonable to assume that its brain, which is smaller than a poppy seed, is fairly simple. However, a recently-unveiled map of the insect's brain shows a surprisingly complex structure. It has 3,016 neurons connected by 548,000 synapses....

Dr. Joseph Dituri is on a mission to spend 100 days underwater. If successful, the University of South Florida (USF) associate professor will set a new record for undersea living. The record is a nice bonus. But the researcher is mainly doing it for science....

The recent discovery of the oldest-known vertebrate brain is giving scientists valuable insights into the evolution of the ray-finned fish species. The diverse group comprises about 50 percent of living vertebrate species. They include everything from trout to salmon and goldfish to seahorses....

A holiday celebrating a math constant may not seem very exciting. But Pi ("π") Day, observed annually in the US on March 14 (3/14), is an exception. The celebrations usually start with math activities centered around pi — the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter — widely recognized as 3.14. But they typically end with a slice or two of delicious pie!...