Science

It’s summer solstice time. What does that mean?

Summer kicks off in the Northern Hemisphere with the summer solstice on Thursday. The Earth spins on a tilt as it revolves around the sun.

NASA’s Voyager 1, the most distant spacecraft from Earth, is doing science again after problem

What could make a baby bison white?

New research explores how a short trip to space affects the human body

African elephants call each other by unique names, new study shows

A Chinese lunar probe returns to Earth with the world’s first samples from the far side of the moon

What you missed

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First glow-in-the-dark animals may have been ancient corals deep in the ocean

A new study suggests that the first animal that glowed in the dark was a coral that lived deep in the ocean about half a billion years ago. That’s far earlier than previously thought.

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Northern lights dance over Minnesota

A strong solar storm dazzled stargazers with an unusually strong northern lights display across much of the Midwestern United States. (AP video: Mark Vancleave)

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Solar eclipse awes people across US, Mexico, aids in scientific studies I AP Explains

Across North America, people were wowed by a total solar eclipse. AP Writer Marcia Dunn explains why Monday’s eclipse is particularly special.

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How visually impaired students can ‘get a feel for’ eclipses

As eclipse watchers look to the skies on April 8, new technology will allow people who are blind or visually impaired to hear the celestial event. LightSound devices translate changing light in the sky into differing musical notes. (AP Video/ Mary Conlon)

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Will animals act weird during the total solar eclipse?

Researchers will observe how animals’ routines at the Fort Worth Zoo are disrupted during the April 8 total solar eclipse. The moon’s shadow will sweep across North America including from Texas to Maine. (March 8)(AP Video by Kendria LaFleur/Erik Verduzco. Produced by Mary Conlon)

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Hungry sea otters are helping save California’s marshlands from erosion

A new study shows the return of sea otters and their voracious appetites has helped rescue a section of California marshland. Researchers found that the return of the crab-eating sea otters to a tidal estuary near Monterey, California, since the 1980s helped curb erosion. (Jan.31)

Space

Lockheed Martin subsidiaries reach $70 million settlement for claims they overcharged Navy for parts

Archaeology

4,000-year-old Greek hilltop site mystifies archaeologists. It could spell trouble for new airport

Biology

Duck! Flying squirrels take to the air in Nebraska city

Natural History

The Iberian lynx is back from the brink of extinction, thanks to conservation efforts

The Protein Problem

How ‘lab-grown’ meat cultivated from animal cells could offer another sustainable food option

Meat cultivated from cells — with no need to raise and slaughter an animal — is starting to show up in restaurants around the world. But can it be made cheaply enough to displace animal agriculture?

Saving Brazil’s rainforest starts with helping people and businesses make a living off cleared land

Beef is a way of life in Texas, but it’s hard on the planet. This rancher thinks she can change that

What pastoralists in Senegal and Mongolia can teach us about adapting to a changing environment

Plant-based products haven’t converted US meat-eaters. Could new recipes win them over?

More from the project

Can we feed the world without starving the planet? Meet the innovators trying to solve this problem

In the quest to produce more food with almost no land, Singapore provides a glimpse into the world’s food future

We reshaped the planet so that we can feed ourselves. But now we’re running out of suitable land

Demand for seafood is soaring, but oceans are giving up all they can. Can we farm fish in new ways?

Eating less meat would be good for the Earth. Small nudges can change behavior

More news

Scientists have traced the origin of the modern horse to a lineage that emerged 4,200 years ago

Scientists have traced the ancestry of the modern horse to a lineage that emerged 4,200 years ago and quickly became dominant across Eurasia.

What to know about Boeing’s first spaceflight carrying NASA astronauts

Boeing has finally launched NASA astronauts to the International Space Station after years of stumbles and delays.

Boeing launches NASA astronauts for the first time after years of delays

Boeing has launched astronauts for the first time after years of delays. Two NASA test pilots blasted off aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Wednesday.

Hubble equipment failure means fewer observations, NASA officials say

The Hubble Space Telescope has suffered another breakdown that will limit its scientific discoveries.

Boeing’s first astronaut flight called off at the last minute in latest setback

Mission managers say last-minute computer trouble has nixed the latest launch attempt for Boeing’s first astronaut flight.

Boeing’s 1st astronaut flight now set for June after a review of small leak on new capsule

Boeing is now aiming for its first astronaut launch at the beginning of June. Officials for the company and NASA said Friday that weeks of review show that the capsule can safely fly with two test pilots, despite a propulsion system leak.

Massive cradle of baby stars revealed in new space telescope images

A European space telescope is thrilling scientists with its latest peek at stars and galaxies. The European Space Agency released the photos from the Euclid observatory on Thursday.

Black Americans are underrepresented in residential care communities, AP/CNHI News analysis finds

Nearly half of Americans over 65 will pay for some version of long-term health care, the landscape of which is quickly transitioning away from nursing homes and toward community living situations.

Sun’s magnetic field may form close to the surface. This finding could improve solar storm forecasts

New research indicates the sun’s magnetic field originates much closer to the surface than previously thought.

Webb telescope uncovers merger of two massive black holes from early universe

The Webb Space Telescope has discovered the earliest known merger of black holes. Scientists reported Thursday that these two gigantic and distant black holes and their galaxies consolidated just 740 million years after the universe-forming Big Bang.

Sun shoots out biggest solar flare in almost 2 decades, but Earth should be out of the way this time

The sun isn’t done yet. That’s the message from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, as the biggest flare in nearly two decades erupted on the sun Tuesday.

This giant gas planet is as fluffy and puffy as cotton candy

Astronomers say a planet that’s bigger than Jupiter is surprisingly as fluffy and light as cotton candy.

Astronomers find the biggest known batch of planet ingredients swirling around young star

Astronomers have discovered what they believe is the biggest known batch of planet-making ingredients in the cosmos.

Federal agency says a second, if weaker, solar storm surge is likely Sunday

A U.S. government agency said a weaker repeat of Saturday’s powerful solar storm is likely on Sunday. The U.S.

Solar storm hits Earth, producing colorful light shows across Northern Hemisphere

An unusually strong solar storm hitting Earth produced stunning displays of color in the skies across the Northern Hemisphere, with no immediate reports of disruptions to power and communications.

Boeing’s first astronaut launch is off until late next week to replace a bad rocket valve

Boeing’s first astronaut launch is off until late next week to replace a bad valve in the rocket. The countdown was halted Monday night after a pressure-relief valve in the Atlas rocket’s upper stage opened and closed so quickly and so many times that it created a loud buzz.

Boeing calls off its first astronaut launch because of valve issue on rocket

Boeing has called off its first astronaut launch because of a fluttering rocket valve. The two NASA test pilots had just strapped into Boeing’s Starliner capsule when the countdown was halted Monday night, two hours before the planned liftoff from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Boeing is on the verge of launching astronauts aboard new capsule, the latest entry to space travel

Boeing is finally poised to launch astronauts to the International Space Station for NASA after years of delays and stumbles.

The Eta Aquarid meteor shower, debris of Halley’s comet, peaks this weekend. Here’s how to see it

The Eta Aquarid meteor shower peaks this weekend. Astronomers say it should be visible in both hemispheres. The Eta Aquarids occur every year in early May.

A wild orangutan used a medicinal plant to treat a wound, scientists say

Researchers say an orangutan appeared to treat a wound with medicine from a tropical plant. It’s the latest example of how some animals attempt to soothe their own ills with remedies found in the wild.

Takeaways from AP’s investigation into fatal police encounters involving injections of sedatives

An investigation led by The Associated Press has found that the practice of giving sedatives to people detained by police has spread quietly across the nation over the last 15 years, built on questionable science and backed by police-aligned experts.

How a 911 call for trespassing escalated to an injection of a powerful sedative and one man’s death

An investigation led by The Associated Press has found that the practice of giving sedatives to people detained by police has spread quietly across the nation over the last 15 years, built on questionable science and backed by police-aligned experts.

NASA astronauts arrive for Boeing’s first human spaceflight

The two NASA astronauts assigned to Boeing’s first human spaceflight have arrived in Florida for their May launch.

The first glow-in-the-dark animals may have been ancient corals deep in the ocean

A new study suggests that the first animal that glowed in the dark was a coral that lived deep in the ocean about half a billion years ago.

NASA hears from Voyager 1, the most distant spacecraft from Earth, after months of quiet

NASA has finally heard back from Voyager 1 in a way that makes sense. The most distant spacecraft from Earth stopped sending back understandable data last November.

This ancient snake in India might have been longer than a school bus and weighed a ton

Researchers in India have found fossils of an ancient giant snake that could have been longer than a school bus.

The Lyrid meteor shower peaks this weekend, but it may be hard to see it

The Lyrid meteor shower is here. But with a nearly full moon in the sky during the peak this weekend, it might be tough to see. The Lyrids occur every year in April.

NASA is seeking a faster and cheaper way to bring Mars samples to Earth

Retrieving Mars soil and rocks has been on NASA’s to-do list for decades, but the date kept moving forward, as costs ballooned.

Total solar eclipse wows North America. Clouds part just in time for most

A chilly, midday darkness fell across North America as a total solar eclipse raced across the continent.

Weather is the hot topic as eclipse spectators stake out their spots in US, Mexico and Canada

Eclipse enthusiasts are staking out their spots across three countries, fervently hoping for clear skies.