Patrick Pester

A West Virginia University student has identified an elusive fungus that contains psychedelic chemicals similar to LSD.

The latest Mount Etna eruption triggered an avalanche of volcanic material and sent ash miles into the air. Spectacular photos and videos capture the eruption of Europe's largest active volcano.

Researchers have found that cats spend longer sniffing a stranger's odor than their owner's odor, suggesting they can distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar humans from scent alone.

Italy's Mount Etna has erupted in spectacular fashion, sending ash, gas, and other volcanic material high into the sky above Sicily. Watch footage of the eruption.

An artificial intelligence safety firm has found that OpenAI's o3 and o4-mini models sometimes refuse to shut down, and will sabotage computer scripts in order to keep working on tasks.

A cocktail of FDA-approved cancer drugs, trametinib and rapamycin, boosts the lifespan of lab mice by 30% and might help humans age better, new study finds.

The USGS has announced that Kilauea volcano is ejecting fountains of lava in a manner not seen since the Pu'u'ō'ō eruption in the 1980s. But while the lava is mesmerizing, officials warn that the volcano is also producing toxic gases and other hazards.

Our planet's core is rich in gold that can leak out into the mantle, and in some cases, end up in volcanos on the surface, according to a new study.

Researchers have found fresh evidence that Africa is breaking apart because of a deep mantle superplume of hot rock beneath the East African Rift System.

Colossal Biosciences' chief scientist has clarified that its "dire wolves" are just genetically modified gray wolves following a backlash to the "de-extinction" label it put on them.

A retired researcher has detected an unusual pulse in the light of nearby stars while looking for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence. Aliens are one possible explanation for the strange signal, but as with every other unexplained space phenomenon, it's probably not aliens.

Researchers have recovered Homo erectus bones from the seafloor, which points to an unknown hominin population hunting on land that is now underwater in Southeast Asia.

Researchers have discovered how orange cats got their coats — and why so many of them are male. The coat color comes from a genetic mutation on the X chromosome of orange, calico and tortoiseshell cats.

Researchers have discovered an ancient moth-like sea predator in a treasure trove of museum fossils in Canada. The half-a-billion-year-old creature, Mosura fentoni, reveals that Cambrian arthropods were more diverse than previously thought.

Astrophysicists have proposed a new theoretical maximum lifespan for the universe, which suggests that dead stars are decaying much faster than previously thought. The estimate of stellar remnant decay is based on Stephen Hawking's famous black hole radiation theory.

An abrupt change in Antarctica has caused the continent to gain ice. But this increase, documented in NASA satellite data, is a temporary anomaly rather than an indication that global warming has reversed, scientists say.

Satellite data revealed that Houston is the fastest-sinking city in the U.S., and that all of the other biggest cities are dropping in at least some areas. Researchers say groundwater extraction is largely to blame for the sink.

A newly identified mutation helps super-sleepers get by on just four to six hours of shut-eye per night, while the rest of us need around eight hours. Researchers described the SIK3-N783Y mutation in a new study after testing it on sleep-deprived inbred mice.

A report into April's deadly flooding has found that climate change made the central Mississippi River valley's extreme weather event more likely and more intense.

Wave-like soil patterns on the Martian surface match those found in Earth's cold, mountain regions, which could help scientists better understand the Red Planet's climate history and search for signs of life.

Researchers studying pterosaur tracks have found that ancient flying reptiles became better adapted to life on land during the middle of the Jurassic period and even shared environments with dinosaurs.

A new documentary explores the tragic final night of the RMS Titanic with the most detailed digital reconstruction of the ship ever created.

Researchers have found a candidate for the hypothetical Planet Nine, which could be an undiscovered giant planet way out in our solar system. However, as with all ninth planet research, the new findings were met with some skepticism.

A recent update caused ChatGPT to turn into a sycophant, with the chatbot excessively complimenting and flattering its users with reassurances — even when they said they'd harmed animals or stopped taking their medication. OpenAI has now reversed the changes.