It’s impossible to ignore a new discovery known affectionately as the death ball. And there’s a good reason to pay attention ...

These creatures are so fragile that the moment they are pulled out from the water, they collapse and disappear.

In ordinary circumstances coral reefs are among the most productive ecosystems on Earth, built slowly by animals that appear to be plants. Each coral polyp houses microscopic algae that convert ...

In 1886, chemist W. J. Rendell manufactured the first birth control suppository. It contained a cocoa butter shell for suppositories that melted in the body to release the medication quinine, a drug ...

Industrial fishing has become so routine that it is easy to forget how violent it is to the sea itself. One technique in ...

For almost two decades, scientists have debated whether sponges or comb jellies are the first animal lineage. Now some are ...

For almost two decades, scientists have debated whether sponges or comb jellies are the first animal lineage. Now some are calling for a more harmonious approach. Which animals came first? For more ...

Sponges were among the first animals, having lived on Earth for over half a billion years. However, the fossil record of sponges runs out long before they were first thought to have evolved. New ...

Sponges are among Earth's most ancient animals, but exactly when they evolved has long puzzled scientists. Genetic information from living sponges, as well as chemical signals from ancient rocks, ...

The Nuclear Sponge is a five-part explanatory project by USA TODAY that aims to inform readers about the strategic debate and costs of modernizing the land leg of America’s nuclear triad. The United ...

We independently review everything we recommend. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more› By Caroline Mullen Caroline Mullen is a writer focused on cleaning and organizing ...