Long believed to be a single, globally distributed species drifting freely across the open ocean, the bluebottle – also known as the Portuguese man o’ war – has now been revealed to be a group of at least four distinct species, each with its own unique morphology, genetics, and distribution.

Intense, short-lived summer downpours are expected to become both more frequent and more intense across Alpine regions as the climate warms. In a new study, scientists from the University of Lausanne (UNIL) and the University of Padova analyzed data from nearly 300 mountain weather stations and found that a 2°C rise in regional temperature could double the frequency of these extreme events.

Millions of years ago, during periods known as “Snowball Earth,” when much of the planet was covered in ice, some of our ancient cellular ancestors could have waited out the deep freeze in pools of melted ice that dotted the planet’s icy surface, according to a new study.

The strength of Earth's magnetic field has correlated with fluctuations in atmospheric oxygen for hundreds of millions of years, according to a newly released analysis by NASA scientists, suggesting that processes deep inside the Earth might influence habitability on the planet’s surface.

Before the ‘Out of Africa’ migration that led humans into Eurasia and beyond, new research shows that humans expanded their niche to include African forests and deserts. The authors argue that human populations learning to adapt to new and challenging habitats was key to the long-term success of this dispersal.

Fraunhofer IAF is presenting the latest version of its compact integrated quantum magnetometer at World of Quantum in Munich. The diamond-based system is characterized by its robustness, high integration density, and state-of-the-art measurement sensitivity. Thanks to its easy calibration, high sensitivity of a few picotesla, and high dynamic range, it offers new measurement possibilities for a wide range of applications in biomedicine, materials testing, navigation, and geology.