All Articles | Discover Magazine

The 345-Million-Year-Old Landmark Fossil “Lizzie” Was Not a Reptile — It Had Gills and a Fish-Like Mouth

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 23:00:00 GMT

Learn how new X-ray scans reveal that a famous Scottish fossil is changing our understanding of how four-legged animals evolved.

The Elusive Oarfish Has Joystick-Like Fins That May Inspire Future Underwater Robots

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 22:30:00 GMT

Learn how an oarfish’s hundreds of joystick-like fin rays help it swim and could inspire underwater robots that move without startling fish.

Mysterious Cocoliztli Epidemics Killed Millions Across Mexico, but Historical Causes Remain Debated

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 22:00:00 GMT

Learn more about the Cocoliztli epidemics that swept through colonial Mexico, what may have caused them, and how they may have changed medicine.

Lost Scottish Monastery May Have Been One Of Medieval Britain's Most Important Religious Centers

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 21:40:00 GMT

Learn how a community excavation is reshaping the story of a Scottish monastery that may have rivaled Iona in wealth and influence.

Newest Baby Snow Leopard at the Bronx Zoo Pounces and Crouches as She Stalks Her Mother

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 20:44:00 GMT

Learn more about the Bonx Zoo's latest addition, Sarka, the baby snow leopard.

A Sperm Whale Sank a Yacht in the South Pacific, Recalling the Real-Life Story Behind Moby-Dick

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 20:16:00 GMT

Learn how four sailors had to survive 18 hours after their boat collided with a sperm whale, and how the rise in these collisions is dangerous for humans and cetaceans.

A New Smart Shoe Powered By Footsteps Could One Day Help Monitor Everything From Parkinson’s to Fall Risk

Wed, 30 Sep 2026 23:30:00 GMT

Learn about the newest innovation in wearable tech — a smart shoe with an internal AI system that runs on footsteps, not batteries.

Mysterious Cosmic Flashes Could Be Linked to a Neutron Star Merger

Wed, 30 Sep 2026 23:00:00 GMT

Learn more about magnetars and how they may also form from two colliding neutron stars.

A Gene-Edited Banana Stays Yellow Longer and Is a Step Closer to Grocery Store Shelves

Wed, 30 Sep 2026 22:30:00 GMT

Learn how gene editing keeps sliced bananas yellow longer, and what England’s approval means for bringing the fruit to shoppers.

DNA from Thomas Jefferson's Hair May Resolve 200-Year-Old Controversy Involving Sally Hemings

Wed, 30 Sep 2026 22:00:00 GMT

Learn how DNA extracted from locks of Thomas Jefferson's hair have confirmed that the third president of the U.S. fathered several children with Sally Hemings.

Newly Discovered Homo Erectus Fossil Reveals a Time When Our Ancestors Were Outnumbered in South Africa 10 to 1

Wed, 30 Sep 2026 21:45:00 GMT

Learn how South African fossils reveal a time when our ancestors were the less common human relatives.

Cold War Spy Satellite Suddenly Shatters in Low Earth Orbit, Creating a Cloud of Debris That Could Threaten Other Spacecraft

Tue, 29 Sep 2026 23:00:00 GMT

Learn more about what caused the decades-old spy satellite to break apart and why its debris could pose a threat to other spacecraft in crowded low Earth orbit.

Newly Identified Norellraptor Could Reshape What We Know About Feathered Dinosaur Flight Evolution

Tue, 29 Sep 2026 22:45:00 GMT

Learn about Norellraptor barsboldi, a dinosaur species found in China that is providing new information on how dinosaurs and birds started to fly.

The Mysterious Death of Meriwether Lewis Is Debated — Some Say Suicide, Others Suggest Murder

Tue, 29 Sep 2026 22:30:00 GMT

Meriwether Lewis died in October 1809. Most researchers claim that he took his own life, but some debate that he could have been murdered.

Glyphs Painted in Mexican Cave May Reveal Ancient Warrior Rituals and a Lost Writing System

Tue, 29 Sep 2026 22:10:00 GMT

Learn about three symbolic glyphs painted in a cave in Mexico where people once visited to perform fire rituals for warriors.

Newly Discovered Mosaic Floors May Be From the School Where Aristotle Taught Alexander the Great

Tue, 29 Sep 2026 21:45:00 GMT

Learn how mosaic-floored banquet halls and stone benches are strengthening the case for a school where Aristotle may have taught a young Alexander the Great.

5 Infections, Including Epstein-Barr Virus, Were Linked to 2.3 Million New Cancer Cases in 2024

Tue, 29 Sep 2026 21:30:00 GMT

Learn how H. pylori, HPV, hepatitis B and C, and the virus behind mono can lead to cancer, and how vaccines and treatment can reduce risk.

A Powerful El Niño Could Bring Mild Temperatures, Flooding, and Less Snowfall to Different Parts of North America This Winter

Tue, 29 Sep 2026 20:35:00 GMT

Learn more about the shifts in weather that may arise thanks to a powerful El Niño this winter and what the impacts on North America could be.

The Universe's Oldest Light May Be Twisted — and There's a New Way to Test It

Tue, 29 Sep 2026 19:04:00 GMT

Learn how reseachers are working to determine if a twist in the universe's oldest light is evidence of new physics or a calibration error.

Belly Button Odor Could One Day Help Detect Parkinson's, Cognitive Impairment, and COVID-19

Mon, 28 Sep 2026 23:00:00 GMT

Learn how the scent of your belly button, nose, or ear may one day be used to make medical diagnosis.