All Stories by Katherine Kornei
- Chemistry
A new map of Africa sheds light on the origins of enslaved people
Mapping the element strontium across the continent is helping track down the birthplaces of enslaved Africans brought to the Americas.
- Earth
The sun shines brightest in South America’s Atacama Desert
Solar rays in this high-altitude desert at times rival the light intensity on Venus.
- Planets
Mars might still be volcanically active, quakes there suggest
Seismic rumblings picked up by NASA’s InSight lander hint at molten rock moving deep below the planet’s fractured surface.
- Space
A massive rogue roaming our galaxy may be a black hole
Alternatively, this unseen wanderer might be a hefty neutron star. Whatever it is, its gravity caused starlight to be warped — and that gave it away.
- Planets
The InSight lander has caught a large ‘earthquake’ on Mars
This magnitude 5 quake is offering scientists a peek at what’s going on beneath the Martian surface.
- Climate
Coastal cities around the world are sinking, satellite data show
Of 99 coastal cities studied, nearly one-third are sinking. This leaves coastal communities increasingly vulnerable to rising seas.
