Scientists in Tanzania have trained rats to help detect illegal wildlife products being smuggled out of the country. The rats have learned to recognize the smell of these items, and can alert their handlers when they find them. The program is still being tested, but the method could help protect some endangered animals.
Published in November 2024
Scientists on a National Geographic research trip to the Solomon Islands have discovered the world's largest coral. The single coral colony, made up of around one billion tiny creatures, is so large that it can be seen from space.
Early Sunday morning, nearly 200 countries from around the world reached an agreement to help poorer countries deal with the climate crisis. The agreement came at COP29, a United Nations climate meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan. Many people think the deal doesn't do enough to help poorer countries.
Scientists have long known that elephants are clever. They can solve problems, they talk to each other, and they have long memories. But researchers were surprised at the way two Asian elephants recently showed off their understanding of an unusual tool - a hose.
In 2020, a group of explorers looking for mammoth tusks in eastern Siberia made a surprising discovery - the mummy of a 35,000-year-old saber-toothed kitten. The find is the first of its kind and is giving scientists a new look at saber-toothed cats.
Over the last month, the Philippines has been hit by six major storms, including five typhoons. The latest storm, Super Typhoon Man-yi, struck on Saturday night, forcing hundreds of thousands of people from their homes and causing serious damage.
A painting created by a robot named Ai-Da was sold at an art auction last Thursday for $1.08 million. The painting is the most expensive artwork ever sold that was created by a human-like robot.
Two baby black-footed ferrets have made history as the first endangered animals to be born from a cloned mother. Scientists are hoping their birth will help in the recovery of this endangered species.
Eastern Pakistan and Northern India are dealing with an extreme air pollution problem this year. In Pakistan, the air is so dangerous to breathe that the government has closed schools and parks until the air quality improves.
Donald Trump was elected the 47th president of the United States in Tuesday's election. His win over Vice President Kamala Harris marks a huge comeback for a man who lost the election for president in 2020, and has faced many troubles since then.
For the first time ever, a satellite made partly out of wood has been launched into space. The project is a test to see if wood could be a good building material for space. If the experiment works out, wooden satellites could someday help lower pollution in space.