Odysseus faced the cyclops, his men turned into pigs, and he sailed between a six-headed monster and a whirlpool. Each of these, it turns out, have potential real-life explanations.

A new protein analysis of Homo naledi skeletons reveals a curious twist—none of them seem to have Y chromosomes.

Depictions of dogs in Maya art and archaeological finds point to a variety of possible roles in the ancient culture.

Future missions will need longer expiration dates and grow-it-yourself options. Luckily, labs around the world are working on these menus—and invited National Geographic inside.

A global experiment tests how humanity could live across the solar system, by dropping volunteers into some of Earth’s most extreme environments.

Two new papers have shown that dogs were fully distinct from wolves—and companions with people—more than 14,000 years ago.

Space exploration can bring people together and reflect deep societal divisions.

Are raccoons headed toward pet-dom?

James Watson, the co-discoverer of the structure of DNA who died Thursday at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers.

A retro-futuristic space truck. A nimble crustacean on wheels. A space-age dune buggy. One will win a multibillion-dollar prize to deploy on a future NASA Artemis mission. But first, we took a ride on...

NASA's Artemis II mission could happen as early as February. Here's why this flight will be one to watch.

This nationwide cohort study with sibling control analysis examines the association of acetaminophen use during pregnancy with children’s risk of autism, ADHD, and intellectual disability.

NASA’s Perseverance rover found possible signs of ancient life in rocks on Mars, keeping scientists up at night.

Here's what we know about what caused the earthquake off Russia's Far East and why the tsunami it generated weren't as big as anticipated.

Just the third-ever confirmed interstellar object has been detected in our solar system. Here's what we know. (Spoiler: It's not aliens.)

Evidence suggests dinosaurs like tyrannosaurs were probably best suited to a version of the doggy paddle.

Algae grown under Mars-like conditions could make bioplastic building materials for structures to harbor life in space.

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory is expected to discover 20 billion new galaxies over the next decade.

New research on the orbits of these mysterious asteroids near Venus stress the need for better space rock surveillance.

Astronomers have long thought that the Milky Way is headed for a head-on crash with its neighbor, Andromeda. But a new study complicates the story.

Kanzi showed apes have the capacity for language, but in recent years scientists have questioned the ethics of ape experiments.

You might think you know which animals and plants are considered "domesticated" or “domestic” and which ones aren't—but a new definition has launched a big debate among scientists.

You might think you know which animals and plants are considered "domesticated" or “domestic” and which ones aren't—but a new definition has launched a big debate among scientists.

The prehistoric crocodile relative may have tolerated both freshwater and saltwater habitats, allowing it to conquer North American coasts in the Cretaceous.

Cockroaches that catch a ride on ants. Grasshoppers that climb aboard sheep. Hitchhiking animals are more common than you think.

Cosmologist Katie Mack breaks down what the latest findings about dark energy mean for our universe’s future. Either way, it won’t be happy.

When researchers study fossils from lower-income countries, they often engage in dubious or illegal practices that can stifle science.

A team of astronomers claims to have sniffed out a “biosignature” in the atmosphere of a distant planet called K2-18b. But not everyone agrees that it signals life.

Watch nutrients flow through an underground circulatory system that connects fungi and plants. A new study shows how these networks form.

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