what is hypothesis experiment

• Bipolar Disorder
• Therapy Center
• When To See a Therapist
• Types of Therapy
• Best Online Therapy
• Best Couples Therapy
• Managing Stress
• Sleep and Dreaming
• Understanding Emotions

Self-Improvement

• Healthy Relationships
• Student Resources
• Personality Types
• Guided Meditations
• Verywell Mind Insights
• 2024 Verywell Mind 25
• Mental Health in the Classroom
• Editorial Process
• Meet Our Review Board
• Crisis Support
• 8 Ways to Cope With Your Election Anxiety Read Now

Get help today from the comfort of your home.

Take a Quiz

Mental health a-z, find a topic by its first letter:.

• Responsive vs. Adaptive Web Design
• 10 Math Tricks That Will Blow Your Mind
• All About the Whirlpool Galaxy
• Science, Technology, and Math
• The Role of Black Americans in World War I
• Types of Maps: Topographic, Political, Climate, and More
• The 5 Themes of Geography
• Read Russian in 10 Easy Steps
• 'Good Morning' and Other Japanese Greetings
• What Every Italian Language Learner Should Know
• The Prettiest U.S. College Campuses
• 3 Poetry Activities for Middle School Students
• How to Wake Up Feeling Motivated: 8 Tips

BEHIND THE NEWS

Latest News

Black holes could be driving the expansion of the universe, new study suggests

Ben Turner published 31 October 24

An artist's rendering of a black hole

In a 1st, scientists reversed type 1 diabetes by reprogramming a person's own fat cells

Tia Ghose published 31 October 24

Scientists reprogrammed a woman's fat cells to become insulin-making beta cells, reversing her type 1 diabetes.

Father-daughter team decodes 'alien signal' from Mars that stumped the world for a year

Stephanie Pappas published 31 October 24

A father and daughter team based in the U.S. have decoded a mock "alien signal" beamed from ESA's ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter a year ago — but the meaning of the extraterrestrial message remains a mystery.

What is DANA, the strange weather phenomenon that has caused deadly flooding in Spain?

María de los Ángeles Orfila published 31 October 24

With record-high Mediterranean temperatures and a year's worth of rain falling in mere hours, Spain has been devastated by the weather phenomenon known as DANA.

1st image of Milky Way's 'black hole heart' has errors, study claims

The image of Sagittarius A*, the black hole at the heart of the Milky Way, captured by the Event Horizon Telescope.

Trigger for deadly neurodegenerative disorder identified

Emily Cooke published 31 October 24

The discovery of an important enzyme involved in Huntington's disease may pave the way for future treatments to prevent the condition, researchers say.

Planet Earth

'We are teetering on a planetary tightrope': Cut emissions in half right now to prevent climate catastrophe, UN warns

By Sascha Pare published 30 October 24

A new U.N. report has found the world will warm by twice the 1.5-degree-Celsius target adopted in the Paris Agreement by 2100 if countries fail to slash greenhouse gas emissions right now.

Massive blue 'melt pond' in Arctic glacier is an eerie sign of things to come

By Harry Baker published 29 October 24

Earth from space A 2014 photo shows a massive, iceberg-littered pool of vibrant blue meltwater sitting alone on top of a glacier in Alaska. Similar "melt ponds" are becoming increasingly common in the Arctic due to climate change and are further accelerating the rate of ice loss across the region.

• 2 In a 1st, scientists reversed type 1 diabetes by reprogramming a person's own fat cells
• 3 Father-daughter team decodes 'alien signal' from Mars that stumped the world for a year
• 4 What is DANA, the strange weather phenomenon that has caused deadly flooding in Spain?
• 5 1st image of Milky Way's 'black hole heart' has errors, study claims

Witch's head to God's eye: 12 of the spookiest objects in the universe

By Brandon Specktor last updated 30 October 24

A shrieking skull, a cackling witch, a ghostly hand and other cosmic illusions haunt our skies. Which do you think is the spookiest object in the universe?

Scientists found one of the largest carbon-based space molecules ever. Here's why that's a big deal

By Victoria Corless published 30 October 24

Scientists have identified one of the largest carbon-based molecules in space yet. It could help us decode the origins of life as we know it.

archaeology

1,200-year-old Viking cemetery with 'stone ship' burials discovered in Sweden

By Kristina Killgrove published 29 October 24

Archaeologists in Sweden were expecting to find an ancient settlement, but they were surprised to discover a Viking Age cemetery with boat-shaped burial outlines.

Ancient Indigenous weapons from Australia can deliver 'devastating blows,' 1st-ever biomechanics study of its kind reveals

By Laura Diamond, Michelle Langley published 29 October 24

A first-ever biomechanics study of two First Nations weapons systems has identified the design features that make them so formidable.

How to get better faster when you have the flu, according to science

By Emily Cooke published 30 October 24

Experts explain how to shorten a flu infection.

Can air purifiers help with asthma?

By Lou Mudge, Anna Gora last updated 30 October 24

Reference We take a closer look to see if using air purifiers helps with asthma.

Do air purifiers help with allergies?

By Kerry Taylor-Smith, Anna Gora last updated 30 October 24

REFERENCE Air purifiers can improve air quality, but do these devices help relieve allergies?

From black cats to white spirit bears, 'superstitions, lore and myths can shape your subconscious' − biases that have real effects

By Elizabeth Carlen, Tyus Williams published 27 October 24

What may be scariest about a spooky black cat is the way superstition and tradition shape people's perceptions and biases about animals based only on their color.

Babirusa: The prehistoric 'deer' pigs with huge antler teeth

By Lydia Smith published 26 October 24

Babirusas are believed to have diverged from their pig ancestors between 26 million and 12 million years ago after getting isolated on Sulawesi when sea levels rose at the end of the last ice age.

Predatory birds from the Jurassic may have driven cicada evolution for millions of years

By Sierra Bouchér published 25 October 24

Researchers calculated the flight ability of more than 80 ancient cicada species to analyze their evolution over time.

Human Behavior

How many nuclear bombs have been used?

By Sierra Bouchér published 26 October 24

The first nuclear bomb test, conducted in 1945, set off an international arms race that included nuclear testing. But how many nuclear bombs have been detonated during tests and in active war?

What's the scientific explanation for 'ghost encounters'?

By Patrick Pester published 19 October 24

People all over the world believe they've seen or heard a ghost, but there's no scientific evidence for spirits, hauntings or the paranormal. So what's behind these "encounters"?

28 best science books for kids and young adults

By Ben Biggs last updated 18 October 24

Looking to inspire the next generation of curious minds? These are our picks of the best popular science books for children of all ages.

Physics & Mathematics

High school students who came up with 'impossible' proof of Pythagorean theorem discover 9 more solutions to the problem

By Sascha Pare published 28 October 24

In a new peer-reviewed study, Ne'Kiya Jackson and Calcea Johnson outlined 10 ways to solve the Pythagorean theorem using trigonometry, including a proof they discovered in high school.

Keeping time: The history, origin and meanings of B.C. and A.D.

By Robert Coolman, Owen Jarus last updated 24 October 24

The use of "anno domini" and "before Christ" to mark time began in the early days of Christianity, when clerics needed to know when Easter would fall.

What is the largest known prime number?

By Charles Q. Choi last updated 23 October 24

There are infinitely many prime numbers, but the biggest one we know of goes by the name M82589933 and contains more than 24 million digits.

Periodic table of elements quiz: How many elements can you name in 10 minutes?

By Alexander McNamara published 14 October 24

Can you name everything from Ac to Zr? Test your knowledge of the periodic table and see if you can top the leaderboard

Watch atoms fuse into world's 'smallest bubble' of water in 1st-of-its-kind 'nanoscale' video

By Harry Baker published 10 October 24

A new study captured never-before-seen footage of hydrogen and oxygen atoms combining to form a miniature water droplet out of "thin air." The newly improved reaction could one day help astronauts make water in space.

Nobel Prize in Chemistry: 1901-Present

By Live Science Staff last updated 10 October 24

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry includes famous winners such as Marie Curie and Otto Hahn.

Drones could use 'robotic cat's eyes' to track targets more precisely than ever before

By Keumars Afifi-Sabet published 30 October 24

A new computer vision system inspired by the design of a feline eye could give future drones and other military robots the ability to track targets in low-visibility and dynamic environments.

Air purifiers vs ionizers: What's the difference?

By Kerry Taylor-Smith last updated 29 October 24

REFERENCE We pit air purifiers against ionizers to get to the bottom of what each appliance really does.

How well do air purifiers work?

By Helen Alexander last updated 29 October 24

Reference Air purifiers are intended to remove pollutants from the air, but how well do they really work?