Think you're tired? This animal goes for months with only two hours of sleep a day Scientists have learned that northern elephant seals — massive creatures found along the Pacific Coast of North America — cobble together a couple hours of sleep using underwater power naps. Ari Daniel
SpaceX rocket explodes shortly after test-flight takeoff in Texas SpaceX's new stainless-steel rocket named Starship exploded Thursday just four minutes after liftoff. In a statement, the company said, "with a test like this, success comes from what we learn." A Martinez
New data show that an old model of the brain's motor cortex is incomplete Scientists found evidence of two interleaved systems, which may help explain the connection between what's going on in our bodies and what's going on in brain areas involved in thoughts and emotions. Jon Hamilton
A Spanish athlete spent 500 days alone in a cave — for science Beatriz Flamini was 48 when she entered the Granada cave in November 2021, and 50 when she emerged on Friday. Her experiment aims to shed light on the physical and mental effects of isolation. Rachel Treisman
SpaceX prepares to launch its mammoth rocket 'Starship' Starship is the largest rocket ever built. The company hopes it will one day take people to the moon and Mars. But first it has to fly. Geoff Brumfiel
Goodbye fuzzy donut: The famous first black hole photo gets sharpened up Scientists have created a new version of a historic black hole image that was first unveiled back in 2019. The central black nothingness now looks larger and darker. Nell Greenfieldboyce
Global warming could be juicing baseball home runs, study finds Baseball home runs appear to be getting a little extra help from climate change, a new study finds. That's because baseballs can fly farther through air that's made thinner by warmer conditions. Ari Daniel
Arguments that trans athletes have an unfair advantage lacks evidence to support NPR's Scott Detrow speaks with endocrinologist, Dr. Eric Vilain, about a spate of laws targeting trans athletes.
New research finds plants make noise when stressed NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks with biologist Lilach Hadany about the noises plants make when stressed. Ayesha Rascoe
Avian flu has killed 3 California condors in northern Arizona Authorities are trying to determine what killed five others in the flock. The California condor population fell to near extinction in the '70s, but the total wild population now numbers more than 300. The Associated Press