According to a report published by the United Nations, fertility rates around the world are falling faster than expected and this seems likely to lead to a decline in the world population before the end of the century. More than 60 countries and regions, including Italy, Japan, Russia and China, reached their population peaks in… Read More »
Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news about fascinating discoveries, scientific breakthroughs and more. Hundreds of monumental stone heads dot the coastline of the remote Pacific island of Rapa Nui, or Easter Island. Settled by a small band of Polynesian sailors nearly 900 years ago, it is a fascinating… Read More »
The intersection of marine biology and artificial intelligence technology has led to the discovery of a surprising population of humpback whales. Nearly 7,000 humpback whales in the North Pacific Ocean died between 2012 and 2021 after the damaging effects of a years-long marine heatwave, according to a study published Wednesday by Royal Society Open Science.… Read More »
In Britain, otter populations declined in the 1960s due to the deadly effects of chemical pollution in rivers and lakes – or so we thought. Our research took a closer look at what happened to otters in Britain over the last 800 years and revealed a more complex picture. Since Eurasian otters (lutra lutra) Since… Read More »
A landslide near Norway caused a tsunami that created giant waves in the North Sea and beyond 8,000 years ago.Rainer Lesniewski/iStock via Getty Images Plus Tsunamis rarely hit Britain, but one did 8,200 years ago. The researchers wanted to know how giant waves might have affected Stone Age populations. They found that the tsunami may… Read More »