Story archive
Browse SciQuest reporting and explainers in reverse chronological order, with the newest evidence-led stories first.
news Astronomy Evidence status: Peer reviewed · Observational study
Gaia-based star ages suggest the Milky Way's disk thinned fast until 10.85 billion years ago, then slowly. How ages were found and what stays uncertain.
news Anthropology Evidence status: Peer reviewed · Laboratory analysis of archived samples
Collagen matching the common eland turned up in 2 of 5 samples of 60,000-year-old ochre-rich sediment in South Africa. Which tissue, and why, is still unknown.
news Earth Evidence status: Peer reviewed · Global observational analysis of satellite-derived datasets
Glaciers ending in lakes, oceans or ice shelves are 3.2% of the world's glaciers but lost 134 Gt of ice a year in 2000–2019, just over half of all glacier…
news Astronomy Evidence status: Peer reviewed · Interpretive/modelling study
A study matches Van Gogh's The Starry Night to the predawn sky of about 22 July 1889, a month after its usual date. What the evidence shows, and the catch.
news Earth Evidence status: Peer reviewed · Laboratory shock experiments
Laser shocks put magnesium oxide's complete melting at 572 GPa and 13,200 K, and crystal direction changed when it transformed. What it means for planets.
explainer Astronomy
Why is the Moon orange tonight? Near the horizon its light crosses about 38 times more air, stripping out blue. See the maths, smoke's role and eclipse signs.
news Anthropology Evidence status: Peer reviewed · Ancient-protein analysis of 2 specimens
Collagen from two Xujiayao bones, 199,000 to 138,000 years old, carries a Denisovan-only variant. What it reveals about Denisovan skulls, and what is disputed.
news Astronomy Evidence status: Peer reviewed · Telescope spectroscopy
Webb measured a methane D/H ratio of 3.18% in interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, 13 times comet 67P. What it says about a cold birthplace, and what it cannot.
news Earth Evidence status: Peer reviewed (accelerated preview) · Data compilation plus modelling
Across 32 kimberlites, most diamond-rich pipes held olivine with over 40 ppm water. A new study ties this to faster-rising magma, but the exceptions matter.
