natural wonders

In search of otherworldly sights? Just find the right icy pond. On certain days during Boston’s long winter, residents can glimpse the stars by looking down. On the dove-colored surfaces of frozen ponds or lakes, shapes appear, rounded in the center with spiky arms stretching outward. The water...

A lobster recently caught off the coast of Maine is raising eyebrows thanks to its striking and incredibly rare yellow coloring. View the full article

Low-cost seismometers could give rural communities an alert system, or begin to decipher elephant communication. When individuals in a group of elephants have been separated, even for the briefest of moments, they get rather excited upon reuniting. “They’re sort of like dogs who’ve come back to...

In botanic gardens, the lineage of a famously smelly plant is threatened. What can save it? This story was originally published on Undark and appears here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. The alien-like blooms and putrid stench of Amorphophallus titanum, better known as the corpse...

62 Year-Old Snake Lays ‘Miracle Eggs’ The oldest snake in captivity – known only as 361003 – hasn’t been near a male python for two decades On July 23, a 62-year-old female Ball Python laid seven eggs despite having been separated from any male pythons for at least two decades. The manager of...

The California peak’s striking presence and geological complexity have inspired many believers.  There’s a well-known legend that says that somewhere deep beneath Northern California’s 14,179-foot-tall Mount Shasta is a complex of tunnels and a hidden city called Telos, the ancient “City of...