Wild Science: Weird stars collide in a once-in-a-lifetime event, the science of good and evil, and more

AMAZING SCIENCE STORIES THAT INFORM AND INSPIRE JOIN    |        VIEW ONLINE

science stories you can geek out about

|    ASTRONOMY   |     In a First, Pictures Show Gravitational Waves Being Born

Around 130 million years ago, two dead stars violently collided and set off a sequence of events that, over the last two months, have whipped astronomers on Earth into an absolute frenzy. Scientists announced today the first detection of gravitational waves created by two colliding neutron stars—a cataclysm astronomers also saw in multiple wavelengths of light. The stunning discovery is already helping astronomers resolve a heated debate about the cosmic origins of gold and silver. GET THE DETAILS FURTHER: SUBSCRIBE TO NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE + RELATED: FOUND! GRAVITATIONAL WAVES, OR A WRINKLE IN SPACETIME +

TRENDING NOW

|    PSYCHOLOGY   |        What Science Tells Us About Good and Evil Recent tragedies have fueled a national conversation about the roots of evil, but as we know, humankind also is capable of astonishing acts of kindness. WHERE DOES EVIL COME FROM? + |    NATURAL WONDERS   |  Watch a Wall of Water Race Up a River Tourists recently flocked to China's Qiantang River see this tidal bore, an upstream wave that's anything but boring. SEE THIS EXTRAORDINARY SIGHT +

Mother Monkey Eats Mummified Baby in ‘Astonishing’ Case In a first for Tonkean macaques, a first-time mom in an animal sanctuary ate the remains of her deceased infant, a new study says. READ THE SHOCKING REPORT FURTHER:IN RARE KILLING, CHIMPANZEES CANNIBALIZE FORMER LEADER +

NAT GEO PLUS Look inside the international fossil trade—a field as lucrative as it is controversial. ›› See the first color portrait of Earth from space. ››

NUMBER2KNOW 1.8 TO 2.6 [ONE POINT EIGHT TO TWO POINT SIX] THE PERCENTAGE OF EURASIAN ANCESTRY THAT A NEW STUDY ATTRIBUTES TO NEANDERTHAL GENES. NEW CLUES TO HOW NEANDERTHAL GENES AFFECT YOUR HEALTH+

|    ECOLOGY   | How a 3-Ton Mess of Dead Pigs Transformed This Landscape The unusual ecological experiment took place in Mississippi, and the scientists were awed by the results—especially the rivers of maggots. WATCH THE AMAZING CHANGES + |    DINOSAURS   | Why T. rex’s Puny Arms Are a Sign of Strength And other strange facts about dinosaurs that will help us prepare for the future. GET THE DETAILS +

WILD VIDEO

|      2:33     |      ANCIENT HISTORY     | Statues and Mysterious Disk Found in Ancient Greek Shipwreck The site made famous by the Antikythera mechanism, an ancient “computer,” continues to yield fascinating discoveries. EXPLORE THE SITE RELATED: EXPLORE A 16TH-CENTURY UNDERWATER BATTLEFIELD +

ICYMI You may have missed these popular articles. Now is your chance to scope them out. ALLIGATORS EAT SHARKS GIANT  RAT ‘TALKING’  CORPSES Want more science news like this? Read up.

SHOP DONATE SUBSCRIBE TRAVEL

About Us | Contact Us | Privacy Policy To ensure that you receive your National Geographic emails, please add ng@e.nationalgeographic.com to your address book now. Learn how. National Geographic | 1145 17th Street N.W. | Washington, D.C. 20036 Copyright © 2017 National Geographic Partners, LLC. All rights reserved.