Vietnam is prime example of a little-known global threat: the mining of river sand to build the world’s booming cities.

Jewelry dealer Nael Ali will be the first defendant sentenced in the most extensive federal investigation into Indian arts and crafts fraud.

A new study from South Africa observed wild snake mothers protecting and warming their young for weeks after they emerged from eggs.

The famous physicist was fond of making scientific bets and predictions, from the nature of black holes to the end of humanity.

Canadian citizen scientist photographers spotted a fleeting type of aurora not seen before, dubbed “Steve,” and scientists have started working out what’s causing them.

Egg-laying shrimp queens rule over complex colonies—and a new study reveals their intriguing evolution.

Australian authorities say the tooth's monetary value "would not be very high," though it may be prized by collectors.

Hawking's scientific claim to fame was his revelation that the universe began in a singularity, an infinitely dense point of spacetime.

The painted lady is the longest continuously migrating butterfly ever recorded.

Gorilla babies are a rare sight, even for researchers who spend all day studying the apes.

Studying memory mechanisms in simple organisms could help develop drugs for trauma and dementia patients.

The animal's wings resemble those of pheasants, but it couldn't flap quite like today's birds.

A political disupte between Kosovo and Serbia has led to problems in the electricity grid that serves much of Europe, with a surprising result.

An undisturbed elite tomb discovered in ancient Armageddon is replete with gold offerings—and the promise of unlocking secrets with DNA analysis.

Archaeologists have long suspected that modified skulls in German burials belonged to the Huns. Now genetic evidence may confirm it.

In South Africa, humans not only survived but thrived during the biggest volcanic eruption of the last two million years.

Experts are in disagreement over the most humane—and legal—way to kill the invasive reptiles.

Environmentalists are chasing industrial fishers that may be threatening fisheries in developing waters and marine protected areas. 

Mitch Landrieu explains how a question from old friend Wynton Marsalis spurred his reckoning with the city’s monuments on National Geographic’s America Inside Out with Katie Couric.

Does a punishment of six months in prison match the crime?

Scientists have long wondered whether the bright pink birds are native to Florida.

A Swiss environmentalist and a Californian art dealer became obsessed with Sarawak, one of the wildest places on Earth. This is their story.

The new discovery sheds light on the evolution of insect and crustacean nervous systems.

A new study found leopards may prevent nearly 100 rabies cases in Mumbai every year.

Thousands of miles from its native habitat, the tropical bird could be a captive escapee.

Photographer Patrick Dykstra came across the rare species when he was shooting footage of sperm whales in the Caribbean Sea.

A recent study reveals dogs are more intuitive than we thought.

Get the facts about the biannual tradition, which was established in the U.S. in 1918.

Blacktip sharks usually travel in the tens of thousands from North Carolina to Florida. But thanks to climate change, more are staying put.

The find can tell scientists how ocean crust is recycled throughout Earth's interior.

A new forensic analysis suggests that skeletal remains found on a remote island belonged to the famous pilot.

You can thank female inventors for these now-everyday things.

Here are 5 innovative foods you'll be seeing more of soon.

A fossil lizard is the oldest known reptile that can lose its tail and survive, an ability still seen in modern species.

The black Jacobin emits a shrill noise that sounds more like a frog or a cricket, leaving scientists puzzled.

The Juno spacecraft is revealing what’s churning below the surface of the largest planet in the solar system.

When wasps find themselves in times of trouble, they get by with a little help from their friends.

A wildlife photographer recently captured the unusual interaction in Brazil's Pantanal.

The nearly 132-year-old find was part of a larger experiment by German crews to track ocean currents.