Alex Fox

Alex Fox

 

Alex Fox is a freelance science journalist based in California. He has written for the New York Times, National Geographic, Science, Nature and other outlets. You can find him at Alexfoxscience.com.

One of the interior passages of the 5,000-year-old Irish megalithic tomb of Newgrange. In this photo, sunlight enters the monument's main chamber at dawn on the winter solstice.

DNA Extracted From Ancient 'Irish Pharaoh' May Reveal Royal Incest

New analysis of elite man buried in Stone Age monument suggests he was the product of either a brother-sister or parent-child pairing

A near-infrared, color image taken by NASA's Cassini spacecraft shows the sun glinting off of north polar seas on Saturn's largest moon, Titan. Similar glints were spotted from Earth in 2000 at Titan's equator but Cassini found no evidence of liquid there.

Bright Patches on Saturn’s Largest Moon Are Dried-Up Lake Beds

New study tackles a 20-year-old mystery about Titan, the second-largest moon in the solar system

Over 800 corten-steel monuments, one for each county in the United States where a racial terror lynching took place, on display at the National Memorial For Peace And Justice

Nearly 2,000 Black Americans Were Lynched During Reconstruction

A new report brings the number of victims of racial terror killings between 1865 and 1950 to almost 6,500

A male Broad-tailed Hummingbird photographed at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in Gothic, Colorado, where researchers conducted field experiments on avian color vision.

Compared With Hummingbirds, People Are Rather Colorblind

Experiments reveal the tiny birds can see "non-spectral" colors that blend ultraviolet light with colors humans can see to create distinct hues we can't

This diagram shows the different kinds of animal bones used to make the 48,000-year-old tools.

Evidence of Early Bow-and-Arrow Hunting Discovered in Sri Lanka

If confirmed, the 48,000-year-old find will be the oldest known instance of bowhunting outside of Africa

Artist Jason deCaires Taylor's “Ocean Siren” changes color according to the average daily water temperatures measured at Davies Reef on Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Recently, marine heatwaves have wreaked havoc on the Great Barrier Reef, causing the most widespread bleaching ever recorded.

This Sculpture Takes the Great Barrier Reef’s Temperature

'Ocean Siren' changes colors in real time to reflect ocean temperatures at Davies Reef, part of Australia’s ailing Great Barrier Reef

Researchers are concerned about what the presence of microplastics in protected landscapes will mean for local ecosystems.

The Forecast in National Parks Is Cloudy With a Chance of Plastic Rain

New research finds America’s western national parks and wilderness areas receive more than 1,000 tons of plastic rain every year

The hot, dry summer of 2018 revealed the long-lost outlines of Roman forts and roads in Wales. This photo shows a Roman fort discovered near Carrow Hill.

Drought Reveals Traces of Ancient Roman Structures in Wales

Archaeologists used aerial photographs to discover previously unknown forts and roads in water-starved fields across the country

Reptile vertebrae found at el-Wad Terrace Cave

15,000 Years Ago, Humans in Israel Ate Snakes and Lizards

Snacking on reptiles may have helped these prehistoric people adapt to living in more permanent settlements

An aggregation of roughly 64,000 green sea turtles at Raine Island in Australia.

Drone Footage Shows Thousands of Nesting Sea Turtles

The roughly 64,000 green sea turtles were photographed off the Great Barrier Reef in Australia at Raine Island, the turtle's largest breeding ground

The four sides of a dice, as well as the front and back sides of several other game pieces found in western Norway

Ancient Roman Board Game Found in Norwegian Burial Mound

Researchers unearthed a four-sided dice and 18 circular tokens

The ICARUS antenna (right) on the exterior of the International Space Station.

The International Space Station Just Became a Powerful Tool for Tracking Animal Migration

The so-called 'internet of animals,' powered by an antenna aboard the ISS, will track thousands of creatures across the entire planet

This wall painting features musicians in European clothing on the left and a dancer in a traditional feathered cape on the right.

Renovations Reveal Rare Maya Murals Hidden in Guatemalan Home

The wall paintings may chart the decline of Spanish colonial influence and resurgence of indigenous culture

A young New Caledonian crow (right) wielding a stick that skilled adults use as tools to probe for food. The adult (left) tolerates the youngsters antics.

A Long Childhood May Be How Crows and Jays Evolved Their Smarts

Like humans, some of the smartest birds enjoy extended periods of parental care

Works by German artist Paul Klee are projected on June 3, 2020, at the Bassins de Lumières digital art center in Bordeaux.

Former Nazi Submarine Base Transformed Into Digital Art Gallery

The concrete bunker once housed Axis U-boats. Now, it features floor-to-ceiling projections of works by Gustav Klimt, Paul Klee

The blue outlined tadpole-like creature at the center of this elaborate structure, made of mucus, is a giant larvacean. New techniques have allowed scientists to model and study this structure, which is used by the larvacean to gather food.

Scientists Tour Elaborate, Deep-Sea 'Snot Palaces' for the First Time

Tiny transparent sea creatures make elaborate houses out of their own mucus. Now, researchers have illuminated the framework within these structures

A poem providing clues to the location of a treasure chest filled with gold and jewels inspired thousands to search the Rocky Mountains.

Decade-Long Search for Rocky Mountain Treasure Yields Trove Worth $2 Million

Nine clues embedded in a 24-line poem led to art dealer Forrest Fenn's hidden chest of gold, gems and rare artifacts

Irene Triplett's father, Mose, ran away from a Confederate military hospital days before the July 1863 Battle of Gettysburg.

The Last Person to Receive a Civil War Pension Dies at Age 90

Irene Triplett, whose father defected from the Confederate Army and enlisted with the Union, collected $73.13 a month

Horseshoe crabs are bled to harvest a key ingredient in tests used to ensure injected medicines such as vaccines are free of contaminants. This photo was taken in 2014 at the Charles River Laboratory in Charleston, South Carolina.

The Race for a Coronavirus Vaccine Runs on Horseshoe Crab Blood

Pharmaceutical companies use the creature's blue blood to test for contaminants

One of the Qumran caves where the Dead Sea Scroll fragments were found.

Ancient DNA Helps Unlock Dead Sea Scroll Puzzle

The bulk of the 'scrolls' are actually 25,000 fragments and genetic analysis is now helping researchers piece them together

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