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.

An artist's illustration depicting the collision of two 125-mile-wide asteroids orbiting the star Fomalhaut, located 25 light-years away.

'Disappearing' Exoplanet Might Not Have Been a Planet After All

Study suggests alleged exoplanet may have been a cloud of asteroid debris

Researchers have discovered an unexpected way that larger bits of plastic are transformed into microplastics in the sea: lobsters. (The study involved Norway lobsters, pictured here.)

Norway Lobsters Crush Ocean Plastic Into Even Smaller Pieces—and That's Bad

The crustaceans' guts pulverize plastics into tiny bits that can be consumed by even smaller creatures at the base of the ocean food chain

The National Museum of Asian Art's Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, from the Alice S. Kandell Collection

Unwind With These Free, Museum-Led Meditation and Mindfulness Sessions

The Rubin Museum of Art and the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art offer an array of relaxing experiences

Researchers staged fights using recreated Bronze Age weapons to better understand how they might have been used in ancient fighting.

Scientists Stage Sword Fights to Study Bronze Age Warfare

Research suggests bronze blades, thought by some to be too fragile for combat, were deadly weapons across ancient Europe

The new Museum Hotel Antakya in Turkey "floats" above ancient ruins.

New Hotel in Turkey 'Floats' Above Ancient Ruins

Closed due to COVID-19, the Museum Hotel Antakya looks forward to welcoming guests with its blend of luxury and history once restrictions are lifted

A male lemur with clearly visible scent glands on its wrists.

For Male Lemurs, Love Stinks—and Scientists Now Know Why

A newly identified trio of chemicals may help the primates find a mate

The unique scent of rain may actually be a chemical signal used by bacteria to attract this tiny arthropod, called a springtail.

How Rain Evolved Its Distinct Scent—and Why Animals and Humans Love It

New research reveals the ancient symbiotic relationship behind geosmin, the chemical compound responsible for the scent of fresh rain

Farm workers loading apples onto a truck in an orchard, circa 1965.

Ten Apple Varieties Once Thought Extinct Rediscovered in Pacific Northwest

The "lost" apples will help restore genetic, culinary diversity to a crop North America once produced in astonishing variety

MLB employees, including players, executives and stadium workers, are participating voluntarily and their results will be anonymous—so this research will not expedite the return of baseball season.

Major League Baseball Players Pitch In for a Major COVID-19 Study

Major League Baseball players and team employees to participate in 10,000-person COVID-19 study

"[W]e again have the collective opportunity to reduce usage of scarce items—both for the community at large and particularly for those on the frontline of this crisis," says curator Lora Vogt.

Cook These Quarantine-Friendly World War I Recipes

An online exhibition from the National WWI Museum and Memorial features recipes detailed in 1918 cookbook

Artist's conception of SN2016aps, a supernova that was brighter and released more energy than any other ever observed by astronomers.

Astronomers Spy Brightest Supernova Ever Seen

A star 100-times more massive than the sun exploded with 10-times more energy than a normal-sized supernova

Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau in Lampung erupted on April 10, 2020 sending a column of ash up to 1,640 feet high.

Indonesian Volcano 'Anak Krakatau' Fired Lava and Ash Into the Sky Last Weekend

This eruption is the longest since 2018 when the volcano caused a deadly tsunami

MoMA visitors walk around a sculpture by Barnett Newman titled Broken Obelisk.

The Museum of Modern Art Now Offers Free Online Classes

The nine classes span contemporary art, fashion and photography

A team of researchers has discovered carefully buried Iron Age chicken and hare bones that show no signs of butchery.

Hares and Chickens Were Revered as Gods—Not Food—in Ancient Britain

New research indicates that Iron Age Britons venerated brown hares and chickens long before modern Easter celebrations

An aerial view of extremely light traffic on Los Angeles' 10 and 110 freeway interchange. California researchers note steep decrease in seismic noise in recent weeks as people remain at home.

With Many Countries Under Shelter-in-Place Orders, the World Shakes a Little Less

Geoscientists noticed the normal rumbles of human activity picked up by their instruments have died down as much of the world ground to a halt

This illustration is an artist's interpretation of what a toothed pterosaur may have looked like 100 million years ago.

Four New Species of Prehistoric Flying Reptiles Unearthed in Morocco

These flying reptiles patrolled the African skies some 100 million years ago

A section of the Berlin Wall in Pankow, the neighborhood where a nearly 200-foot stretch of the historic structure was razed to make way for luxury condos

196-Foot Section of the Berlin Wall Demolished to Make Way for Condos

Angry historians say the stretch of concrete was one of the largest remaining sections of the inner wall

Sushi anyone?

This Parasitic Worm Is Thriving in Nature, but May Affect Your Sushi Dinner

The worms are 283-times more abundant than they were in the 1970s, which might be a sign of healthy marine ecosystems

From L to R: Ellis Marsalis Jr., Bucky Pizzarelli and Wallace Roney

COVID-19 Claims the Lives of Three Jazz Greats

Pianist and educator Ellis Marsalis Jr., trumpeter Wallace Roney, and guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli succumbed to complications caused by the novel coronavirus

Once fish were captured in watercourts, they were likely harvested with nets or speared.

In Ancient Florida, the Calusa Built an Empire Out of Shells and Fish

New research suggests the civilization used huge enclosures to trap and stockpile live fish to support its complex society

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