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Science

giant tortoise walks across green grass on a hillside with a wide valley and cloudy sky in the background.

Animals

Tortoises Return

March 6, 2026

Two hundred years ago, a species of giant tortoises roamed Floreana Island, part of Ecuador’s Galápagos island chain. In the mid-1800s, these tortoises were hunted to extinction. Now they’re back. In February, nearly 160 giant tortoises were released on Floreana…

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A deep-space image filled with thousands of stars and many galaxies, including two bright blue spiral galaxies near the center.

Space

Astronomy Alerts

March 5, 2026

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory takes pictures of the night sky (above). Now it’s alerting researchers worldwide of events and discoveries in space. The alert system was activated on February 24. Overnight, more than 800,000 alerts were sent. Scientists expect…

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A snow leopard rests on a rock, looking forward with its paws tucked under its chin.

Animals

Frozen Hope

March 4, 2026

There are 8 billion people on the planet. By 2050, there will be nearly 10 billion. For other species, the future is less certain. The Center for Biological Diversity says about 30% of known species could go extinct by 2050.…

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Content available on Your Hot Job A scientist wearing a bright orange jacket with a British Antarctic Survey patch stands outdoors in a snowy, icy landscape.

Careers

Polar Expert

February 23, 2026

Dorothea Moser is at home in the cold. “Snow has been something that I’ve always loved,” she told Your Hot Job. “I’ve skied, I’ve been in the mountains. I was born in November, so sometimes, there’s a bit of snow.”…

A young chimpanzee chews a green leaf in a forested area.

Animals

Playing Pretend

February 19, 2026

Bonobos, primates closely related to humans, are capable of pretend play. That’s according to a study done at Johns Hopkins University, in Maryland. The study was published in Science. A bonobo named Kanzi watched researchers add imaginary juice and grapes…

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Content available on Your Hot Job A smiling boy wearing a TIME for Kids badge stands beside a man who is holding open a wooden drawer filled with display cases in a storage cabinet.

Careers

Ant Expert

February 9, 2026

TFK Kid Reporter Dylan Patel is an ant enthusiast. He traveled to the California Academy of Sciences, in San Francisco, to speak with entomologist Brian Fisher. Here, Dylan shares what he learned about a career devoted to studying insects. Brian…

A black-and-white dog sits on a red couch surrounded by many stuffed animal toys.

Animals

Clever Canines

January 14, 2026

Lots of dogs understand simple words said directly to them, such as walk or treat. But a new study shows that some “gifted” dogs can learn other words by eavesdropping on humans. The study was published in Science on January…

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A bright pink-and-orange sea slug with long, wavy arms stretches out against a black background.

Animals

Stealing Stings

January 7, 2026

Thieves are lurking below the surface of the oceans. These thieves are colorful sea slugs called nudibranchs. They’re found in ocean waters all over the world. Sea slugs don’t have a shell. They aren’t spiny. So how do they stay…

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A scientist examines a long ice core in a field lab.

Earth Science

Ancient Ice

December 31, 2025

Imagine the Earth a million years ago. Was it warmer? Colder? Was the air different? To find out, a group of scientists took a peek back in time. But they didn’t use a time machine. They used ancient ice. The…

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Close-up of a fossil showing the textured pattern of dinosaur skin with a person’s hand resting nearby for scale.

Animals

Dinosaur Discovery

November 6, 2025

Paleontologists have discovered two rare, duck-billed dinosaur skeletons in Wyoming. The skeletons are about 66 million years old. In addition to bones, these remains feature dinosaur body parts. The researchers note “stunningly” preserved skin and spikes. The scientists are from…

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