The way that Earth’s first animals reproduced held back life’s diversity for millions of years, until stress and competition led to the development of sexual reproduction, which in turn accelerated the pace of evolution.

A new study from Shinshu University, Japan, proposes that underground methane released after the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake may have contributed to the devastating Wajima fire nearly an hour after the mainshock. The research introduces the “delayed seismic champagne effect,” a newly proposed geohazard mechanism in which earthquake shaking triggers gas bubble formation, migration, and explosive release underground. The findings could provide new perspectives for earthquake evacuation planning and disaster prevention.

A recent study in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior (JNEB), published by Elsevier, examined how the cost of the USDA’s Thrifty Food Plan (TFP), which serves as the basis for determining maximum SNAP benefits, varied across geographic regions, metropolitan areas, and seasons from 2012 to 2018. Researchers found that where a household is located plays a much larger role in the cost of a healthy diet than year-to-year inflation.

SAN ANTONIO — June 8, 2026 — Southwest Research Institute scientists modeled the early impact history of Earth, seeking insight into potential origins of life. These models show that asteroid impacts on the early Earth plowed up surfaces and generated hydrothermal systems, environments where life could have evolved.

Researchers discover that tiny atmospheric particles can have opposite effects on Earth's climate depending on how quickly the atmosphere responds. Why it matters: Aerosols are one of the largest sources of uncertainty in climate projections. This study shows that their impact can change over time, initially warming the atmosphere before later cooling it. The findings could help scientists improve climate models and make more accurate predictions of future climate change.

Scientists have shed light on a thermal process in magma that may help explain why similar volcanic systems can produce very different eruptive behaviours.