Tom Metcalfe is a freelance journalist who is based in London. Metcalfe writes mainly about science, space, archaeology, Earth and the oceans. He has also written for Live Science, the BBC, NBC News, National Geographic, Air & Space and many others.
Fossil Footprints Suggest Two Early Human Species Crossed Paths within Hours
Two sets of fossilized footprints from early human species were made within a few hours of each other about 1.5 million years ago, researchers suggest
Epic Gravity Lens Lines Up Seven-Galaxy View
A galaxy cluster bends light from seven background galaxies around it, letting astronomers peer into space and time
Scientists Spy a ‘Dandelion’ Supernova around a ‘Zombie’ Star
A strange supernova remnant first appeared as a “guest star” seen in 1181 by sky watchers in China and Japan
Ice Age ‘Spa’ Kept Trees Alive in Freezing Conditions
Fossils from an ice age “spa” reveal a cluster of hot springs kept trees alive in the frozen Alps
Could Neanderthals Make Art?
Scientists are finding ever-earlier examples of artistic expression in the archaeological record that reshape what we know about the abilities of Neanderthals and other archaic humans
Why Do Dogs Wag Their Tail?
Is your dog’s tail-wagging a side effect of domestication, or did humans select for it?
The Roman Empire’s Worst Plagues Were Linked to Climate Change
Changes in the climate may have caused disruptions to Roman society that manifested as disease outbreaks, researchers have found
India’s Aditya-L1 Space Probe Heads for Gravitational ‘Island’
Aditya-L1 will join more than four active spacecraft at the first Lagrange point, a nearly stable region in the gravitational field between Earth and the sun
Primordial Helium May Be Leaking from Earth's Core
Helium gas may be seeping from Earth’s core, say scientists who found extremely high helium isotope ratios in lavas on Baffin Island
Ancient Footprints Affirm People Lived in the Americas More Than 20,000 Years Ago
A new study suggests humans arrived in the Americas before the height of the last ice age more than 20,000 years ago
Earliest Evidence of Wooden Construction Uncovered
Researchers say the discovery of the earliest known wooden construction expands their knowledge of the woodworking skills of early humans that existed before Homo sapiens
400-Year-Old ‘Vampire Child’ Was Buried with Their Foot Padlocked so They Wouldn’t Rise from the Grave
This child was buried 400 years ago in what is now Poland, face-down and with an iron padlock on their foot
Ruins of Emperor Nero’s Theater Discovered near Vatican
Archaeologists say the ornate ruins of Nero’s theater were found near the Vatican at a site earmarked for a luxury hotel
What Was the Manhattan Project?
The top-secret Manhattan Project resulted in the atomic bombs dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945
Giant ‘Gravity Hole’ in the Ocean May Be the Ghost of an Ancient Sea
A vast expanse of the Indian Ocean is a staggering 100 meters lower than the global average sea level because of a major dip in Earth’s gravity. Scientists now think they know the cause
Stone Engravings of Mysterious Ancient Megastructures May Be World’s Oldest ‘Blueprints’
Stone engravings of ancient megastructures called desert kites may be the earliest “blueprints” ever discovered
Deepest Fish Discovered More Than Five Miles below the Sea Surface
A small, bizarre-looking fish found more than five miles under the sea is considered the deepest fish ever recorded
Mystery Portrait May Be a Raphael, Artificial Intelligence Suggests
A mysterious portrait of the Virgin Mary and Jesus may have been painted by the master Raphael, facial recognition finds. But many art historians reject the claim
Legendary Shipwreck of Shackleton’s Endurance Discovered in Antarctic Waters
The discovery of the wreck is “a milestone in polar history,” says the director of the search for it
Surgeons Transplant Pig’s Heart into Dying Human Patient in a First
It was a last-ditch effort to save a Maryland man’s life
Melting Ice Reveals a “Lost” Viking-Era Pass in Norway’s Mountains
Artifacts show people used the route for 1,000 years—then abandoned it, possibly amid a plague
King Tut’s Dagger Is Out of This World
New study shows that meteorites rather than terrestrial ore were the sources of Bronze-Age iron
Diving Scientists Report Big Changes beneath Antarctic Ice Shelf
Climate change may be driving shifts in Antarctica’s sea life communities
"Last Shipwreck" from WW I Battle of Jutland Found Near Norway
A marine exploration team found the wreck, one of more than 250 warships that took part in the largest naval engagement of World War I