ADITHI RAMAKRISHNAN Science Writer, Author at The Rapid City Post

Can apes play pretend? Scientists use an imaginary tea party to find out

February 5, 2026

A new experiment hints that an ape may be able to play pretend like humans do. Scientists studied a bonobo named Kanzi who was raised in captivity and became a whiz at communicating with humans using graphic symbols. They found he was able to track the locations of imaginary juice poured into separate cups and could also tell the difference between real and imagined juice. But not all scientists are convinced that Kanzi is maintaining false pretenses like humans do. They say his abilities may be because of his special upbringing. The study was published Thursday in the journal Science.

Scientists recover the oldest wooden tools from a site in Greece

January 26, 2026

Scientists say two artifacts found at a lake shore in Greece are the oldest wooden tools uncovered so far. One is a spindly stick possibly used for digging and the other is a handheld chunk that may have been used to shape stone tools. They were found in Greece’s Megalopolis basin and date back 430,000 years. Scientists think early humans wielded tools made from stone, bone and wood. But it’s particularly difficult to find evidence of wooden tools today because wood rots so quickly. Information about the artifacts was published Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

This NASA image shows two massive galaxy clusters previously captured by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope and Chandra X-ray Observatory, with areas of possible dark matter in blue. (NASA via AP)

Mysterious dark matter may be better understood through a new map of far-off galaxies

January 26, 2026

A new high-resolution map of distant galaxies may help scientists understand the mysterious dark matter holding the universe together. For decades, researchers have hoped to demystify what’s known as dark matter: an invisible substance that comprises just over a quarter of our universe. Scientists can’t study it directly, but they can observe how it warps the star stuff around it. In the latest study, they charted hundreds of thousands of galaxies over 10 billion years, creating one of the most detailed maps to date. Scientists can study it to see how dark matter has clumped up over time. The study was published Monday in Nature Astronomy.

What to know about breast self-awareness and how it fits into cancer prevention

January 26, 2026

Breast self-awareness is a more flexible approach to preventing breast cancer that goes along with other essential screening measures. Two decades ago, doctors began recommending breast self-awareness as an alternative to self-exams — the monthly, methodical checks for changes to breast size or shape while applying pressure or lying down. Instead, they now suggest staying aware of how the breasts look and feel while going about daily life and reporting any changes to the doctor. It’s also important to maintain normal screening routines, including having mammograms yearly or every other year starting at age 40.

Mummified cheetahs found in Saudi caves shed light on lost populations

January 15, 2026

Scientists have uncovered mummified remains of cheetahs from caves in northern Saudi Arabia. The seven mummies range from 130 to over 1,800 years old. Mummification prevents decay by preserving dead bodies. Researchers aren’t sure how these new cats got mummified, but the caves’ dry conditions and stable temperature could have played a role. In a first for naturally mummified large cats, scientists also peeked at the cheetahs’ genes. That could help with future efforts to reintroduce the cats to places where they no longer live. The study was published Thursday in the journal Communications Earth and Environment.

Some gifted dogs can learn new toy names by eavesdropping on owners

January 8, 2026

A new study finds that some gifted dogs can learn the names of new toys by eavesdropping. It’s a skill that has only been observed in a few animals, like parrots and apes. Ten gifted dogs watched their owners hold a new toy and talk to another person about it. Then the pups were told to go to another room and retrieve that specific toy from a pile. Seven out of 10 succeeded. Only a select group of pooches is capable of this, and scientists aren’t yet sure what’s behind it. The new research was published Thursday in the journal Science.

FILE - The International Space Station is seen from the space shuttle Atlantis on July 19, 2011, after it left the orbiting complex. (NASA via AP, File)

NASA cancels spacewalk due to medical issue and may bring the crew back early

January 8, 2026

NASA says it has canceled the year’s first spacewalk and may bring its crew back early from the International Space Station due to a medical issue. The spacewalk was supposed to happen Thursday, but was postponed because of an unspecified medical concern with an astronaut, who was not identified. The space agency says the crew member is stable and is considering options including an early end to the mission. The latest crew has been on the space station since August after launching from Florida.

This 1825 etching provided by the Library of Congress shows an astronomical chart depicting Bootes the Ploughman holding a spear, a sickle, and two dogs, Asterion and Chara, on leashes, a quadrant, and the hair of Berenice forming the constellations. (Sidney Hall/Library of Congress via AP)

The year’s first meteor shower and supermoon clash in January skies

December 30, 2025

The year’s first supermoon and meteor shower will compete for dominance in January skies. The Quadrantid meteor shower peaks Friday night into Saturday morning, but fewer than 10 meteors will be visible per hour due to light from Saturday’s supermoon. To spot the Quadrantids, venture out in the early evening away from city lights and glimpse the fireballs before the moon crashes the party. Wait for your eyes to get used to the darkness, and don’t look at your phone. Saturday’s supermoon ends a four-month streak that started in October. There won’t be another until the end of 2026.

Want to read more in 2026? Here’s how to revive your love of books

December 22, 2025

It’s not too late to turn the page on old habits and start reading again in 2026. People often stop reading in adulthood because they’re fatigued from school book assignments or just don’t have the time. When picking a new book, ask friends, librarians and booksellers for recommendations. Think about favorite TV shows and movies and try to find books that are similar in genre. Set a regular reading routine of a few minutes or pages a day and keep phones and laptops out of sight. If a book feels particularly sluggish, it’s OK to put it down and start another.

This illustration provided by NASA in December 2025 depicts the aftermath of a collision between two massive space rocks orbiting the star Fomalhaut. (NASA, ESA, STScI, Ralf Crawford, Space Telescope Science Institute via AP)

Hubble Space Telescope spies dusty debris from two cosmic collisions

December 18, 2025

NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has gotten a rare peek at the aftermath of two cosmic collisions — and helped scientists solve a decades-old mystery. Many years ago, scientists saw a dense, bright spot near a young star and thought it could be a planet. After finding a second one, they realized it was actually the dusty debris from two cosmic crashes. Massive space rocks had slammed together to create clouds of dust that were thick enough to masquerade as planets. The new study was published Thursday in the journal Science.

FILE - People look up to the sky from an observatory near the village of Avren, Bulgaria, Aug. 12, 2009. (AP Photo/Petar Petrov, File)

Catch the Ursid meteor shower as it peaks just before Christmas

December 18, 2025

The Ursid meteor shower is bringing fiery streaks to nighttime and early morning skies. The Ursids peak on Sunday night into Monday morning and will be visible through Dec. 26. This shower is more subdued compared to others earlier this year, but experts say it’s still worth a glimpse. The American Meteor Society says skygazers can expect to see five to 10 meteors per hour during the peak and there’s a possibility for outbursts of up to 25 meteors per hour. Meteor showers appear when fast-moving space rocks enter Earth’s atmosphere and burn up, leaving behind fiery tails.

FILE - A meteor streaks over an Orthodox church during the annual Geminid meteor shower near the village of Zagorie, some 110 kms. (69 miles) west of Minsk, Belarus, Dec. 13, 2017. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits, File)

How to watch one of the year’s best meteor showers, the Geminids

December 9, 2025

It’s time for the Geminid meteor shower, one of the strongest of the year. The Geminids peak this weekend and are visible through mid-December. The fireballs tend to be yellow in color and can be seen across the globe, but the best viewing happens in the Northern Hemisphere. Meteor showers appear when fast-moving space rocks enter Earth’s atmosphere and burn up, leaving behind fiery tails. To enjoy the show, venture away from city lights and avoid looking at your phone. The meteors will appear as tiny glows streaking across the sky.

A UPS Boeing 747 inbound from Anchorage, Alaska, passes in front of the supermoon as it approaches Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry)

How to watch the last supermoon of the year

December 1, 2025

The last supermoon of the year will soon shine in December skies. When a full moon is closer to Earth in its orbit, a so-called supermoon happens. It makes the moon look up to 14% bigger and 30% brighter than the faintest moon of the year. Thursday night’s supermoon is the last of three in a row this year. It can be glimpsed in clear night skies without any special equipment. But it can be tough to discern the subtle change with the naked eye. Supermoons happen a few times a year.

FILE - National Institute of Health researchers test patient samples in Bethesda, Md., on Nov. 20, 2019. (AP Photo/Federica Narancio, File)

NIH funding cuts have affected over 74,000 people enrolled in experiments, a new report says

November 17, 2025

A new report finds over 74,000 people enrolled in experiments have been affected by the National Institutes of Health’s funding cuts. Between the end of February and mid-August, funding lapsed for 383 studies that were testing treatments for conditions like cancer, heart disease and brain disease. Some studies were still in progress when the funding was axed, meaning that patients could have lost access to medication or been left with an unmonitored device implant. The NIH has cut an estimated $12 billion in research projects under the Trump administration. The new study was published Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine.

A reusable water bottle is washed in New York on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Patrick Sison)

Yes, you do need to clean your water bottle. Here’s why and how

November 8, 2025

Reusable bottles get grubby no matter what liquid they’re filled with, so it’s important to clean them regularly. Water bottles pick up germs from our mouths when we take a sip, and from our hands when we touch the straw or lid. Experts disagree on when and how you should wash them, but they’re all in agreement on one thing: something is better than nothing at all. The simplest cleaning routine is a daily soapy water scrub, using a thin brush to get into straws and tight crannies. For a deeper clean, try the dishwasher if your bottle can handle it, or dissolve a denture or retainer-cleaning tablet in it overnight.

Northern lights may be visible in parts of the US due to solar storms

November 6, 2025

Space forecasters say solar storms may bring colorful auroras to several northern U.S. states. The sun burped out a huge burst of energy called a coronal mass ejection that’s currently on its way to Earth. Once it gets here, it could cause colorful light displays Thursday night, though that depends on the timing and orientation of its arrival. Authorities are monitoring the situation, but do not anticipate major disruptions to radio or communications. The sun is at the maximum phase of its 11-year activity cycle, making the light displays more common and widespread.

Scientists spot the brightest flare yet from a supermassive black hole

November 4, 2025

Scientists have spotted the brightest flare yet from a black hole. It was first spotted in 2018 by a camera at the Palomar Observatory in California. The cosmic outburst likely happened because a large star wandered too close to the black hole and got shredded to pieces. It took about three months to shine at peak brightness, about the light of 10 trillion suns. Almost every large galaxy, including our Milky Way, has a supermassive black hole at its center. Studying such behemoths can help researchers understand the stellar neighborhood surrounding them. The research was published Tuesday in the journal Nature Astronomy.

A bird flies in front of the Harvest Supermoon in San Francisco, Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

How to spot November’s supermoon, the closest of the year

November 1, 2025

The closest supermoon of the year is approaching in November. It happens when a full moon is closer to Earth in its orbit, making it appear slightly bigger and brighter. Wednesday’s event is the second of three supermoons this year and also the closest. The moon will come within just under 222,000 miles of Earth. The change in the moon’s size can be tough to discern with the naked eye. Supermoons happen a few times a year. A supermoon in October made the moon look somewhat larger. The last supermoon of the year will rise in December.

Young T. rex or a new dinosaur? New bones add to the debate

October 30, 2025

Scientists say there’s new evidence that settles the origins of a mysterious dinosaur excavated in the 1940s. Researchers have long debated whether a dinosaur skull found in Montana decades ago was a young T. rex or another type of dinosaur. A research team studied a new complete skeleton from Montana and claim it identifies the mystery reptile as an adult and a new species. Not all scientists are convinced, and some say the other mystery skeletons could belong to a younger T. rex. The research was published Thursday in the journal Nature.

Rare dinosaur mummies help scientists recreate their prehistoric lives

October 23, 2025

Researchers have unearthed a spooky pair of dinosaur mummies that seem to have been preserved in an unexpected way. Mummified dinosaurs are so old that their skin and soft tissues fossilize. Scientists found new remains at a Wyoming site, including a rare young duck-billed dinosaur mummy that was only several years old. The dinosaur mummies left impressions of their skin and scales on a thin layer of clay that formed with help from microbes. This style of mummification has preserved other organisms before, but scientists didn’t think it could happen on land. The study was published Thursday in the journal Science.

2 green comets shine bright. How to spot them in the night sky

October 16, 2025

Two bright green comets are streaming through the skies and are visible to skygazers in the Northern Hemisphere. Both hail from the outer edges of our solar system. Comet Lemmon will have its closest brush with Earth on or around Tuesday. To spot the pair, go outside just after sunset and look north for Comet Lemmon close to the horizon. Comet SWAN is traveling away from the sun and will also be near the horizon, but to the southwest. The comets appear green because of gases streaming off their surfaces. From Earth, they’ll look like gray, fuzzy patches.

FILE - The full moon rises in the over a beer sign in the outfield at Kauffman Stadium during a baseball game between the Kansas City Royals and the Detroit Tigers, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)

The first supermoon of the year is approaching. Here’s what to know

October 4, 2025

The first supermoon of the year is almost here. The moon will appear slightly larger and brighter on Monday. It’s the first of three supermoons this year. This happens when the full moon is closer to Earth in its orbit. Supermoons occur a few times a year. They’ve visible without special equipment if clear skies permit. But the difference can be tough to discern, especially if people haven’t observed the regular moon on the nights leading up. The closest supermoon of the year is slated for November, followed by another in December.

Scientists find ancient life-size animal rock carvings in the Saudi Arabian desert

September 30, 2025

Researchers have discovered life-size rock carvings of camels, gazelles and other animals in Saudi Arabia. The carvings date back around 12,000 years and many are over 6 feet tall. Scientists say they were created using a wedge-shaped rock to make sharp lines. Scientists weren’t sure if humans lived in the desert during this time period since conditions were dry and water was scarce. The art and tools show that people lived in the area about 2,000 years earlier than previously thought, though it’s not yet clear how they survived. The findings were published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications.

Scientists find marine life thriving on World War II explosives in the Baltic Sea

September 25, 2025

An undersea submersible has spotted crabs, worms and fish thriving on the surfaces of World War II explosives thought to be toxic to marine life. Scientists found more creatures living on top of warheads than in the surrounding seabed at a former weapons dump site in the Baltic Sea. Researchers filmed networks of anemones, starfish and other underwater life in the Bay of Lübeck off the coast of Germany. The study was published Thursday in the journal Communications Earth and Environment. It’s the latest example of wildlife flourishing in polluted sites. Scientists hope to calculate how much contamination was absorbed by sea life.

Scientists discover a new dinosaur from Argentina with a crocodile bone in its mouth

September 23, 2025

Scientists have discovered a new dinosaur from Argentina that may have used its long arms and claws to capture prey. The new find was possibly 23 feet long and hailed from a mysterious group of dinosaurs called megaraptorans. Most of the fossils of the predator are fragments. In a new study, researchers say they uncovered part of a skull as well as arm, leg and tail bones from a rock formation in Argentina. The discovery could help scientists understand how these creatures fed and where they fall on the evolutionary timeline. The research was published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications.

FILE - David Brenneman, director of collections and exhibitions at the High Museum, talks about Jackson Pollock's painting "Number 1A" on display as part of an exhibit in Atlanta, on Thursday, Oct. 6, 2011. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)

Scientists identify a mystery color in one of Jackson Pollock’s paintings

September 15, 2025

Scientists have identified the origins of the blue color in one of Jackson Pollock’s paintings with a little help from chemistry. In the painting called “Number 1A, 1948,” scientists had previously characterized the reds and yellows splattered across the canvas, but the source of the rich turquoise proved elusive. In a new study, researchers took scrapings of the blue paint and used lasers to measure how its molecules vibrated. They pinpointed it as manganese blue. It’s the first confirmed evidence of Pollock using this specific shade. The research was published Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The oldest mummies in the world may hail from southeastern Asia and date back 12,000 years

September 15, 2025

Scientists have discovered what’s thought to be the oldest mummies in the world in southeastern Asia. Mummification prevents decay by preserving dead bodies. Some of the oldest mummies were prepared by a fishing people called the Chinchorro about 7,000 years ago. A new study released Monday pushes that timeline back, uncovering smoke-dried mummies dating back to 12,000 years ago across China and Vietnam. Even today, Indigenous communities in Australia and the Papua New Guinea smoke-dry and mummify their dead. The study was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

This is an image provided by NASA shows the planet Uranus, taken by the spacecraft Voyager 2 in 1986. (NASA via AP)

NASA’s Webb telescope finds a new tiny moon around Uranus

August 19, 2025

The Webb Space Telescope has spotted a new tiny moon orbiting Uranus. NASA announced the discovery on Tuesday. The moon appears to be just six miles wide. It was spotted by the telescope’s near-infrared camera during observations in February. Scientists think it hid for so long because of its faintness and small size. Uranus has 28 known moons that are named after characters from Shakespeare and Alexander Pope. About half are smaller and orbit the planet at closer range. This newest addition, still nameless, ups the planet’s total moon count to 29.

FILE - A girl looks through a telescope in Caracas, Venezuela, on Sunday, May 15, 2022. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix, File)

Six planets are hanging out in early morning skies this month. Here’s how to spot them

August 14, 2025

Six planets are hanging out in the sky this month. It’s what’s known as a planetary parade and it’s the last one of the year. These fairly common linkups happen when several planets appear to line up in the night sky at once. Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and a faint Mercury are visible this month to the naked eye, and the best chances to spot them are over the next week. Uranus and Neptune can only be glimpsed through binoculars and telescopes. To spot the planets, go out on a clear morning shortly before sunrise and look east.

The headquarters of the National Science Foundation is photographed May 29, 2025, in Alexandria, Va. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Judge allows the National Science Foundation to withhold hundreds of millions of research dollars

August 1, 2025

The National Science Foundation can continue to withhold hundreds of millions of dollars from researchers in several states until litigation aimed at restoring it plays out. A federal judge on Friday declined to grant a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit filed by sixteen Democrat-led states. In April, the NSF announced a new set of priorities and began axing hundreds of grants for research focused on things like misinformation and diversity, equity and inclusion. A lawyer for the NSF said at the hearing that the agency has the authority to fund whatever research it deems necessary.

This image provided by the NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory shows 678 separate images taken by the observatory in just over seven hours of observing time. Combining many images in this way clearly reveals otherwise faint or invisible details, such as the clouds of gas and dust that comprise the Trifid nebula (top right) and the Lagoon nebula, which are several thousand light-years away from Earth. (NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory via AP)

The largest digital camera ever built has released its first shots of the universe

June 23, 2025

The largest digital camera ever built has released its first shots of the universe. The Vera C. Rubin Observatory, located on a mountaintop in Chile, unveiled vibrant images Monday of colorful nebulas, stars and galaxies. Funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and Department of Energy, the observatory will survey the southern sky for the next 10 years. The observatory hopes to track 20 billion galaxies and discover new asteroids and other celestial objects. The effort is named after astronomer Vera Rubin, who offered the first tantalizing evidence of a mysterious force called dark matter.

What is Fusarium graminearum, the fungus US authorities say was smuggled in from China?

June 4, 2025

Federal prosecutors have charged two Chinese researchers with smuggling a crop-killing fungus into the U.S. last summer. The charges against Yunqing Jian and Zunyong Liu come amid heightened political tensions between the two countries. They are accused of trying to smuggle in the fungus Fusarium graminearum, which causes a disease called Fusarium head blight that can wipe out crops such as wheat, barley and maize and rice. It’s unclear why someone would want to smuggle the fungus because it is already found throughout the Upper Midwest and parts of the Eastern U.S. The Department of Agriculture says it causes more than $1 billion in U.S. crop losses annually.

A long-running experiment finds a tiny particle is still acting weird

June 3, 2025

Final results from a long-running U.S.-based experiment show a tiny particle continues to act strangely — but that’s still good news for the laws of physics as we know them. The mysterious particles called muons wobble like a top when inside a magnetic field. Previous experiments found the muons were behaving strangely, which didn’t fit well with the foundational rulebook of physics. New data adds fuel to that fire, but scientists have found a way to make the findings agree with the Standard Model of Physics. Results were announced Tuesday and were submitted to the journal Physical Review Letters.

FILE - An aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, is seen in the night sky over the Tallinn bay of the Baltic sea in Tallinn, Estonia, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits, file)

Northern lights could be visible again in some US states after weekend solar storms

June 2, 2025

Space weather forecasters say northern lights may be visible in parts of the northern United States following weekend solar storms. The sun burped out another burst of energy Monday that’s headed to Earth. Colorful auroras could be visible in Alaska, Washington, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Maine and parts of Idaho, Wyoming, Iowa, New York, Vermont and New Hampshire. The sun is at the maximum phase of its 11-year activity cycle, making auroras more common and widespread. Last year, the strongest geomagnetic storm in two decades slammed Earth, producing light displays across the Northern Hemisphere.

Ancient DNA reveals a new group of people who lived near land bridge between the Americas

May 28, 2025

Scientists have identified a new pod of ancient people who lived near the land bridge between North America and South America. Discovered through ancient DNA, the group lived 6,000 years ago in the high plateaus of present-day Bogotá, Colombia. Scientists aren’t sure exactly where they fall in the family tree because they’re not closely related to ancient Native Americans in North America. They’re also not linked to ancient or present-day South Americans. They faded away 2,000 years ago and scientists aren’t sure why. The new study was published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances.

Scientists date the oldest known tools made from whale bones to 20,000 years ago

May 27, 2025

Scientists have pinpointed the oldest known evidence of humans making tools from whale bone. The bones, fashioned into narrow projectiles for hunting reindeer or bison, had been uncovered in excavations dating back over a century in the Bay of Biscay near Spain and France. Technological advancements in the past decade have now made it possible to date the oldest of the tools to about 20,000 years ago. The instruments indicate that ancient humans in the area took advantage of resources near the sea for survival. The research was published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications.

ADITHI RAMAKRISHNAN Science Writer.