A version of this story appears in the May 2025 issue of National Geographic magazine. Based in Syracuse, New York, National Geographic Explorer Amy Toensing photographed communities and paddlers ...

New research reveals that memories of fatty and sugary foods are encoded in the hippocampus, helping explain why some cravings feel impossible to resist. Cravings may feel impulsive, but new resea ...

They also can remain submerged for over 20 minutes. PHOTOGRAPH BY Paul Nicklen, National Geographic Image Collection By mid-December, as the Antarctic summer approaches, the chicks have started to ...

The prehistoric crocodile relative may have tolerated both freshwater and saltwater habitats, allowing it to conquer North American coasts in the Cretaceous. Paleontologists have been on the trail ...

Tight hip flexors, especially a deep muscle called the psoas, can silently stress your spine. Here's why this muscle deserves more attention—and how to strengthen it. Lower back pain is often ...

expanding their geographic and temporal diversity.” The fossil also tells a more detailed story of what the world looked like in the Cretaceous period. “We can imagine a more complex picture ...

Tulane University archaeologist and National Geographic Explorer Francisco Estrada-Belli, who was also not involved in the new study, says some scholars have proposed Tikal was ruled after this by ...

The King of Tooro Kingdom, Oyo Rukirabasaija Omukama Oyo Kabamba Iguru, embarked on a thrilling adventure, trekking mountain gorillas in Bwindi National Park. This expedition marked another ...

PHOTOGRAPH BY THOMAS PESCHAK, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC IMAGE COLLECTION Borboroglu worked quickly, assessing the condition of the colony and freeing one bird that was entangled in plastic, and began ...

A tent is pitched underneath the northern lights at Gates of the Arctic, the northernmost national park in the United States. This region of Alaska is among the best places on Earth for viewing ...

Scientists are closer than ever to deciphering sperm whale communication. Their breakthroughs could open the door to expanded whale rights and even legal personhood. A pod of sperm whales swims ...

A study of long-distance runners shows the brain’s remarkable ability to adapt—by burning its own fat. A marathon taxes more than just muscles—it pushes the brain to its metabolic limits ...