It was a literal lightning strike that took humanity from four legs to two, according to a new theory. Proto-humans’ decision to start walking on two legs is what took us from living in the trees to ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Cosmic rays may play a role ...

Scientists appear to have found the final puzzle pieces to unravel the mystery behind how lightning strikes occur. Around the world, every day, roughly three and a half million bolts of lightning ...

Analysis of data from a lightning mapper and a small, hand-held radiation detector has unexpectedly shed light on what a gamma-ray burst from lightning might look like—by observing neutrons generated ...

Researchers from Los Alamos National Laboratory have discovered that cosmic-ray showers seem to play a pivotal role in triggering lightning flashes. The research is published in the journal JGR ...

While the conditions needed to produce lightning have been well known for some time, exactly how it forms isn't well undestood by scientists. A new study points to cosmic origins. Thunderstorms have ...

IN order to explain the curious behaviour of lightning flashes the possibility should be kept in mind of a connexion between a lightning discharge and the cosmic rays. When penetrating particles from ...

Cosmic rays may offer an out-of-this-world answer to a long-standing mystery about lightning on Earth, a new study suggests. Thunderstorms are exceedingly common; a staggering 3 million lightning ...

Get exclusive reporting, live Q&As and ad-free reading. LiveScience All lightning on Earth may have its roots in space, new research suggests. Lightning flashes on Earth about 100 times per second, ...