March 21, 2026: Our weekly roundup of the latest science in the news, as well as a few fascinating articles to keep you entertained over the weekend.

The African continent is splitting along a triple junction of rifts that converge in Afar, Ethiopia. A new ocean may take millions of years to form, but that is giving scientists ample time to glean important discoveries from one of the world’s most inhospitable regions.

More than 900 middle school girls from 28 schools attended the Women in STEM conference at South Dakota Mines on Tuesday.

Monte Verde, a Paleolithic archaeological site in the mountains of southern Chile, stands as one of the oldest human settlements in the Americas and is believed to be 14,500 years