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- A Planet 11 Times Bigger Than Jupiter Is Challenging What We Thought About Planet Formation
New observations of the giant exoplanet Beta Pictoris b are challenging assumptions about how and where massive planets form. New observations of Beta Pictoris b, a massive planet orbiting a young star, are challenging a method astronomers hoped could reveal where giant planets form. More precise measurements of the planet’s atmosphere have overturned an earlier
- A Common Plastic Could Solve a Major Problem With Living on the Moon
The same plastic that keeps marathon runners warm could help future moon bases withstand extreme temperatures and years of rough treatment. Engineers at the University of Pennsylvania have developed an insulating material by stacking hundreds of thin sheets of Mylar. In laboratory tests, the stacks combined effective insulation in a vacuum with flexibility and resistance
- Brick Kilns Became Cleaner and More Profitable, but Workers Saw No Benefits
Bangladesh’s brick kilns found a way to pollute less and earn more, but workers saw no measurable improvement in their pay or working conditions. Simple adjustments to how coal is fed and bricks are stacked helped traditional kilns burn less fuel, release less pollution, and produce better bricks. Yet a companion study found no measurable
- Antarctica’s Melting Ice Has Triggered a Sudden Shift Deep in the Ocean
Ocean measurements show a vast Southern Hemisphere water layer growing saltier and denser, a shift that could send more heat into deep waters than climate models predict. Every Antarctic summer, melting sea ice sends a vast pulse of fresh water into the ocean. That seasonal supply helps sustain Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW), a layer of
- NASA Warns a Monster El Niño Could Surpass the Historic 1997 Event
An El Niño that could beat 1997’s record is taking shape in the Pacific, leaving scientists watching for its next move. El Niño is part of a natural climate pattern that returns roughly every two to seven years. Its most recent very strong events, in 1997–98 and 2015–16, disrupted weather worldwide. Consequences included fires in
- Researchers Discover New Lace Bug Species on Japan’s Remote Ogasawara Islands
DNA uncovered a hidden species among Japan’s lace bugs and hints that a tree introduced by humans could help give rise to another. Lace bugs living on two groups of Japan’s remote Ogasawara Islands had been classified as a single species, despite differences in their diets and coloring. Comparisons of their DNA have now revealed
- How a Single Missing Atom Can Leave a Secret Fingerprint in Laser Light
Researchers have uncovered subtle optical signatures that could help distinguish atomic defects in a promising quantum material. An atomic defect too small to see could leave a recognizable signature in laser light, giving scientists a new way to identify structures that may be useful for quantum technology. Researchers at the University at Buffalo have predicted
- “This Should Not Happen”: Scientists Discover a Strange New Way To Control Atoms
A new technique allows researchers to manipulate magnetism deep within a single atom. Scientists have used radio waves to control the magnetic spin of a single atomic nucleus, achieving a result that challenges their understanding of how atomic magnetism works. The experiment, conducted at Delft University of Technology and published in Nature Communications, demonstrates that
- A Hidden Cancer-Killing Mechanism Could Change the Future of Immunotherapy
An immune protein called perforin can turn iron against cancer cells in laboratory experiments, suggesting a possible route to more effective immunotherapy. The immune system can attack cancer cells by punching holes in their outer membranes and sending in enzymes that kill them. Research led by the University of Michigan Health Rogel Cancer Center shows
- Massive Study of 2.8 Million People Reveals New Secrets of Alzheimer’s Disease
A genetic analysis of 2.8 million people points to specific brain cells that may influence Alzheimer’s, offering researchers new leads to investigate in the search for treatments. Alzheimer’s disease is the leading cause of dementia, which is projected to affect more than 150 million people worldwide by 2050. Genes play a substantial role in Alzheimer’s
- An Ancient Virus May Hold the Secret to What Makes the Human Brain Different
Could a virus that infected chimpanzees millions of years ago help explain how the human brain became different? Researchers at Lund University have discovered that ancient viral DNA embedded in the chimpanzee genome silences a gene involved in early human brain development. Their study, published in Science Advances, found that the gene, LINC00662, remains active
- James Webb Discovers a Nearly Pristine Galaxy From the Dawn of the Universe
A galaxy seen 13 billion years ago has just 1/240th the Sun’s oxygen abundance, offering a rare glimpse of what the ancestors of the Milky Way’s faintest neighbors may have looked like. Some of the faintest galaxies near the Milky Way may be survivors from the earliest chapters of cosmic history. Their ancient stars preserve
- Something Unusual Is Swirling around the Monster Black Hole at the Center of Our Galaxy
Webb’s measurements of metal-rich gas offer clues to the processes that fuel our galaxy’s supermassive black hole, which consumes material more slowly than others. The gas circling the Milky Way’s central black hole is rich in metals, probably supplied by stars that exploded and released material into its surroundings over time. Researchers at McGill University’s
- Scientists Discover a Strange Form of Iron on the Moon That Shouldn’t Be There
Scientists examining lunar soil collected by China’s Chang’e-6 mission have discovered an unexpected form of iron preserved within microscopic impact glass. Tiny particles of iron trapped inside lunar glass may preserve evidence of the Moon’s ancient magnetic history. Scientists studying soil returned by China’s Chang’e-6 mission have identified face-centered cubic γ-Fe, an unusual form of
- High-Tech Drones Reveal Long-Hidden Aboriginal Rock Art Shelters in Australia
Drone-mounted lasers helped locate three unregistered Aboriginal rock art shelters in Australia, offering communities another way to document and protect their cultural heritage for future generations. In Australia’s Blue Mountains, rugged terrain and dense bushland make searching for Aboriginal cultural sites slow, difficult, and expensive. More than 200 rock shelters containing cultural and archaeological evidence
- How Archaeologists Risked Their Lives To Save 30,000 Ancient Treasures From ISIS
Syrian archaeologists rescued roughly 30,000 artifacts from a museum threatened by ISIS, highlighting how protecting human history can depend on trust built before a crisis. A narrow, highly vulnerable corridor was the Deir ez-Zor Museum’s only connection to the military airport. Access to the Syrian city was severely restricted, and the Islamic State of Iraq
- A 4,000-Year-Old DNA Mystery Is Rewriting the Origins of the English Language
Ancient DNA is uncovering forgotten migrations that may have shaped the origins of English, German, and Celtic languages, challenging what researchers thought they knew about Europe’s linguistic history. How can researchers trace a language back thousands of years when no one knows exactly what its earliest speakers sounded like? Although DNA cannot reveal the words
- Dinosaurs May Have Eaten Far More Fruit Than Scientists Ever Thought
An exceptionally preserved 74-million-year-old forest in New Mexico is revealing unexpected details about ancient plant life. Dinosaurs may have been eating a much wider variety of fruits than scientists once believed. Fossils from a 74-million-year-old forest in New Mexico show that some flowering plants were already producing surprisingly large fruits millions of years before the
- A New Iron Age? Scientists Uncover a Potential Game Changer for Clean Energy
Scientists are exploring how iron powder could transform renewable energy storage and transportation while giving aging coal power plants a new purpose. Iron powder could help transform old coal power plants into a source of climate-neutral electricity, according to a new study from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). Researchers found that this recyclable fuel
- Is Einstein Wrong? Deep-Sea Neutrinos Put the Laws of Physics to the Test
Scientists are testing whether one of Einstein’s most fundamental principles holds true throughout the Universe. A neutrino telescope deep in the Mediterranean Sea has put one of Einstein’s fundamental principles to a new test. After analyzing 5,828 atmospheric neutrino candidate events, scientists found no evidence that Lorentz invariance, a cornerstone of relativity, had been violated.
- Scientists Discover a Hidden Weakness in Prostate Cancer That Could Transform Treatment
A newly identified vulnerability in a cancer-driving protein could pave the way for a different approach to treating prostate cancer. Researchers at the University of Michigan have identified a potential way to target a protein that helps drive prostate cancer but has long been considered beyond the reach of drugs. Their experimental compound, PBITE-1, interfered
- A New Approach Could Eliminate “Zombie” Cancer Cells That Survive Chemotherapy
Some cancer cells survive chemotherapy by blocking their own self-destruct system, but researchers have found a way to switch it back on and kill those cells. Chemotherapy can leave behind cancer cells that have stopped dividing but remain alive and capable of helping a tumor recover. These survivors can draw support from an unexpected source,
- Hidden Brain Signals Could Predict Alzheimer’s Years Before Symptoms Appear
Subtle differences in brain activity may reveal who is most vulnerable to Alzheimer’s disease and who could remain mentally sharp well into old age. Distinct patterns of brain activity may predict Alzheimer’s disease years before memory problems or hallmark brain changes appear. Stanford Medicine researchers have developed a scoring system that identifies people at greater
- Smithsonian Scientists Built a Virtual Universe 1.5 Billion Light-Years Across
Scientists have recreated the universe’s first 2 billion years in a record-breaking simulation that could reveal new secrets about the Big Bang and the birth of galaxies. Scientists have recreated the universe’s first 2 billion years in extraordinary detail using one of the world’s most powerful supercomputers. The enormous simulation, called “Lumina,” allows researchers to
- A Monster Solar Storm Turned a Protected Region Around Earth Into a Particle Accelerator
A solar superstorm appears to have turned a normally sheltered region near Earth into a natural particle accelerator, boosting electrons to energies capable of penetrating some satellite shielding. Protecting spacecraft from radiation means understanding where hazardous particles can appear, especially during severe solar storms. Near Earth, an invisible boundary was thought to keep exceptionally energetic
- The Solar System May Have a 6th Dwarf Planet – and It’s Been Hiding in Plain Sight
A newly discovered dwarf planet candidate has a trail stretching back more than a decade in telescope images, giving astronomers a head start in understanding its orbit. 2026 ED138 could become the solar system’s sixth officially recognized dwarf planet. The newly discovered icy body orbits beyond Pluto, and early measurements suggest it is among the
- New Research Identifies the Hidden Rules That Help Brain Cancer Evade Treatment
Scientists have discovered hidden rules governing how glioblastoma cells change states and resist treatment. Glioblastoma is one of the deadliest brain cancers, partly because its cells can change identities to survive treatment. Now, two studies published in Nature reveal that these changes follow predictable patterns, potentially offering new ways to make the tumors less aggressive.
- New Study Challenges Long-Held Fears About Exercise and Knee Damage
Recovering from ACL reconstruction doesn’t always mean the end of knee problems, with many young adults facing persistent pain and an increased risk of early-onset osteoarthritis. ACL reconstruction does not always restore long-term knee health. About half of patients remain dissatisfied with their knees two years after surgery, and roughly half develop early-onset osteoarthritis within
- Smiling Isn’t Always Good for You, Scientists Discover
A new study reveals that smiling can sometimes backfire, challenging long-held assumptions about facial expressions and happiness. Smiling might make you feel happier, but doing it repeatedly under pressure can have the opposite effect. New psychological research suggests that the emotional benefits of smiling depend on how often people do it, whether they feel compelled
- Scientists Discover Greenland’s Ice Sheet Once Retreated 60 Miles
Sediment beneath a secret Cold War base reveals a time when warmer summers helped push Greenland’s ice more than 60 miles back from its current edge. About 416,000 years ago, the ground beneath Greenland’s Camp Century was exposed to the sky. A new University at Buffalo-led study estimates that summers there were 4.7 degrees Celsius
- Researchers Recover DNA from 7,000-Year-Old Leather, Revealing a Link to Goats Alive Today
Ancient DNA recovered from a remarkably preserved piece of 7,000-year-old leather is shedding new light on how prehistoric communities in Spain used domesticated animals. A 7,000-year-old piece of goat leather discovered in a Spanish burial cave has yielded ancient DNA, allowing scientists to trace a genetic connection between prehistoric livestock and goats living in Spain
- Scientists Discover Climate Change May Have Stopped Earth’s Next Ice Age
A new glacial period may have been taking shape in the Arctic until global warming brought its slow advance to a halt. An ice cap in northern Canada began expanding about 2,000 years ago, according to research published in Science. The researchers argue that this growth marked the beginning of Earth’s next glacial period.
- Strange Materials Make Waves Behave in Ways That Defy Expectations
Researchers have uncovered an unusual wave phenomenon that links engineered materials to principles found in ocean physics. Waves bouncing around an irregularly shaped space typically follow increasingly unpredictable paths. Scientists have now shown that certain materials can produce the opposite effect, guiding waves into stable, repeating patterns instead of chaotic trajectories. Researchers at the Advanced
- Quantum Discovery Reveals Why More Powerful Lasers Can Actually Slow Atoms Down
Researchers have uncovered an unexpected way to control the movement of atomic layers in quantum materials. Scientists have discovered that two carefully timed laser pulses can move atomic layers in a quantum material more effectively than a single, more powerful pulse. Published in Nature Physics, the research shows that increasing light intensity can actually limit
- Einstein Was Right Again: Scientists Discover Chemical Bonds That Defy Textbook Rules
Scientists have uncovered direct evidence that Einstein’s theory of relativity changes how atoms form triple chemical bonds in heavy elements. A fundamental rule of chemical bonding begins to break down when atoms become sufficiently heavy. Chemists at Brown University have found direct experimental evidence that Einstein’s theory of relativity changes the structure of triple bonds,