Dino Wire Bot

The debate could reopen in 2030 when NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft gets the closest view of the icy moon’s surface.

A mathematician found the most efficient way to fold paper into a doughnutlike shape.

A sea slug smaller than a sesame seed has turned up in Taiwan’s coastal waters — and it’s so tiny and unusual that scientists realized they had discovered a completely new species. Named Thecacera sesama after its black-and-yellow “sesame-like” appearance, the translucent nudibranch was first spotte…

Scientists uncovered evidence that human blood cells may trace their origins back to single-celled ancestors that lived 700 million years ago. By rebuilding the evolutionary family tree of blood cells, the team revealed how today’s immune system grew from some of Earth’s earliest life forms.

A casual walk through an Ithaca cemetery led to the discovery of a gigantic hidden bee population — roughly 5.5 million ground-nesting bees packed beneath the soil. Scientists believe it may be one of the largest bee aggregations ever documented and say the insects are crucial pollinators for apple orchards and other crops. The bees have likely lived there for more than 100 years, thriving in the cemetery’s undisturbed sandy soil.

For more than a century, pianists and music teachers have argued over whether a performer’s touch can actually change the tone color of a piano note — and now scientists say the answer is yes. Using a cutting-edge sensor system that tracked piano key movements at 1,000 frames per second, researchers…

Tiny birds on remote Scottish islands are undergoing a dramatic evolutionary transformation. Scientists studying four isolated populations of British Wrens discovered that some island birds have grown astonishingly large — with the biggest St Kilda Wrens weighing more than twice as much as the smallest mainland birds. The research suggests these wrens are evolving independently, developing unique songs, appearances, and genetics that may eventually turn them into entirely new species.

Feeling constantly drained might not just be about poor sleep or working too hard. Researchers in Japan found that low levels of key vitamins — especially vitamin B12 and folate — may quietly contribute to fatigue and lack of motivation, even in otherwise healthy people.

Scientists have solved the mystery of the Seychelles’ vanished crocodiles using DNA from historic museum specimens. The reptiles were not a unique species after all, but an isolated population of saltwater crocodiles that likely drifted thousands of kilometers across the Indian Ocean.

CBD may be doing far more than just easing pain or anxiety — new research suggests it could help fight Alzheimer’s disease by calming the brain’s runaway immune response. In experiments using Alzheimer’s mice, scientists found that inhaled CBD reduced key drivers of neuroinflammation, a damaging process increasingly linked to memory loss and brain degeneration.

A specially formulated tomato-soy juice packed with natural plant compounds may help calm inflammation linked to obesity, according to a new clinical study. Healthy adults with obesity who drank the juice daily for four weeks saw significant reductions in several key inflammatory proteins in their b…

Scientists discovered that sleep deprivation damages a key brain circuit responsible for social memory, making it harder to recognize familiar individuals. In laboratory studies, caffeine restored communication between neurons in this pathway and reversed the memory deficits caused by lost sleep. Th…

New DNA evidence shows that Europe’s hunter-gatherers and early farmers interacted far more closely than previously thought, with women likely playing a crucial role in spreading farming across northwestern Europe. Centuries later, the arrival of Bell Beaker migrants triggered another sweeping popul…

A newly discovered raptor-like dinosaur from Patagonia is changing how scientists think about ancient predators. Named Kank australis, the 70-million-year-old dinosaur appears to have hunted fish much like modern herons, using a long, flexible neck and specialized vertebrae adapted for swift, precis…

Scientists have discovered Labrujasuchus expectatus, a bizarre crocodile relative that looked more like an ostrich-like dinosaur than anything resembling a modern crocodile. It walked on two legs, had tiny arms, and sported a toothless beak—an unexpected combination for a member of the crocodile lin…

Scientists spotted patterns hours before a major solar flare, a discovery that could help forecast dangerous eruptions.

Hidden deep in the towering mountains of the Himalayas, one of Asia’s most mysterious venomous snakes has been keeping a major secret for over 160 years. Scientists have now discovered that the so-called Himalayan pit viper is not just one species, but actually five separate species — including three completely unknown to science until now.

When a queen wasp suddenly disappears, her colony doesn’t calmly choose a successor — it erupts into chaos. Researchers found that female wasps immediately begin battling for power, shattering the colony’s social order in a frenzy of aggression. But while some fight for the throne, others quietly be…

Researchers at Texas A&M have developed a nasal spray that appears to reverse brain aging by calming inflammation and restoring the brain’s energy systems. After just two doses, memory and cognitive function improved for months, raising hopes for future treatments targeting dementia and brain fog.

Andes hantavirus causes deadly lung failure, but its method of attack differs from other respiratory illnesses. The details might inform future treatments.

An ocean current called the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation will weaken by 50 percent by 2100. The question is what to do about it.

Best practices, including checking public E. coli reports and keeping your head above water can keep you safe while swimming.

Neptune’s oddball moon Nereid may be the sole remnant of an earlier system, formed near the planet rather than being pulled in from afar.

A tall buoy with a rotating pair of eyes was supposed to scare birds away from caught fish. Like scarecrows, it didn't work for long.

Differences in how the pyramid and surrounding soil vibrate, along with design choices, have protected the structure from earthquakes.

Identifying children with early signs of type 1 diabetes makes a difference to their health. A new study suggests wider screening is effective.

From special pens to earwax evaluations, a plethora of emerging diagnostics could one day be a major boon for people with the debilitating disease.

Solve the math puzzle from our June 2026 issue, where an ant navigates the surface of various objects to find the shortest path to her dinner.

Experimental houses with screens, rainwater systems and ventilation reduced malaria, diarrhea and infections among children in Tanzania.

A noninvasive treatment called high-intensity focused ultrasound helped relieve the shaking, stiffness and pain that accompany Parkinson’s disease.

As Congo’s Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak grows, public health responders are turning to old-school tactics to fight it as scientists search for new tools.

Metals like copper oxidize — reacting with oxygen in the air — but gold doesn’t, thanks to a quick switch in atom arrangement on its surface.

Editor in chief Nancy Shute introduces a new social sciences column that explores what it means to be human.

Hours of diving videos and hundreds of survey responses reveal the common diver mistakes that can cause irreversible reef damage.

Drinking nitrate-rich beetroot juice may do more than support heart health — it could actually reshape the bacteria living in the mouth in ways that help lower blood pressure in older adults. In the largest study of its kind, researchers found that older people who drank concentrated beetroot juice twice daily for two weeks experienced noticeable blood pressure reductions, while younger adults did not.

A mysterious little blue octopus discovered nearly 6,000 feet beneath the waters of the Galápagos Islands has officially been identified as a brand-new species. About the size of a golf ball, the tiny creature stunned researchers during a deep-sea expedition when it suddenly appeared on camera, craw…

Deep inside 100-million-year-old amber from Myanmar, scientists uncovered a bizarre ancient bug with clawed front legs that look more like a crab’s pincers than anything seen in modern insects. The discovery is so unusual that researchers say these crab-like “chelae” evolved independently in this li…

Scientists have peered inside the skull of a 380-million-year-old Antarctic fish that was closely related to the first animals to walk on land, revealing surprising clues about how life began its move out of the water. Using advanced neutron imaging, researchers discovered that Koharalepis jarviki h…

Scientists have uncovered the oldest known hand-held wooden tools ever used by humans — and they’re an astonishing 430,000 years old. Buried for hundreds of thousands of years at an ancient lakeside site in Greece, the carefully carved wooden objects reveal that early humans were far more skilled and resourceful than once believed.

Scientists have cracked open the “black box” of feline cancer in a landmark study that genetically analyzed nearly 500 cat tumors from around the world. The research uncovered striking similarities between cancers in cats, dogs, and humans — including shared cancer-driving genes tied to aggressive b…

A hidden crater in South Korea may hold clues to one of the biggest turning points in Earth’s history: the rise of oxygen. Scientists discovered fossil-like stromatolites — layered structures built by ancient microbes — inside the Hapcheon impact crater, suggesting that asteroid strikes may have cre…

Scientists are uncovering a surprising truth about aging cells: some may damage the body, while others help protect it. The discovery is fueling a new wave of precision anti-aging therapies aimed at removing only the harmful “zombie” cells without disrupting the body’s natural repair systems.

A new theory suggests many age-related diseases may actually start decades before symptoms appear. Researchers say early-life damage — from infections, injuries, or genetic mutations — can remain hidden until aging weakens the body’s ability to keep it under control. This could explain why condition…

Scientists in Germany have demonstrated a startling new form of surveillance: identifying people using nothing more than ordinary WiFi signals. By analyzing how radio waves bounce around a room, researchers can effectively “see” and recognize individuals — even if they are not carrying a device and …

What if wormholes were never cosmic tunnels at all? New research suggests Einstein and Rosen’s famous “bridge” may actually reveal something even stranger: time itself could flow in two directions at once. Instead of connecting distant places in space, these bridges may connect mirror versions of ti…

A surprising study suggests vitamin D2 supplements may reduce the body’s levels of vitamin D3 — the more effective form of vitamin D. Researchers found D3 not only boosts vitamin D status more efficiently, but may also play a unique role in helping the immune system fight off viruses and bacteria. T…

A colossal new sea predator named Tylosaurus rex has been identified from fossils found in Texas, revealing a brutal 43-foot-long hunter that ruled ancient oceans 80 million years ago. The discovery not only introduces one of the biggest mosasaurs ever known, but also shakes up long-standing ideas a…

Reptiles have been growing armor in their skin on and off for hundreds of millions of years, but scientists never fully understood how it evolved. A massive new evolutionary study shows these skin bones appeared independently in multiple lizard groups rather than coming from a single armored ancesto…

Scientists have identified the oldest known human remains in Northern Britain as a young girl who lived around 11,000 years ago. Found in a Cumbrian cave and nicknamed the “Ossick Lass,” she was likely between 2.5 and 3.5 years old when she died. Nearby jewelry and evidence of multiple burials sugge…

Scientist Saul Justine Newman debunks high-profile longevity research and antiaging “medicine” in a new book.

For decades, scientists believed ancient humans avoided dense rainforests, treating them as nearly impossible environments for early survival. But a groundbreaking discovery in West Africa is rewriting that story. Researchers uncovered evidence that humans were living deep within rainforest environm…

Why did T. rex have such tiny arms? Scientists now think it’s because its giant head became the ultimate hunting tool. Across multiple dinosaur groups, stronger skulls and crushing jaws evolved alongside shrinking forelimbs, especially in predators hunting enormous prey. In other words, once the bit…

Scientists in Australia are using cutting-edge DNA techniques to help save one of the world’s rarest marsupials — the critically endangered Gilbert’s potoroo, with fewer than 150 left in the wild. By analyzing tiny traces of DNA in the animals’ scat, researchers uncovered clues about the elusive fun…

The creepy feeling in old buildings might have a surprising cause | ScienceDaily Science News from research organizations The creepy feeling in old buildings might have a surprising cause A sound you can’t hear might still be stressing you out—and you’d never know it. Date: May 3, 2026 Source: Front…

To get string theory, you need only four physics assumptions Skip to content Subscribe today Every print subscription comes with full digital access Subscribe Now By Emily Conover May 13, 2026 at 12:00 pm Share this: Share Share via email (Opens in new window) Email Share on Facebook (Opens in new w…

Never-ending storms make for good plot twists. Could they plague Earth? Skip to content Subscribe today Every print subscription comes with full digital access Subscribe Now By Aaron Tremper May 18, 2026 at 9:00 am Share this: Share Share via email (Opens in new window) Email Share on Facebook (Open…

Some music genres are getting simpler, new research shows Skip to content Subscribe today Every print subscription comes with full digital access Subscribe Now By Payal Dhar May 12, 2026 at 11:00 am Share this: Share Share via email (Opens in new window) Email Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit Share on X (Opens in new window) X Print (Opens in new window) Print Jazz and Western classical music are now more like pop and rock — at least by one measure. The melodic and harmonic structures of jazz and classical have become simpler over time , according to a mathematical analysis in the April 23 Scientific Reports .  “We are observing an evolution in music,” says Niccolò Di Marco, a computational social scientist at the University of Tuscia in Viterbo, Italy. That shift may be fueled by digital technologies, which make access to and inspiration from recorded music easier. Di Marco and colleagues analyzed 21,480 musical pieces across six genres of Western music — classical, electronic, hip hop, jazz, pop and rock. The team used an audio file format, called MIDI, that encodes information such as notes played, their timing, duration and loudness in numeric values. From this, they extracted data about melodies and harmonies in the music, and used it to map the relationship between notes, such the order in which notes were played and which notes followed which. These networks allowed the team to then visualize and analyze patterns. On the whole, the distribution of this data was more uniform in newer musical genres, such as pop, electronic and rock. Older genres like jazz and classical music had more varied patterns. But when the researchers traced these trends over time, they noticed something interesting. The first half of the 20th century boasted quite complex structures in jazz and classical music. In later decades, there is a trend toward a repetitiveness of harmonies, intervals and other structural feature

AI can ease friction in life, but some effort can be good Skip to content Subscribe today Every print subscription comes with full digital access Subscribe Now Share this: Share Share via email (Opens in new window) Email Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit Share on X (Opens in new window) X Print (Opens in new window) Print Listen to this article This is a human-written story voiced by AI. Got feedback? Take our survey . (See our AI policy here .) “Make life harder” is a strange rallying cry. Yet in January, journalist Kathryn Jezer-Morton at the Cut went viral for touting friction-maxxing. “Stop using ChatGPT completely,” she wrote. “No, it does not have good ideas for meal planning. Buy a cookbook. Text your friends for advice. Go to Trader Joe’s. Come  on .” Jezer-Morton may be onto something, social science research suggests. Letting chatbots write emails or provide emotional support simplifies being a thinking, social being , researchers wrote in February in Communications Psychology . But doing hard things or maintaining life’s frictions, while often frustrating in the moment, is vital for experiencing pleasure and cultivating purpose. “We get a lot of meaning out of work and what we do day to day,” says Emily Zohar, an experimental social psychologist at the University of Toronto. “If you’re offloading all your tasks to AI, you’re not getting the benefit of having this self-accomplishment.” How to balance pride in navigating friction with our desire to take a load off, though, remains elusive. Brains prefer easy. That’s not the whole story  Finding this balance is about more than managing AI. Social scientists have been studying friction in various guises for roughly a century. Classic research from the early 1930s showed that rats plunked in a T-shaped maze with a long arm and a short arm, each connected to a tasty morsel, quickly started preferring the shorter a

Territorial conflict may explain male primates’ large size Skip to content Subscribe today Every print subscription comes with full digital access Subscribe Now By Jake Buehler May 12, 2026 at 7:01 pm Share this: Share Share via email (Opens in new window) Email Share on Facebook (Opens in new windo…

The crust under Africa is thinning in a way that hasn't been seen before Skip to content Subscribe today Every print subscription comes with full digital access Subscribe Now By Katherine Kornei May 13, 2026 at 10:00 am Share this: Share Share via email (Opens in new window) Email Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit Share on X (Opens in new window) X Print (Opens in new window) Print Listen to this article This is a human-written story voiced by AI. Got feedback? Take our survey . (See our AI policy here .) It’s a bit of a stretch, but the analogy works. Sometimes Earth’s tectonic plates pull apart from one another like taffy. In eastern Africa, that taffy is already thin and weak, and the tugging forces are concentrated in certain spots. The Turkana Rift Zone is undergoing “necking,” a critical transition toward continental breakup that has never been observed before, researchers reported April 23 in Nature Communications . The region may be closer to splitting, and doing so faster, than scientists once thought, the data suggest. The Turkana Rift Zone straddles Kenya and Ethiopia, and it is best known for its wealth of fossils of our human ancestors . “Scientists were initially drawn there for its world-famous hominin fossil record,” says Christian Rowan, a geoscientist at Columbia University. But the rocks beneath the Turkana Rift Zone hold their own secrets. Rowan and his colleagues used a suite of archival data, including acoustic-based measurements originally collected to explore oil and gas resources, to take a look beneath the surface. By sending acoustic waves into the planet and measuring how they’re reflected, it’s possible to create images of what’s underground, Rowan says. “It’s almost like an ultrasound of the upper crust.” The team focused on a layer of metamorphic rocks beneath the planet’s surface. Those old, hard rocks form the Earth’s continental crust, with the stuff we think of as the

Hantavirus questions grow in the wake of a cruise ship outbreak Skip to content Subscribe today Every print subscription comes with full digital access Subscribe Now By Tina Hesman Saey May 13, 2026 at 1:24 pm Share this: Share Share via email (Opens in new window) Email Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit Share on X (Opens in new window) X Print (Opens in new window) Print Listen to this article This is a human-written story voiced by AI. Got feedback? Take our survey . (See our AI policy here .) As public health officials around the world monitor dozens of former passengers and crewmembers of the MV Hondius for signs of hantavirus infection, scientists are hoping to learn more about the mysterious and sometimes deadly virus that caused the outbreak. That virus has been confirmed as the Andes species of hantavirus, the only hantavirus documented to spread from person to person. So far, evidence suggests the shipboard outbreak happened when one or two people were infected ashore and then passed the hantavirus to others on board. As of May 13, the outbreak had sickened at least 11 people, killing three. Scientists are still trying to decipher what makes the Andes virus different from other hantaviruses. Mysteries include why and how it can spread between humans, and why it can be so deadly. The answers may depend as much on the people infected and the circumstances as on the virus, researchers say. Many different species and variants of hantavirus have been discovered. And thousands of people are infected annually worldwide. Generally, those cases come from people breathing in dried rodent excrement. A rodent commonly called the long-tailed colilargo or the long-tailed pygmy rice rat ( Oligoryzomys longicaudatus ) carries the Andes virus. A species of rodent native to Chile and Argentina, commonly called the long-tailed colilargo or long-tailed pygmy rice rat ( Oligoryzomys longicaudatus ), is the normal host

First evidence of Neandertal dentistry found in ancient molar Skip to content Subscribe today Every print subscription comes with full digital access Subscribe Now By Tom Metcalfe May 13, 2026 at 2:00 pm Share this: Share Share via email (Opens in new window) Email Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit Share on X (Opens in new window) X Print (Opens in new window) Print Listen to this article This is a human-written story voiced by AI. Got feedback? Take our survey . (See our AI policy here .) An ancient human molar shows that Neandertals sometimes drilled out infected teeth with stone tools — suggesting they may have known the treatment could ease extreme tooth pain. The 59,000-year-old tooth was unearthed from the Chagyrskaya Cave in the Altai Mountains of Siberia. It is the oldest evidence of primitive dentistry ever found, eclipsing the old record by more than 40,000 years, researchers report in PLOS One . It is also the first time any evidence of tooth surgery has been discovered in hominids other than modern Homo sapiens. The find “suggests both the manual dexterity and cognitive capability” needed for Neandertals to successfully carry out such an operation, says archaeologist John Olsen, an anthropologist at the University of Arizona in Tuscon. The molar was found deep in sediment in 2016, but its importance was only recently recognized. It has a massive hole that has been drilled from the chewing surface to the pulp cavity near its roots. Microscopic analysis indicates the hole was drilled by a stone tool, and the condition of the remaining tooth suggests the ancient dental operation was performed to remove infected tissue — decaying enamel and material from the inner tooth. Examinations of the drilled-out tooth also revealed a groove made by pieces of wood used as toothpicks, likely to ease the pain of the infection. Another Neandertal tooth from the same cave shows its owner also suffered

Female rats like a different kind of tickling than males Skip to content Subscribe today Every print subscription comes with full digital access Subscribe Now By Hannah Thomasy May 14, 2026 at 9:00 am Share this: Share Share via email (Opens in new window) Email Share on Facebook (Opens in new windo…

Water drops on soap bubble films act like merging galaxies Skip to content Subscribe today Every print subscription comes with full digital access Subscribe Now By Emily Conover May 14, 2026 at 1:00 pm Share this: Share Share via email (Opens in new window) Email Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit Share on X (Opens in new window) X Print (Opens in new window) Print The physics of merging galaxies has popped up in an unexpected place: the stuff of soap bubbles. Water droplets placed on a flat soap film act like galaxies that orbit one another before coalescing. As they merge, the water droplets take on shapes reminiscent of those that appear in astronomical images of colliding galaxies , physicist Jean-Paul Martischang and colleagues report in the April PNAS Nexus . The water droplets might eventually be useful for studying gravitational attraction in a laboratory, to better understand how galaxies collide and coalesce. When plopped on a horizontal soap film — in the laboratory equivalent of a bubble wand — a water droplet takes on a hammocklike shape, about a centimeter wide. That disrupts the shape of the soap film, pulling it downward. That sagging causes drops to attract one another, orbit and coalesce. To visualize the translucent water droplets, the researchers took advantage of the fact that each droplet acts like a lens that causes blurring. They placed a randomized pattern of dots below the film. Mapping out where that pattern was blurred revealed the drops’ locations and shapes. Similar structures appear in water droplets coalescing on a soap film (top; dark shapes show where blurring caused by the droplets occurs) and in merging galaxies (bottom). That’s despite vast differences in scale: tens of millimeters for the soap bubbles versus tens of kiloparsecs for the galaxies. (A kiloparsec is about 3,260 light-years.) J.-P. Martischang et al./PNAS Nexus, 2026 Similar structures appear in water droplet

A Greenland explorer will eat only decaying seal for a month Skip to content Subscribe today Every print subscription comes with full digital access Subscribe Now By Sujata Gupta May 15, 2026 at 9:00 am Share this: Share Share via email (Opens in new window) Email Share on Facebook (Opens in new win…

Our understanding of Charles Darwin continues to evolve Skip to content Subscribe today Every print subscription comes with full digital access Subscribe Now By Aaron Tremper May 15, 2026 at 11:00 am Share this: Share Share via email (Opens in new window) Email Share on Facebook (Opens in new window…

Crabs' sideways walk may have evolved just once Skip to content Subscribe today Every print subscription comes with full digital access Subscribe Now By Sierra Bouchér May 15, 2026 at 1:00 pm Share this: Share Share via email (Opens in new window) Email Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) F…

What freediving can reveal about human health — and our limits Skip to content Subscribe today Every print subscription comes with full digital access Subscribe Now By Elizabeth Pennisi 3 hours ago Share this: Share Share via email (Opens in new window) Email Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) …

After Dobbs, miscarriage care looked different in states with abortion bans Skip to content Subscribe today Every print subscription comes with full digital access Subscribe Now By Aimee Cunningham May 18, 2026 at 11:00 am Share this: Share Share via email (Opens in new window) Email Share on Facebo…

Meet ‘Snuffleupagus,’ a newfound fish sporting shaggy camouflage Skip to content Subscribe today Every print subscription comes with full digital access Subscribe Now By Jake Buehler May 18, 2026 at 1:00 pm Share this: Share Share via email (Opens in new window) Email Share on Facebook (Opens in new…

A ‘jar’ jammed with human bones may solve Laos’ ‘Plain of Jars’ mystery Skip to content Subscribe today Every print subscription comes with full digital access Subscribe Now By Tom Metcalfe 22 hours ago Share this: Share Share via email (Opens in new window) Email Share on Facebook (Opens in new win…

Antarctic plants may face a growing fungal threat from warming soils Skip to content Subscribe today Every print subscription comes with full digital access Subscribe Now By Carolyn Gramling 8 hours ago Share this: Share Share via email (Opens in new window) Email Share on Facebook (Opens in new win…

Damaged DNA can spread between human cells. What could that mean for cancer? Skip to content Subscribe today Every print subscription comes with full digital access Subscribe Now By Meghan Rosen 6 hours ago Share this: Share Share via email (Opens in new window) Email Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit Share on X (Opens in new window) X Print (Opens in new window) Print Damaged DNA can escape from one human cell and infiltrate another. Like prisoners tunneling out of jail, this DNA travels via tubelike structures between neighboring cells , scientists report May 19 in Cell . Once it has arrived at its new location, the dodgy DNA can start acting up, potentially transferring trouble between cells. “This is an important and exciting discovery,” says cancer biologist Paul Mischel of Stanford University. The new study, which shows that one human cell can influence another by passing DNA directly, raises all sorts of questions about what role the phenomenon may play in cancer. If tumors use this DNA transfer trick, harmful mutations could potentially spread from cancer cells to healthy cells, says cancer cell biologist Peter Ly of the Children’s Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern in Dallas. How — or if — these roaming chunks of DNA might contribute to disease is “an area that we’re actively exploring,” Ly says. His team first observed the traveling DNA after mixing two cell types together in the lab. When the researchers triggered damage to the genome, a cell’s full set of genetic instructions, they noticed that DNA fragments appeared to move between cells. Human DNA typically stays protected within the nucleus — not out wandering from cell to cell. Looking under a microscope, Ly’s team saw living cells connected by wispy threads, like strands of spun sugar. Scientists have known about these threads, called tunneling nanotubes, for decades. They’re like highways for cargo transport between

Scientists sound alarm as dangerous amoebas spread globally | ScienceDaily Science News from research organizations Scientists sound alarm as dangerous amoebas spread globally Date: May 2, 2026 Source: Shenyang Agricultural University Summary: Free-living amoebae are emerging as a global health conc…

AI-powered whale-spotting tech may help save San Francisco Bay’s gray whales Skip to content Subscribe today Every print subscription comes with full digital access Subscribe Now By Carolyn Gramling 5 hours ago Share this: Share Share via email (Opens in new window) Email Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit Share on X (Opens in new window) X Print (Opens in new window) Print An AI-powered monitoring system could save the lives of gray whales that are increasingly taking a deadly detour into California’s heavily trafficked San Francisco Bay. The new technology combines round-the-clock thermal cameras deployed at different locations in the bay with AI to detect whales that may be as far as 7 kilometers away. Once the whale detection is confirmed by scientists, an alert goes out to warn vessels in the area to slow down or change course to avoid a collision. A coalition of ocean scientists, the U.S. Coast Guard, whale tracking experts and local ferry companies unveiled the deployment in the bay on May 19. A camera mounted on a radio tower on Angel Island within the bay will monitor numerous busy shipping routes. A second camera will be installed on a passenger ferry that crosses the bay daily, and future additional camera sites could include the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz. The whale-detecting AI-powered tech is the brainchild of researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, or WHOI, in Massachusetts, who later created a company called WhaleSpotter to market the tech. “We wanted to be able to detect whales so far out that it would give mariners time to take action,” says Daniel Zitterbart, a physicist at WHOI and the chief scientist of WhaleSpotter. That’s particularly important for large ships, such as container vessels, that have a great deal of inertia and can’t quickly change course. Developing a reliable whale detection system took about 15 years, Zitterbart says. Water emitted from whales’ bl

Don’t toss cannabis leaves: Scientists found rare compounds with medical potential | ScienceDaily Science News from research organizations Don’t toss cannabis leaves: Scientists found rare compounds with medical potential Cannabis just revealed a hidden chemical treasure—rare compounds scientists ne…

Scientists discover a hidden brain “cleaning” effect triggered by movement | ScienceDaily Science News from research organizations Scientists discover a hidden brain “cleaning” effect triggered by movement Just moving your body might quietly “rinse” your brain—and help keep it healthy. Date: May 1, …

This “Pink Floyd” spider hunts prey 6x its size and lives in walls | ScienceDaily Science News from research organizations This “Pink Floyd” spider hunts prey 6x its size and lives in walls Date: May 1, 2026 Source: Pensoft Publishers Summary: Scientists have uncovered a tiny wall-dwelling spider na…

Scientists stunned as pink katydid transforms into green camouflage | ScienceDaily Science News from research organizations Scientists stunned as pink katydid transforms into green camouflage Date: May 2, 2026 Source: University of Reading Summary: A bizarre rainforest insect is rewriting what scien…

18th-century mechanical volcano roars to life 250 years later | ScienceDaily Science News from research organizations 18th-century mechanical volcano roars to life 250 years later Date: May 2, 2026 Source: University of Melbourne Summary: A centuries-old vision of a mechanical volcano has finally er…

Malaria didn’t just kill early humans, it shaped who we became | ScienceDaily Science News from research organizations Malaria didn’t just kill early humans, it shaped who we became Malaria may have quietly steered human evolution by forcing our ancestors apart across Africa. Date: May 3, 2026 Sourc…

Scientists just discovered what coffee is really doing to your gut and brain | ScienceDaily Science News from research organizations Scientists just discovered what coffee is really doing to your gut and brain Date: May 3, 2026 Source: University College Cork Summary: Coffee doesn’t just energize—it…

Physicists just found a tiny flaw in time itself | ScienceDaily Science News from research organizations Physicists just found a tiny flaw in time itself Quantum weirdness may be quietly blurring time itself—offering a tantalizing clue to the universe’s deepest laws. Date: May 3, 2026 Source: Founda…

Are your memories real? Physicists revisit the Boltzmann brain paradox | ScienceDaily Science News from research organizations Are your memories real? Physicists revisit the Boltzmann brain paradox Date: May 3, 2026 Source: Santa Fe Institute Summary: A new analysis of the “Boltzmann brain” paradox …

The da Vinci bloodline is unlocking the genius’s genetic secrets | ScienceDaily Science News from research organizations The da Vinci bloodline is unlocking the genius’s genetic secrets Leonardo da Vinci’s DNA may soon be uncovered—unlocking the biology behind history’s greatest genius. Date: May 4, 2026 Source: Leonardo da Vinci DNA Project Summary: After centuries of mystery, scientists are edging closer to uncovering Leonardo da Vinci’s biological secrets. A massive 30-year effort has mapped his family across 21 generations, identified living male descendants, and even confirmed shared DNA markers that stretch back to the Renaissance. Meanwhile, excavations at a family tomb in Vinci could provide ancient remains for comparison, raising the possibility of reconstructing Leonardo’s genetic profile. Share: Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIN Email FULL STORY Scientists are closing in on Leonardo da Vinci’s DNA by linking living descendants to centuries-old remains. The breakthrough could reveal secrets behind his genius—and even verify his artworks. Credit: Shutterstock For more than 500 years, Leonardo da Vinci has been admired as a brilliant artist, inventor, and thinker whose talents seemed far ahead of his time. Now, an ambitious international effort known as the Leonardo DNA Project is bringing scientists closer than ever to uncovering the biological roots of his genius. A newly published book, "Genìa Da Vinci. Genealogy and Genetics for Leonardo's DNA," brings together three decades of research led by Alessandro Vezzosi and Agnese Sabato of the Leonardo Da Vinci Heritage Association in Vinci. Supported by the Municipality of Vinci, the work reconstructs an extensive family tree stretching back to 1331. It spans 21 generations and includes more than 400 individuals, creating the foundation for an unprecedented attempt to rebuild Leonardo's genetic profile. By carefully studying archival records and historical documents, the researchers were abl

Breakthrough biomaterial heals tissue from the inside out | ScienceDaily Science News from research organizations Breakthrough biomaterial heals tissue from the inside out A new IV-injected biomaterial could revolutionize healing by repairing damaged tissue from the inside out. Date: May 5, 2026 Source: University of California - San Diego Summary: Scientists have developed a breakthrough injectable biomaterial that travels through the bloodstream to repair damaged tissue from within, reducing inflammation and jumpstarting healing. In animal studies, it successfully treated heart attack damage and even showed promise for conditions like traumatic brain injury and pulmonary hypertension. Unlike earlier approaches that required direct injection into the heart, this new therapy can be delivered intravenously, allowing it to spread evenly and act quickly. Share: Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIN Email FULL STORY The biomaterial is based on a hydrogel developed at UC San Diego. Credit: David Baillot/University of California, San Diego A biomaterial designed to travel through the bloodstream could offer a less invasive way to calm inflammation and help injured tissue repair itself. In animal studies, the injectable material improved tissue damage caused by heart attacks in both rodents and large animals. Early proof of concept experiments also suggested that the same approach may one day be useful for other inflammation driven conditions, including traumatic brain injury and pulmonary arterial hypertension. "This biomaterial allows for treating damaged tissue from the inside out," said Karen Christman, a professor of bioengineering at the University of California San Diego, and the lead researcher on the team that developed the material. "It's a new approach to regenerative engineering." The findings were reported in Nature Biomedical Engineering in 2022 by a team of bioengineers and physicians. At the time, Christman said a human study testing the s

MIT scientists discover millions of “silent synapses” in the adult brain | ScienceDaily Science News from research organizations MIT scientists discover millions of “silent synapses” in the adult brain Your brain may be packed with hidden backup connections, waiting to turn new experiences into lasting memories. Date: May 6, 2026 Source: Massachusetts Institute of Technology Summary: MIT neuroscientists have uncovered a surprising secret hidden in the adult brain: millions of “silent synapses,” dormant connections that lie in wait until new learning calls them into action. Once thought to exist only in early development, these inactive links make up about 30% of synapses in the adult cortex and can be rapidly activated to form fresh memories. Share: Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIN Email FULL STORY The adult brain contains millions of hidden “silent synapses” that can be activated to form new memories on demand. This built-in reserve helps us learn new things without erasing what we already know. Credit: Shutterstock MIT neuroscientists have uncovered a surprising feature of the adult brain. It contains millions of "silent synapses," which are immature connections between neurons that remain inactive until they are needed to help form new memories. For many years, scientists believed these silent synapses existed only during early development, when the brain is rapidly learning about the world. But the MIT team found that in adult mice, roughly 30 percent of synapses in the brain's cortex are still silent. This suggests the adult brain holds a large reserve of unused connections that can be activated when new information arrives. Researchers say this hidden pool of synapses may explain how the brain continues to learn throughout life without disrupting existing memories. "These silent synapses are looking for new connections, and when important new information is presented, connections between the relevant neurons are strengthened. This lets the br

This town found clean energy deep inside old coal mines | ScienceDaily Science News from research organizations This town found clean energy deep inside old coal mines Date: May 6, 2026 Source: University of Victoria Summary: Cumberland, B.C. is reimagining its coal mining past as a clean energy opp…

Your DNA may predict your future success more than your upbringing | ScienceDaily Science News from research organizations Your DNA may predict your future success more than your upbringing Date: May 6, 2026 Source: Lund University Summary: A new twin study suggests your genes may play a bigger role…

Webb space telescope finds a giant galaxy that doesn’t spin | ScienceDaily Science News from research organizations Webb space telescope finds a giant galaxy that doesn’t spin Date: May 7, 2026 Source: University of California - Davis Summary: Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have spotted something that shouldn’t exist—at least not so early in the universe. A massive galaxy, formed less than 2 billion years after the Big Bang, appears to have no rotation at all, a trait usually seen only in much older, evolved galaxies. This challenges current theories that young galaxies should still be spinning from their formation. Share: Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIN Email FULL STORY A giant ancient galaxy that mysteriously doesn’t spin is rewriting what we thought we knew about how galaxies form. Credit: AI/ScienceDaily.com Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have uncovered an unexpected feature in a distant, early galaxy. Despite forming when the universe was still very young, this galaxy shows no signs of rotation. That behavior is typically seen only in very large, mature galaxies much closer to Earth, explained Ben Forrest, a research scientist in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of California, Davis, and lead author of a study published May 4 in Nature Astronomy . "This one in particular did not show any evidence of rotation, which was surprising and very interesting," Forrest said. Why Galaxies Are Expected to Spin Current models suggest that galaxies begin spinning as they form. Gas flowing inward and the pull of gravity create angular momentum, setting these systems in motion. Over billions of years, galaxies can collide and merge, especially in dense clusters. These repeated interactions can either build up or cancel out rotation. As a result, some nearby galaxies show little overall spin and instead display stars moving in random directions. Because this transformation is thought to take a very long

What scientists found inside coral reefs could change the future of medicine | ScienceDaily Science News from research organizations What scientists found inside coral reefs could change the future of medicine Coral reefs may hold a hidden “molecular goldmine”—and we’re only just discovering it. Dat…

People once risked everything just to keep their hats on | ScienceDaily Science News from research organizations People once risked everything just to keep their hats on Date: May 7, 2026 Source: Cambridge University Press Summary: Centuries ago in England, hats weren’t just accessories—they were st…

Scientists discover why Ozempic works better for some people | ScienceDaily Science News from research organizations Scientists discover why Ozempic works better for some people Ozempic-like drugs may work far better for “see-food” eaters than emotional eaters, according to new research. Date: May 7…

Scientists accidentally discover DNA that breaks the rules of life | ScienceDaily Science News from research organizations Scientists accidentally discover DNA that breaks the rules of life Date: May 7, 2026 Source: Earlham Institute Summary: A routine experiment with a new single-cell DNA sequencin…

Scientists found the “holy grail” gene that could one day help humans regrow limbs | ScienceDaily Science News from research organizations Scientists found the “holy grail” gene that could one day help humans regrow limbs A breakthrough gene discovery in salamanders, fish, and mice could someday help humans regrow lost limbs. Date: May 9, 2026 Source: Wake Forest University Summary: Scientists studying axolotls, zebrafish, and mice have uncovered a shared set of genes that may one day help humans regrow lost limbs. By identifying powerful “SP genes” involved in regeneration, researchers discovered that disabling these genes stopped proper bone regrowth in salamanders and mice. They then used a gene therapy inspired by zebrafish biology to partially restore regeneration in mice, marking a major step toward future treatments that could replace damaged limbs with living tissue instead of prosthetics. Share: Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIN Email FULL STORY A Mexican axolotl in Wake Forest University biologist Josh Currie's regeneration lab. Credit: Wake Forest University Scientists studying axolotls, zebrafish, and mice have uncovered a shared set of genes that could someday help researchers develop therapies for regrowing human limbs. The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , point to a possible new direction for regenerative medicine and gene therapy. "This significant research brought together three labs, working across three organisms to compare regeneration," said Wake Forest Assistant Professor of Biology Josh Currie, whose lab studies the Mexican axolotl salamander. "It showed us that there are universal, unifying genetic programs that are driving regeneration in very different types of organisms, salamanders, zebrafish and mice." The project also included Duke University plastic surgeon David A. Brown, who studies digit regeneration in mice, and Kenneth D. Poss of the University of Wisconsin-Madison,

Scientists say this simple music trick can boost workout endurance by 20% | ScienceDaily Science News from research organizations Scientists say this simple music trick can boost workout endurance by 20% Your perfect workout playlist could secretly help you push nearly 20% further before hitting exhaustion. Date: May 9, 2026 Source: University of Jyväskylä - Jyväskylän yliopisto Summary: A new study shows that listening to your own favorite workout music can dramatically boost endurance. Cyclists exercising with self-selected songs lasted nearly 20% longer than when riding in silence, yet they didn’t feel more exhausted at the end. Researchers say music may help people stay in the “pain zone” longer without increasing perceived strain. Share: Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIN Email FULL STORY Choosing your own workout music may help you exercise nearly 20% longer without making the effort feel harder. Credit: Shutterstock The study focused on recreationally active adults cycling at high intensity while listening to music they personally chose. Most of the tracks fell within a tempo range of about 120-140 beats per minute. Compared to exercising in silence, participants were able to continue riding for nearly six additional minutes before reaching exhaustion. endurance by nearly 20 %, highlighting a simple strategy that may benefit both athletes and casual exercisers. The study focused on recreationally active adults cycling at high intensity while listening to music they personally chose. Most of the tracks fell within a tempo range of about 120-140 beats per minute. Compared to exercising in silence, participants were able to continue riding for nearly six additional minutes before reaching exhaustion. The findings were published online in the journal Psychology of Sport & Exercise . Lead researcher Andrew Danso from JYU's Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain said the results could have practical value for anyone trying to improve exercise perf

Scientists make stunning discovery that could change our understanding of the Universe | ScienceDaily Science News from research organizations Scientists make stunning discovery that could change our understanding of the Universe Date: May 8, 2026 Source: Queen Mary University of London Summary: Scientists may have uncovered a surprising secret behind why life exists at all. A new study suggests that the Universe’s fundamental constants — the deep physical rules that govern everything from atoms to stars — appear to sit within an incredibly narrow “sweet spot” that allows liquids to flow properly inside living cells. Even tiny shifts in these constants could make blood too thick, water too sticky, or cellular motion impossible, potentially wiping out life as we know it. Share: Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIN Email FULL STORY A new physics study suggests life may depend on an astonishingly delicate balance hidden in the laws of the Universe. Credit: AI/ScienceDaily.com Researchers at Queen Mary University of London have proposed a striking idea that links the deepest laws of physics to the existence of life itself. Their work suggests that the Universe's fundamental constants sit within an extremely narrow range that allows liquids to flow in ways living cells depend on. If those constants were even slightly different, water, blood, and other life-supporting fluids could behave so differently that complex organisms might never have emerged at all. The study, published in Science Advances in 2023, builds on earlier work by physicist Kostya Trachenko and colleagues showing that liquid viscosity is tied directly to fundamental physical constants. That finding established a lower limit for how "runny" liquids can be. The newer research extended the idea into biology, asking whether the same physical rules that shape the cosmos may also quietly determine whether cells can function. Why Liquid Flow Matters for Life Life depends on movement at microscopic scal

Scientists discover a new way to prevent gum disease without killing good bacteria | ScienceDaily Science News from research organizations Scientists discover a new way to prevent gum disease without killing good bacteria Date: May 8, 2026 Source: University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Summary: Scientists have uncovered a surprising way to influence the bacteria living in our mouths — not by killing them, but by interrupting how they “talk” to each other. Researchers found that dental plaque bacteria use chemical signals to coordinate growth, and by blocking those signals, they were able to encourage healthier bacteria while reducing disease-linked microbes tied to gum disease. Even more intriguing, the bacterial conversations changed depending on oxygen levels above and below the gums, revealing an entirely new layer of complexity inside the mouth. Share: Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIN Email FULL STORY Computer-rendered split image of bacteria on a tooth surface. When microbial communication is “on”, disease-associated species grow (left). Disrupting this communication (right) promotes health-associated bacteria. Credit: University of Minnesota Bacteria are constantly evolving to survive. One major consequence is that many harmful microbes are becoming resistant to antibiotics and disinfectants, creating serious challenges for medicine and public health. But not all bacteria are dangerous. In fact, many are essential to keeping the human body healthy. Now, scientists are exploring whether it may be possible to influence bacterial behavior instead of simply trying to destroy bacteria outright. Inside the human mouth, bacteria are in near constant communication. Roughly 700 bacterial species live there, and many exchange chemical messages through a process called quorum sensing. Some of these microbes communicate using signaling molecules known as N-acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs). Researchers from the College of Biological Sciences and the School of Dentistry set

New obesity discovery rewrites decades of fat science | ScienceDaily Science News from research organizations New obesity discovery rewrites decades of fat science Scientists discovered that a key fat-burning protein secretly controls fat cell health from inside the nucleus—revealing a surprising ne…