Science news

Researchers have discovered a surprising hidden ability in Europe's familiar black-and-yellow fire salamanders: they glow green and cyan under ultraviolet light. The mysterious fluorescence comes mainly from glands in…

Scientists have uncovered a long-lost volcanic system in Iran that dates back roughly 100 million years, revealing a hidden chapter in Earth's tectonic history. The discovery sheds new light on the disappearance of an…

Scientists have uncovered a surprising connection between Earth's opposite poles that may help explain how the planet plunged into past ice ages. New research suggests that as massive ice sheets expanded across the…

NASA’s Artemis I mission has revealed that cosmic radiation near the Moon is higher than in Earth orbit, but not by as much as scientists might expect. Tiny experimental detectors also uncovered surprising details about…

Written by Lucy Lim, Planetary Scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Earth planning date: Friday, Oct. 16, 2026 Following the Basque Lakes drill campaign, Curiosity has returned to a spot just a few meters…

APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 October 28 – The… Today’s APOD Archive Submissions Index Search Calendar RSS Education About Discuss APOD Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or…

A national monument since the 1920s, Chiricahua is America’s newest national park.

The asteroid that killed the dinosaurs may have set the stage for ants to conquer the planet, with a surprising boost from “jumping genes” hidden in their DNA. Scientists discovered that bursts of activity from these…

Scientists at McGill University have discovered a surprising new ability of immune cells that could change how we understand long-term immunity. Researchers found that T cells can actually sense how stiff their…

The four volunteers who lived and worked in a simulated NASA Mars mission for more than a year will exit their habitat on Saturday, Oct. 31, after 378 days of isolation in a facility at the agency’s Johnson Space Center…

A technician inspects the large sunshade of NASA’s Near-Earth Object (NEO) Surveyor mission in this image released on Oct. 26, 2026. The sunshade structure, which stands 20 feet (6 meters) tall and measures 8 feet (2.4…

A surprising discovery reveals that widely used anti-inflammatory drugs may unintentionally help dangerous viruses spread through the body. Scientists found that JAK inhibitors, prescribed for rheumatoid arthritis and…

A scorching lava planet 280 light-years away has surprised astronomers by apparently maintaining a thick atmosphere despite conditions that should have stripped it away billions of years ago. James Webb Space Telescope…

Scientists have created one of the largest and most detailed simulations of the early universe ever made, offering an extraordinary new glimpse into the cosmos shortly after the Big Bang. Called Lumina, the…

When Rice University student Malvika Bhardwaj asked her mentor Daniel Cohen, a Guidance, Navigation & Control (GN&C) engineer at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, whether he had time to keep teaching interns with his busy…

Scientists have discovered that spiders may sleep in ways surprisingly similar to humans, complete with distinct sleep stages and a dream-like REM state. Researchers at the University of Bonn studied the Australian…

APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 October 27 –… Today’s APOD Archive Submissions Index Search Calendar RSS Education About Discuss APOD Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or…

Why do some people stay mentally sharp even when their brains show signs of Alzheimer’s disease? Scientists in the Netherlands may have uncovered an important clue hidden in a rare group of immature brain cells.…

The Antarctic iceberg made a relatively quick exit from the Weddell Sea, only to slow at the edge of a remote island’s underwater shelf.

Mayo Clinic scientists have uncovered surprising new insights into “zombie cells,” aging cells that linger in the body and contribute to inflammation and disease. Seven studies reveal why these cells are harmful and…

New evidence suggests that early humans reached the Jordan Valley at least 1.9 million years ago, hundreds of thousands of years earlier than scientists previously thought. Advanced dating methods revealed that the…

Scientists have identified a hidden cause of inflammatory bowel disease: antibodies that disable the immune system’s natural ability to control inflammation, potentially explaining severe illness in thousands of…

Description This 360-degree look at Neretva Vallis within Mars’ Jezero Crater was stitched together using 217 images acquired by the rover’s Mastcam-Z on May 20, 2024, the 1,155th Martian day, or sol, of the mission.…

Over 1,645 Martian days, NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover measured the fine and ultrafine Martian dust particles found clinging to samples of spacesuit materials that are carried aboard the rover, including some that are…

Regular exercise does more than strengthen the heart. New research reveals that it actually reshapes the nerves controlling how the heart functions, and the changes are surprisingly different on the left and right sides…

A solar eclipse recorded more than 2,700 years ago is revealing surprising secrets about Earth's rotation and the Sun's ancient behavior. By correcting an eight-kilometer error in the location of an ancient Chinese…

Scientists have discovered a giant new fungus in China that grows up to 20 inches tall and weighs nearly five pounds, making it the largest known of its kind. Dubbed “D-rex,” its evolutionary lineage appears to have…

Scientists have filmed tiny magnetic vortices called skyrmions melting out of an organized lattice for the first time, revealing new ways to manipulate these unusual structures. The breakthrough could help make…

A mysterious shipwreck off Turkey’s coast may be the oldest ever discovered, dating back approximately 4,500 years to the age of the Egyptian pyramids. Although the wooden vessel has disappeared, its surviving pottery…

Astronomers have discovered three actively feeding black holes inside a single galaxy more than 12.5 billion light-years away, revealing a remarkable scene from the universe’s infancy. Two of the black holes are…

Millions of years after animals first conquered land, some took an extraordinary evolutionary U-turn and returned to the water. Using machine learning and thousands of fossil measurements, Yale scientists have uncovered…

Scientists have discovered how pancreatic cancer cells continually reshape their genetic makeup to become more aggressive, spread, and evade treatment. In laboratory experiments, blocking a key gene reversed some of…

A common, inexpensive medication could hold an unexpected clue to preventing dementia. Researchers found that older adults with a specific genetic profile had a 70% lower relative risk of dementia when taking low-dose…

For nearly a century, people in distant parts of the world have reported a bizarre experience after eating certain wild mushrooms: seeing dozens or even hundreds of tiny, colorful humans moving through the real world.…

Astronomers have uncovered evidence of a bizarre, potentially historic discovery: the first moon ever detected beyond our Solar System. Unlike familiar moons, this mysterious object is at least as massive as Jupiter and…

A superconducting material studied for 40 years has turned out to be far more complex than scientists believed. Advanced 3D imaging revealed a hidden patchwork of crystal structures, with unusually wide boundaries that…

A small device that gently stimulates nerves through the ear could offer a new way to tackle stubborn high blood pressure. In a clinical trial of 63 patients already taking medication, the treatment proved safe, easy to…

A groundbreaking study challenges 70 years of assumptions about how human language works. By analyzing billions of word uses, scientists discovered that meaning is organized around power, danger, and order rather than…

Tiny samples from asteroid Bennu are rewriting scientists' understanding of how our Solar System formed. New evidence suggests that Bennu was born where material from the inner and outer Solar System mixed, with Jupiter…

The Sun’s seemingly peaceful regions are hiding a surprisingly complex magnetic world. Using a balloon-borne telescope high above Earth, scientists discovered delicate, thread-like magnetic structures woven through the…

Tiny snakes in Southeast Asia have mastered an extraordinary escape technique: rolling across the ground at speeds up to four times faster than ordinary slithering. Scientists discovered that dwarf reedsnakes accomplish…

Scientists have discovered that switching off a protein called Mitch makes human cells burn more fat and prevents new fat cells from developing. The breakthrough builds on experiments in mice that showed remarkable…

A 150-million-year-old fossil discovered in China reveals a bizarre early bird with sharp teeth, a dinosaur-like claw, and a body built for life on the ground rather than flight. Scientists believe it represents the…

Scientists discovered that the thick, sticky fluid surrounding glioblastoma tumors can make brain cancer cells smaller, more flexible, and better at invading surrounding tissue. Even more troubling, some of these…

Deep beneath Japan’s Kikai caldera, a massive magma reservoir is refilling 7,300 years after one of the most powerful volcanic eruptions in Earth's recent geological history. Scientists used underwater seismic surveys…

Researchers have uncovered a surprising reason dental implant infections often resist antibiotics: the implants themselves can contribute to the problem. Bacteria corrode titanium implants, releasing microscopic…

A newly FDA-cleared PTSD treatment uses personalized brain mapping and magnetic stimulation to target abnormal brain activity, with a clinical trial reporting a 52% reduction in symptoms and 68% remission. Researchers…

A seven-year study found that people with Parkinson’s disease who were more physically active experienced slower declines in memory, thinking, and movement abilities. Those exercising more than eight hours per week…

A tiny region deep within the brain has surprised scientists by revealing a remarkably sophisticated communication system. Previously thought to broadcast the same chemical signal throughout the brain, this region…

Scientists have proposed a way to detect “mirror life,” a hypothetical form of life that could pose serious risks to humans, animals, and ecosystems if artificially created. Using special fluorescent molecules and a…

Forty years after the Chornobyl disaster, tiny radioactive particles still linger in the soil, carrying a dangerous legacy. Using powerful X-rays, scientists discovered that some of these particles have remained…

A massive analysis of 2,884 exploding stars has uncovered new evidence that dark energy, the mysterious force accelerating the universe’s expansion, may change over time. The findings challenge a cornerstone of modern…

Cambridge researchers have created a groundbreaking $10 optical sensor that delivers the precision of laboratory equipment in a device small enough for wearable technology. It identified foods, plastics, and medicines…

A surprising two-year clinical trial found that fish oil supplements successfully delivered omega-3s to the brain but failed to improve memory or protect against Alzheimer's-related brain shrinkage. Researchers suspect…

Scientists have uncovered a strange pattern in urban bird behavior: Across five European countries and 37 species, birds consistently fled sooner when approached by women than men. Researchers have no clear explanation…

Scientists have captured virus-like particles assembling themselves step by step, revealing how a surprisingly simple process of trial and error produces complex structures with remarkable precision. The discovery…

Researchers have developed a revolutionary microscope that uses an incredibly powerful laser to make previously invisible cellular structures easier to see. The technology dramatically improves image clarity, allowing…

Honeybees are aggressively pushing wild pollinators away from flowers, with scientists documenting how they chase off rivals and dominate valuable food sources. New research warns that rising temperatures and increasing…

NASA’s Curiosity rover has revealed a spectacular new view of mysterious, wind-carved cliffs on Mars that may hold evidence of ancient volcanic activity. With the rover approaching these unusual formations, scientists…

Scientists have discovered why common marmosets have unusually small, smooth brains despite starting development much like other primates. The secret lies in subtle changes to brain-building cells that slow neuron…

Researchers analyzing nearly 150,000 Reddit posts uncovered unexpected symptom reports linked by users to unapproved versions of retatrutide, including increased appetite, sleep disturbances, and elevated heart rates.…

Scientists discovered a rock in Papua New Guinea that plunged more than 90 kilometers beneath Earth's surface, revealing a bizarre temperature pattern that challenges established theories of Earth's interior. The…

Scientists have uncovered an unexpected danger lurking inside cells: too much RNA can damage the structures responsible for producing energy. A new study found that excess RNA, including the normally essential messenger…

Scientists have cracked a 178-year-old mystery surrounding a train delayed by a solar storm, revealing that the famous incident happened in 1848 rather than 1841. The discovery rewrites the early history of space…

A new study tracking 13 astronauts suggests that the human heart may be surprisingly well equipped for a journey to Mars, especially with regular exercise during spaceflight. Researchers found that astronauts' hearts…

Scientists have turned blood cells from an 80-year-old into neural stem cells with a molecular age of less than 20, effectively reversing more than 60 years of cellular aging in the laboratory. The discovery offers a…

NASA’s Perseverance rover has shattered a historic space exploration record, traveling farther across another world than any vehicle before it. Its advanced self-driving system helped it surpass Opportunity’s 28.06-mile…

A decades-long mystery beneath the North Sea has finally been solved. Scientists have confirmed that the Silverpit Crater, buried 700 meters below the seabed, was created when a 160-meter-wide asteroid struck Earth…

Deep inside a high-altitude Chinese cave, scientists discovered a ghostly, eyeless freshwater snail that has evolved to live entirely in darkness, marking the first recorded discovery of its kind in China. Named after a…

Scientists have uncovered a surprising reason why statins, the widely prescribed cholesterol-lowering drugs that help prevent heart attacks and strokes, can sometimes cause muscle pain, weakness, and even severe muscle…

A new study reveals that improved hurricane forecast graphics may help people identify threatened areas without making them more likely to recognize the danger or take protective action. Researchers also found that a…

Scientists have achieved a major breakthrough in understanding the Universe’s earliest moments, measuring the amount of helium formed in the first five minutes after the Big Bang with unprecedented precision. Using one…

A surprising clinical trial suggests that taking vitamin C daily could improve survival in people with precancerous blood disorders and early-stage blood cancers. Patients receiving the supplement had fewer adverse…