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Scientists discover spice synergy that boosts anti-inflammation 100x
Chronic inflammation often works quietly in the background but can fuel serious diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. New research reveals that everyday plant compounds—like menthol from mint, cineole from eucalyptus, and capsaicin from chili peppers—can team up inside immune cells to dramatically boost their anti-inflammatory power. While individual compounds showed modest effects, certain combinations amplified results hundreds of times over by activating different cellular pathways at once.
Scientists Discovered a 'Yellow Brick Road' at The Bottom of The Ocean
Where does it lead?
RFK Jr. says he's launching a podcast to expose 'lies' that have made Americans sick
The show will launch next week and feature Kennedy, a longtime anti-vaccine crusader who has reshaped the country’s health policy, in conversation with doctors, scientists and agency staff.
What is the quantum ‘Ghost Murmur’ purportedly used in Iran? Scientists question CIA’s claim of long-range heartbeat detection
Ghost Murmur was described as a futuristic CIA tool that could detect a heartbeat from vast distances. Physicists say the public story clashes with the basic limits of magnetic sensing
Podcasting meets science in interdepartmental collab
To make a podcast, you’ll probably need someone to interview. And to be a scientist,...
Large Hadron Collider gives scientists their best look yet at conditions right after the Big Bang
"This is the first time we have observed, for a large interval in momentum and for multiple species, this flow pattern in a subset of proton collisions in which an unusually large number of particles are produced."
UIndy Researchers Recognized by Indiana Academy of Science
Rochelle Maxson ’26 and Dr. Marc Milne, professor of biology, were awarded for their work at the annual meeting of the Indiana Academy of Science (IAS). The IAS seeks to bring together Indiana scientists, researchers, and educators across all disciplines to share discoveries and advance science. The Academy’s 2026 meeting had a record number of
Artemis II: Beleaguered federal scientists take a victory lap
As the NASA astronauts return to Earth, President Donald Trump is promoting deep cuts in research funding for the second year in a row.
Physicists zero in on the mass of the fundamental W boson particle
When fundamental particles are heavier or lighter than expected, physicists' understanding of the universe can tip into the unknown. A particle that is just beyond its predicted mass can unravel scientists' ...
How does mitochondrial DNA affect your health? - Salk Institute for Biological Studies
Highlights Salk scientists have created a platform to study mitochondrial DNA mutations that lead or contribute to human disease They generated a library of 155 mitochondrial DNA mutant cells, nearly the human level of mitochondrial DNA mutant diversity The platform and library will accelerate innovation in the mitochondrial disease therapeutic space LA JOLLA—Some of your most important life partners are the mitochondria that power all your cells. You and these little cellular powerhouses are in a 1.5-billion-year-old evolutionary relationship—but mitochondria brought some baggage. Mitochondria brought their own DNA with them when they joined with the bigger, more complex cells so long ago, and today that mitochondrial DNA influences human health.
Entire Human Populations Vanished 3,000 Years Ago. Scientists Figured Out Where They Went.
The population drop opened the door for outsiders to repopulate with new demographics and cultures.
Scientists Are Using Sound Waves to Bend Materials to Their Will
Futuristic control of structure in some materials is being made possible by a physics loophole.
Scientists say we’ve been wrong about what makes sprinters fast
A new international study is shaking up how we think about elite sprinting, arguing there’s no single “perfect” running style behind the world’s fastest athletes. Instead, speed emerges from a complex mix of an individual’s body, coordination, strength, and training—meaning every top sprinter moves differently. Using examples like rising Australian star Gout Gout, researchers show that unique physical traits can produce world-class speed without copying anyone else’s technique.
How Argonne scientists are paving the way for faster, smarter electronics
In breakthrough research, Argonne scientists lay the groundwork for spintronic technologies that pave the way for next-generation electronics.
Why The Double Helix is such an extraordinary but infuriating book
James Watson’s The Double Helix is probably one of the greatest science books of all time – but Michael Le Page finds he can’t recommend that anyone actually reads it
Artemis 2 science gets underway as Orion begins its return trip
As Artemis 2 begins its return to Earth, scientists are just starting to review the images and observations taken by the crew as they flew around the moon.
Scientist leaves Yale for China, chip researcher’s death: 7 science highlights
From China closer to detecting US nuclear submarines to its jam-proof satellite network, here are some highlights from SCMP’s recent science reporting.
Scientists Have Found a New Neurodevelopmental Disorder Hidden in Our Genes
And it may be relatively prevalent.
Quantum computers keep losing data. This breakthrough finally tracks it
Quantum computers struggle with a major flaw: their information vanishes unpredictably. Scientists have now created a new method that can measure this loss over 100 times faster than before. By tracking changes in near real time, researchers can finally see what’s going wrong inside these systems. This could be a big step toward making quantum computers stable and practical.
Scientists rethink DNA after discovering it can be built from scratch
Scientists show DNA polymerases can build long, patterned DNA without a template, opening new paths for synthetic biology and gene design.
Climate Change Is Altering a Key Greenhouse Gas in a Way Scientists Didn’t Expect
The lifetime of nitrous oxide is decreasing more quickly than expected, which is changing climate projections.
African frogs haven’t forgotten the ice ages. Scientists can tell by where they live.
Why are frogs diverse in some parts of Africa’s rainforests and less so in others? The patterns of cooling and glaciation during the last ice age would probably not have been your first answer or even your last-ditch guess, but it is, nonetheless, correct. “When the glaciers were at their maximum
Amid Iran war, 53 of Israel's future scientists showcase projects in Jerusalem contest
‘Courageous, creative, and deeply committed’: The Young Scientists and Developers in Israel returns for its 29th year amid war, as part of National Science Week events.
Scientists map the brain’s hidden wiring using RNA barcodes in major breakthrough
Researchers have developed a cutting-edge technique that uses RNA “barcodes” to map how neurons connect, capturing thousands of links with single-synapse precision. The method transforms brain mapping into a sequencing task, making it faster and more scalable than traditional approaches. In mice, it revealed surprising new connections between brain cells that were previously unknown. This could open the door to earlier detection and targeted treatment of neurological diseases.
Scientists discover reversible male birth control that stops sperm production
Scientists at Cornell University may be closing in on the long-sought “holy grail” of male contraception: a safe, reversible, nonhormonal method that completely halts sperm production. In a breakthrough mouse study, researchers used a compound called JQ1 to temporarily shut down meiosis—the critical process that produces sperm—without causing lasting harm. After treatment stopped, sperm production bounced back, fertility returned, and the animals produced healthy offspring.
Scientists just uncovered the secret behind nature’s “proton highway”
Scientists have zoomed in on how phosphoric acid moves electrical charges so efficiently in both biology and technology. By freezing a key molecular pair to extremely low temperatures, they found it forms just one stable structure—contrary to predictions. This structure relies on a specific hydrogen-bond network that may be universal in similar systems. The discovery helps explain how protons travel so quickly and could inspire better energy materials.
MAGA Is Winning Its War Against U.S. Science
Source: NBER With all the other terrible news right now, you may not have noticed that Donald Trump is in the process of killing American science. OK, that’s an exaggeration — but not that much of an exaggeration. The Trump administration’s latest budget proposal calls for a gigantic increase in military spending combined with severe cuts to social programs. But as the chart above shows, it also calls for debilitating reductions in research funding. Furthermore, Trump appointees have already been strangling science by sharply reducing the rate at which research grants are approved. Here, for example, is the number of new grants approved by the National Science Foundation: Source: Nature Large numbers of existing grants have also been frozen or terminated, especially in the study of infectious diseases. Add to this a sharp drop in visas issued to foreign students, who often play a direct role in research and who help support academic departments that do research: Put all of this together, and much U.S. scientific research is set to come to a screeching halt — not a few years from now, but over the course of the next year or two. This new assault on U.S. science is taking place at a time when the role of American science in the world has already been greatly eroded. The chart below, based on research recently reported by the National Bureau of Economic Research, measures national strength in science by the share of publications in highly ranked journals. In the 1990s the United States had more such publications than the rest of the world combined. Since then we’ve dropped into third place — well behind China and slightly below the European Union. And this was before the Trump administration’s attack on science had time to take its full effect. Source Some erosion in U.S. scientific preeminence was inevitable given China’s growing sophistication and wealth. But we’ve also fallen behind Europe, even though everyone says that Europe is lagging economically and technologically. Claims about Europe’s underperformance are, in fact, dubious if one looks hard at the data. But it’s still striking to see America lagging. What’s going on? There are presumably multiple factors behind America’s scientific lag. But even before Trump II the growing hostility of the U.S. right to science surely had some negative effect. And since the rise of MAGA G.O.P. attitudes toward science in general have become overwhelmingly hostile. This is true even for the Republican rank and file: And while I haven’t been able to find good survey data, it’s obvious that the anti-science turn has been even more pronounced — and began earlier — among the Republican political elite. Chris Mooney published The Republican War on Science in 2005, and even then was describing a longstanding trend. Why have Republicans turned so anti-science? Part of the answer is that they believe that scientists don’t support them. And they’re right! A study of who scientists give money to shows that only a small percentage gave money to Republicans even 20 years ago, and that almost none of them donate to Republicans now: Social scientists have always been strongly pro-Democratic, while there used to be a significant number of physical, “hard” scientists supporting the GOP. But these days physicists are almost as uniformly Democratic, or at least non-Republican, as sociologists. Why are there almost no Republican scientists? It’s not a mystery. GOP political orthodoxy includes positions that are at odds with the scientific consensus on multiple issues, ranging from the validity of the theory of evolution, to the reality of climate change, to the efficacy and safety of vaccines. In each case the scientific consensus is solidly grounded in evidence. But even before the rise of MAGA the U.S. right was increasingly hostile to evidence-based policymaking — especially, of course, where the evidence is unfavorable to fossil fuel interests or quack medicine, both financial mainstays of right-wing politics. So scientists don’t support Republicans, and the feeling is mutual. Today’s Republican Party doesn’t like science or scientists. It doesn’t like having its preconceived views challenged by appeals to evidence. It knows that very few scientists are on its side electorally. In general, it sees scientific research as a threat to its grasp on political power. Add in MAGA’s combination of rabid anti-intellectualism and allergy to any hint of criticism, and one has the makings of a drastic anti-science turn in policy. “Ignorance is strength” might was well be an official MAGA motto. And as I said, we aren’t talking about something that will happen over the course of multiple years: The U.S. scientific enterprise is threatened with severe damage, even collapse, over just the next year. There are many reasons to find this prospect horrifying: Think of all the beneficial advances, affecting almost every part of life, that won’t happen because U.S. science — still crucial to the world — has been eviscerated. But think, also, of America’s international standing. Can a nation that has forfeited its role as a leader, or even a contender, in global science, still be a Great Power? No. MUSICAL CODA
Physicists moved volatile antimatter by truck for the first time ever — paving the way for groundbreaking new research
CERN scientists transported antimatter by truck for the first time, enabling ultraprecise studies that could reveal why matter dominates the universe.
Why this NASA climate scientist wants you to stay angry
“I don’t think we rebuild science without getting mad.”
New studies of old dogs help scientists understand where they came from
Scientists are tracing back the history of dogs using the oldest genes from the species ever studied
NC State political scientist Steven Greene on the war in Iran and NC's latest political earthquake
How is the war in Iran impacting the state of our politics? We’ll get some expert analysis on both that question and the latest political earthquake rippling through the North Carolina legislature in a two-part chat with NC State political scientist Steven Greene
Scientists solve 30-year mystery of a hidden nutrient that protects the brain and fights cancer
Scientists have finally uncovered the missing link in how our bodies absorb queuosine, a rare micronutrient crucial for brain health, memory, stress response, and cancer defense. For decades, researchers suspected a transporter had to exist, but it remained elusive—until now. By identifying the gene SLC35F2 as the gateway into cells, this breakthrough opens new possibilities for therapies and highlights how diet and gut microbes profoundly shape human health.
A night of two national titles for U-M, as scientists and basketball players both triumph
On the same night that the U-M men's basketball team triumphed in the NCAA tournament, U-M cardiovascular researchers won a national tournament of science
Earth’s most powerful ocean current didn’t form the way we thought
A colossal ocean current encircling Antarctica—stronger than all the world’s rivers combined—played a far more complex role in shaping Earth’s climate than scientists once thought. New research shows it didn’t form just because ocean gateways opened, but required shifting continents and powerful winds to align. This shift helped pull carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, contributing to a major cooling event that transformed Earth into the ice-covered world we know today.
How Forests Start to Fail, One Leaf at a Time
In a Swiss forest lab, scientists tracked how beech and oak leaves cool themselves and pinpointed the moment heat and drought push them past their limits.
Gene Editing Institute Receives $500K Federal Grant to Expand CRISPR Learning Lab
ChristianaCare’s Gene Editing Institute has received a $500,000 federal grant secured by Delaware’s congressional delegation to expand its Learning Lab, a hands-on program that introduces high school and college students to gene editing. The Learning Lab is powered by CRISPR in a Box™, a teaching toolkit developed by Institute scientists that lets students try gene […]
Scientists Are Recycling Centuries-Old Bullets for a Badly Needed Toxic Compound
Researchers want to recycle more lead waste for high-tech solar panels via a new method.
Scientists Are Recycling Centuries-Old Bullets for a Badly Needed Toxic Compound
Researchers want to recycle more lead waste for high-tech solar panels via a new method.
A biblical megaflood could hit the US at any moment. And that’s only the beginning | BBC Science Focus Magazine
A flood, the scale of which has not been seen in centuries, is coming, scientists say. Can we prepare before it hits?
Scientists identify ‘neural fingerprint’ of psychedelic drugs in the brain
Analysis of more than 500 brain scans finds LSD, psilocybin and other psychedelics increase cross-talk between brain systems
Iodised salt has become uncool but many of us need to eat more iodine
Iodine deficiency is on the rise among people in the UK, the US and Australia. A century ago this led to drops in IQ, height and thyroid health – and the modern fancy salt fad may be leading to a resurgence, says columnist Alice Klein
Scientists Develop New Technology to Continuously Monitor Geothermal Energy Operations
Custom sensor monitors seismicity for months straight more than a mile below ground.
Scientists Found ‘Supergenes’ That Turbo-Charge Evolution
It usually takes millions of years for new species to evolve, but not for fish in one African lake.
Scientists discover hidden brain switch that tells you to stop eating
Your brain’s “stop eating” signal may come from an unexpected source. Researchers found that astrocytes—once thought to just support neurons—actually play a key role in controlling appetite. After a meal, glucose triggers tanycytes, which send signals to astrocytes that then activate fullness neurons. This newly discovered pathway could lead to innovative treatments for obesity and eating disorders.
Scientists found a “lost world” of animals that shouldn’t exist yet
A remarkable fossil discovery in southwest China is rewriting the story of how complex animal life began, showing that many key animal groups appeared millions of years earlier than scientists once believed. Dating back over 540 million years, the fossils reveal a surprisingly diverse and advanced ecosystem from the late Ediacaran period—before the famous Cambrian explosion. Among the finds are early relatives of starfish, worm-like creatures, and even ancestors of animals with backbones, suggesting that the roots of modern life were already taking shape.
The brain might not create consciousness after all
Is consciousness something the brain produces, or is it woven into the fabric of reality itself? Renowned neuroscientist Christof Koch is challenging long-held scientific assumptions by confronting the “hard problem” of consciousness — why and how subjective experience exists at all. He highlights growing tensions between neuroscience, physics, and unexplained phenomena like near-death experiences and sudden moments of clarity before death.
This “forbidden” exoplanet has an atmosphere scientists can’t explain
A strange “forbidden” planet spotted by the James Webb Space Telescope is turning planetary science on its head. TOI-5205 b, a Jupiter-sized world orbiting a small, cool star, has an atmosphere surprisingly poor in heavy elements—even less enriched than its own star, which defies current theories of how giant planets form.
SAWSC Scientists Share Latest Research Results at North Carolina Water Resources Research Institute (NC WRRI) Conference
Scientists Will Hamilton, Charlie Stillwell, and Rosemary Fanelli presented their latest research at the 2026 annual North Carolina Water Resources Research Institute (NC WRRI) conference.
Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo and George Mason University scientists mine past air temperature forecasts, lower cost with greater subseasonal prediction accuracy
Researchers at Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo and George Mason University‘s College of Science have developed a new method that improves air temperature forecasts one to five weeks in advance—without requiring additional model simulations.
Scientists may have found a way to keep your bones strong for life
Scientists have identified a little-known receptor, GPR133, as a powerful regulator of bone strength. By activating it with a newly discovered compound called AP503, they were able to boost bone density in mice and counteract osteoporosis-like damage. The finding opens the door to a new kind of treatment that could not only prevent bone loss but also rebuild weakened bones, offering fresh hope for millions affected by osteoporosis, especially aging populations.
Alaska Park Science: USGS and National Park Service Partners in Research
The latest issue of Alaska Park Science features articles on collaborative research between USGS and NPS scientists in park units across Alaska, building a body of science that informs a variety of disciplines as well as park management.
Scientists may finally detect hidden ripples in spacetime
Scientists have taken a major step toward probing one of physics’ biggest mysteries—how gravity and quantum mechanics fit together—by creating the first unified way to detect tiny “ripples” in spacetime itself. These subtle fluctuations, long predicted but poorly defined, are now organized into clear categories with specific signals that real-world instruments can search for. The breakthrough means powerful tools like LIGO and even small tabletop experiments could start testing competing theories of quantum gravity much sooner than expected.
How climate science is sneakily getting funded under Trump
Scientists are keeping their climate work alive by any other name.
Scientists Say: Technofossil
Experts predict that the durability of modern, human-made materials will give rise to a radical new form of fossil.
The Science Behind Fish Markets And DNA Tracking In The Arabian Gulf
Scientists in Bahrain are building the country’s first DNA reference library for sharks and rays using fish market samples, unlocking the full potential of environmental DNA to identify species in one of the hottest and most understudied seas on Earth.
Column | Do men or women have worse farts? Science has the answer.
Yes, scientists have studied whether men or women have worse farts, what makes them smell and why air travel tends to make people gassy.
A global consensus establishes a basis for measuring and improving gut health
While “gut health” is becoming a popular term, mainly in media and marketing claims but also in the clinical context, researchers have not yet nailed down a definition. Now, a global group of 13 scientists and clinicians updates a consensus definition of gut health and implications from bench to bedside.
Faster Detection of Forest Loss
Scientists pioneered a new system that combines data from multiple Earth-observing satellites to identify forest clearing up to 100 days earlier than current methods.
Elementary Science Olympiad exposes Alabama students to high-level science competition
Nearly 250 elementary students gathered at Auburn University for the Elementary Science Olympiad, a day of hands-on competition and discovery. Through fast-paced challenges and collaborative problem-solving, students experienced what it means to think and work like scientists.
New study reveals hidden ocean chemistry
Scientists have found a new way to detect subtle chemical signatures in seawater—revealing previously invisible details about the ocean’s chemistry from data continuously collected by thousands of autonomous robotic floats drifting across the seas.
Newly discovered fossils give scientists first look at the evolution of early complex animals
Newly discovered fossils have given scientists their first real glimpse of when Earth made a crucial transition from plants and unrecognizably simple animals to the complex creatures that took over the world and would eventually lead to us.
Diabetes rates are lower in high-altitude environments — and scientists may have discovered why
A new study finds that in low-oxygen environments, red blood cells absorb more glucose and convert it into a molecule that helps release oxygen into tissues, revealing an unexpected way the body regulates blood sugar.
Diabetes rates are lower in high-altitude environments — and scientists may have discovered why
A new study finds that in low-oxygen environments, red blood cells absorb more glucose and convert it into a molecule that helps release oxygen into tissues, revealing an unexpected way the body regulates blood sugar.
Scientists find hidden brain cells helping deadly cancer grow
Scientists in Canada have uncovered a surprising weakness in glioblastoma, one of the deadliest brain cancers. They found that certain brain cells—once believed to only support healthy nerves—can actually help tumors grow by sending signals that strengthen cancer cells. When researchers blocked this communication, tumor growth slowed dramatically in lab models.
Satellite mirror plans could disrupt sleep and ecosystems worldwide, scientists say
Letters to US agency raise concerns over tech firm’s plans to use reflective satellites and expand numbers in low Earth orbit
Microplastics have been found everywhere. That's a problem for research
Microplastics scientists are finding the tiny particles everywhere, even in their own research laboratories. So how do they know if what they're finding is in the sample or contamination from plastic fibers floating in the air?
Influencers tout injectable peptides as key to youth and beauty. Scientists say they're 'a giant scam'
Crocodile dung. Tapeworms. Raw meat facials. Yes, at some point in history these wildly popular — and wildly unproven — treatments were how people tried to stay young. Right now, plenty of influencers will tell you that injectable peptides are the answer. But the scientists? Not so much.
Buried Roman sanctuary discovered beneath Frankfurt hints at shocking rituals
A hidden Roman sanctuary discovered beneath Frankfurt is offering rare clues about ancient rituals, including possible human sacrifice. With major funding secured, scientists are now racing to uncover how this mysterious, multi-god cult site operated.
Scientists found a protein that drives brain aging — and how to stop it
Scientists have uncovered a powerful new clue in the mystery of brain aging: a single protein called FTL1. In aging mice, higher levels of this protein weakened connections between brain cells and led to memory decline. But when researchers reduced FTL1, something remarkable happened — the brain began to recover, rebuilding lost connections and restoring memory performance.
Scientists trap light in a layer 1,000x thinner than hair
Researchers have created a nanoscale structure that traps infrared light in a layer just 40 nanometers thick—over 1,000 times thinner than a human hair. By using a unique material with exceptional light-bending properties, they can confine and intensify light far beyond previous limits. This setup also dramatically boosts light conversion effects, turning infrared into visible blue light. The advance could pave the way for smaller, faster photonic technologies.
Mars dust storms are sparking electricity and rewriting the planet’s chemistry
Mars may look like a quiet, dusty world, but it’s actually buzzing with hidden electrical activity. Powerful dust storms and swirling dust devils generate static electricity strong enough to spark faint glowing discharges across the planet, triggering chemical reactions that reshape its surface and atmosphere. Scientists have now shown that these tiny lightning-like events can create a surprising mix of chemicals—including chlorine compounds and carbonates—and even leave behind distinct isotopic “fingerprints.”
Chinese Scientists Bioengineering Plants With Firefly Genes to Glow, in Effort to Light Cities at Night
Night lighting may be due for a plant-based glow-up.
Scientists Finally Crack Decades-Old Mystery Behind Statins’ Painful Side Effects
A hidden effect of statins on muscle cells may explain why some patients cannot tolerate them.
Trump Slashed Funding for Science. Now the U.S. Faces a Costly Brain Drain.
The White House’s attacks on academia and budget cuts for research have provided an opening for other countries to poach leading scientists.
Scientists discover hidden gut signals that could detect cancer early
A new study reveals that gut bacteria and metabolites may hold the key to detecting serious digestive diseases earlier and more easily. Using AI, scientists found that biomarkers linked to one condition can often predict others, showing these diseases are more interconnected than previously thought. This cross-disease insight could lead to faster diagnoses without invasive procedures.
A massive arctic thaw is unleashing carbon frozen for thousands of years
A sweeping new study reveals that as Arctic permafrost thaws, it is dramatically reshaping rivers and releasing vast amounts of ancient carbon that had been locked away for thousands of years. By analyzing decades of high-resolution data across northern Alaska, scientists found that runoff is increasing, rivers are carrying more dissolved carbon, and the thawing season is stretching further into the fall. This carbon eventually reaches the ocean, where some of it turns into carbon dioxide, intensifying global warming.
Scientists built a quantum battery that breaks the rules of charging
Scientists have taken a major step toward futuristic energy tech by building a working prototype of a quantum battery—one that can charge, store, and release energy using the strange rules of quantum physics instead of chemistry. This tiny, laser-powered device hints at a future where energy storage is not only faster but actually improves as systems get larger, flipping the rules of conventional batteries.
This exploding star was spotted doing something weird. Now scientists think it might have solved a key cosmic theory | BBC Sky at Night Magazine
New evidence proves these magnetic monsters are the secret engines behind the Universe’s biggest explosions
It’s official: scientists aren’t funny. But it doesn’t have to be this way
It’s a world of bottom quarks and arsole compounds – so why is science still so serious? Levity can make it all a lot easier to understand, says science writer Helen Pilcher
Scientists discover fossils that change what we know about evolution
Scientists have discovered fossils in China that reveal a crucial transition from simple to complex life on Earth
Call for citizen scientists to collect space dust
Resident are urged to join a cosmic quest for micrometeorites from space landing in their gutters.
Meteor impacts may have sparked life on Earth, scientists say
Asteroid impacts may have helped kick-start life on Earth by creating hot, chemical-rich environments ideal for early biology. These impact-generated hydrothermal systems could have lasted thousands of years—long enough for life’s building blocks to form. Scientists now think these environments may have been common on early Earth, making them a strong candidate for where life began. The idea could also guide the search for life on other worlds.
Scientists find evidence for theorized gargantuan star explosions
A supernova is always violent, but some supernovas may be so immensely powerful they leave absolutely nothing behind.
Scientists Have Made French Fry Breakthrough
Researchers have developed a method of making french fries that results in a healthier bite without sacrificing crispiness.
Animal Sciences Faculty Wendie Cohick Among Eight Rutgers Researchers Named 2026 AAAS Fellows
Wendie Cohick, Vice Provost and Vice Chancellor for Research, Rutgers-New Brunswick and faculty in the Department of Animal Sciences, is one of eight Rutgers faculty named to the 2026 class of American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) fellows. Cohick and her Rutgers colleagues were among the 500 scientists, engineers and innovators spanning 24 scientific […]
Scientists Witnessed the Formation of a Mysterious Particle for the First Time
Theories long predicted how polarons form, but now there’s proof.
Scientists Witnessed the Formation of a Mysterious Particle for the First Time
Theories long predicted how polarons form, but now there’s proof.
50-year-old expired salmon found: the shocking discovery that baffles scientists - Futura-Sciences
Unexpected Treasures in Forgotten Cans Decades-old cans tucked away on a shelf might sound like the start of a food safety nightmare, but recently, they’ve become a scientific goldmine instead. In April 2024, the journal Ecology and Evolution published a study that lifted the lid—literally—on an astonishing scientific resource: canned...
Scientists mapped all the nerves of the clitoris for the first time
High-resolution X-ray offers a new look at an understudied organ: the clitoris.
Scientists Just Discovered There’s Actually Something Faster than the Speed of Light
Scientists experimentally confirmed what we’ve known to be true for half a century—darkness can “travel” faster than light.
What do you want to know about how space affects human health?
The Artemis II is flying astronauts to orbit the moon. The deep-space flight is a major opportunity to gather data for even longer, riskier missions, especially Mars. What are your questions about how the body copes with radiation, isolation, or weightlessness, and what scientists hope to learn from the mission?
Assistant Beamline Scientist Grace Luo is facilitating next-generation science at the Advanced Photon Source
At Argonne’s Advanced Photon Source (APS), Grace Luo helps scientists understand atomic‑scale dynamics in functional devices to discover ways of creating more robust and efficient technologies.
We all need to become better science storytellers. Here’s why and how.
Last week, in a lovely New Haven bar, six people gathered in front of a crowd to tell stories that were somehow related to science and public health. It was magical. One person talked about learning how social determinants of health helped them forgive their mother’s alcoholism. Another shared what it’s been like navigating a dementia diagnosis. Another described their last dinner with their mother before they left Nigeria to come to the U.S. and how that moment, plus the diagnosis that followed, shapes their career goals today. As the Executive Director of The Evidence Collective at Your Local Epidemiologist, I was ecstatic to bring this event, “Science and Storytelling,” to the community surrounding the Yale School of Public Health. Stories are not the default way most people communicate about science and public health. In fact, we are taught to take all the emotion out of data, but that makes it pretty darn boring to everyone else. And if people can’t see themselves in it, feel themselves in it, or influence it, how can we ask them to support it? Why do stories stick? How can we all—from community members to public health scientists—do better? And what are some examples?
Artemis science team recruits Stony Brook planetary geologist to help analyze moon's structure
Timothy Glotch is one of 10 scientists who will shape the research plan for upcoming Artemis moon exploration missions, including the one that will put U.S. astronauts on the moon for the first time since Apollo 17, in 1972.
Biophysicist Joins Ranks of Elite Scientists as AAAS Fellow
Dr. G. Andrés Cisneros has been recognized by the American Association for the Advancement of Science for his contributions to biophysics, computational enzymology and computational chemistry. Dr. G. Andrés Cisneros, professor and department head of physics at The University of Texas at Dallas, has been elected to the 2025 class of American Association for the […]
Never had the flu? Scientists may know why
Scientists estimate somewhere between 5%-35% of people do not get sick from the flu despite being exposed to the virus that causes it. Now, researchers may have figured out why. The team looked at mouthwash samples from 19 healthcare workers who, despite frequent contact with infected patients, report never getting flu symptoms. Today on Short Wave, we talk about how what they found could help scientists develop treatments and strategies to protect people who do get the flu. If you liked this episode, check out our show on an effort to map the entire immune system.Interested in more health science? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org.Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.
Mentorship and Immigration in Scientific Careers
In a cross-continental academic journey, one scientist reflects on how mentorship across borders sustains careers, shapes resilience, and guides scientific paths.
Scientists Uncover Massive Climate Secret Beneath Sweden’s Forests
Undisturbed boreal forests may hold far more carbon than expected.
Scientists Discover Why Flu and COVID Hit Older Adults So Hard
A new study reveals that aging lungs may play a major role in why flu and COVID can become so dangerous for older adults. Researchers found that certain lung cells can trigger an exaggerated immune response, creating clusters of inflammatory cells that end up damaging lung tissue instead of protecting it. In experiments, activating this aging-related signal in young mice caused their lungs to behave like older ones, leading to severe illness.