Science
The Guardian view on a supersized El Niño: a natural phenomenon and human folly are a lethal combination | Editorial
Hundreds of thousands are expected to die, millions to go hungry. This is not just about weather patterns, but about injusticeSome warnings are so grave that it is almost impossib…
Is the universe twisted? A new check on a possible twist in the universe's oldest light
The cosmic microwave background (CMB) is the universe's oldest light, leftover thermal radiation from about 380,000 years after the big bang. Maps of the CMB offer a picture of th…
Montreal's squirrels provide insight into evolutionary change in urban species
By comparing variations in the coat colors of eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) in Montreal city parks, researchers found that hyperlocal conditions appear to play a b…
New ways to protect crops by targeting pathogen weaknesses
Scientists from the Biosciences Department at Durham University have outlined possible new approaches to protecting crops from devastating diseases by finding common weaknesses in…
NASA’s Machines for Mars Make Beer Bubbly
Carbon-capture technology repurposed for breweries spreads and finds new applications
Mistletoe berry glue bonds even nonstick Teflon and can be reactivated with heat
Mistletoe is best known from winter traditions as a symbol of luck and affection. For trees, however, the hemiparasitic plant can be a burden: It draws water and nutrients from it…
Practicing for Safe Landings on the Moon and Beyond
In this Aug. 27, 2026, image, an Alta-X drone flies an advanced guidance and navigation system known as the Safe and Precise Landing – Integrated Capabilities Evolution (SPLICE) e…
Supernova or black hole: Neutrino 'flavor' may determine the fate of dying stars
As a star nears the end of its life, it faces two very different fates: It can explode as a supernova, leaving behind a neutron star, or collapse and become a black hole. What det…
Major survey reveals public support for UK nature recovery
A new survey from the University of Exeter and the University of Surrey reveals broad public support for policies to protect and restore nature in the U.K. Researchers surveyed al…
US-India Satellite Captures Time-lapse Video of Volcanic Eruption
Like tendrils on a vine, lava spreads out from the northern crater of Krasheninnikov, a volcano pair on the Pacific coast of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. On July 30, 2025, an 8.8…
'Jumping genes' helped ants in their evolutionary triumph after the extinction of the dinosaurs
About 66 million years ago, the asteroid that ended the age of the dinosaurs paved the way for a spectacular expansion of new animal species. During this period, ants rose to ecol…
Astronomers capture an unprecedented view of gas giant formation in action
In recent decades, astronomers have reconstructed a fairly complete scenario for planet formation, from minute dust motes clumping together to the emergence of rocky spheres thous…
Whirlpool in a water tank reveals long-predicted wave turbulence
When water drains from a bathtub, a whirlpool often forms above the drain, and its narrow core can start to wobble and twist. For almost 150 years, physicists have predicted that …
New species of proto-amphibian described by students, named in honor of their mothers
Around 309 million years ago, long before the dinosaurs, the area around Chicago was a swampy river delta swarming with early land-dwelling animals, giant insects and strange swim…
NASA to Study Human Health, Performance During Crew-13 Mission
During NASA’s SpaceX Crew‑13 mission aboard the International Space Station, astronauts will support a series of biomedical and human performance investigations, including a new c…
Aardwolves and cats share surprising chromosome similarities
In the first detailed chromosome map of the aardwolf, Texas A&M University researchers have discovered that, despite millions of years of separate evolution, the chromosomes of aa…
Nine lives and counting: Feline aging study marks nine years with new clinical trial
The University of Liverpool's Cat Prospective Aging and Welfare Study (CatPAWS), which follows a group of pet cats from middle age into later life, is celebrating more than nine y…
Frog's coat of bacterial armor helps protect it from fungal disease
The bacteria living on frogs' skin could play a vital role in protecting the animals from a deadly fungal disease. A team of researchers led by Penn State scientists found that fr…
Faint young stars reveal spiral galaxy Messier 74 may be twice as large as thought
Astronomers have discovered a faint population of young stars extending far beyond the known edge of the nearby spiral galaxy Messier 74. The finding suggests the galaxy is nearly…
AI’s Meet-Cute With Climate Denial
Earlier this week, President Donald Trump responded to rising public concerns about artificial intelligence with a post on Truth Social. “The same people that said, ‘We’ll all be …
Hungary detects invasive spotted lanternfly for the first time in the EU
An invasive insect linked to major agricultural losses in the U.S. has been detected in the European Union for the first time, Hungary's food safety agency said Thursday.
Researchers build microscopic DNA 'sails' to pull molecules apart
Across every cell in the body, molecules are constantly pulling, gripping and releasing under mechanical strain. That force often decides whether a drug sticks to its target, whet…
How calcium channels in muscle cells open together
Every step we take begins with a burst of calcium inside our muscle cells, causing them to contract. To prepare for action, the cells keep calcium locked in an internal compartmen…
JWST finds early galaxies were already seeding the universe with heavy elements
When the universe was still in its infancy—only 500 million years after the Big Bang, or about 3% of its current age—some of the universe's earliest stars and galaxies had already…