Science News
Do birds enjoy flying? Scientists asked cockatoos
Flying leads to positive emotions and optimism in Galahs
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Latest science news, discoveries and scientific developments.
Science News
As Star Trek turns 60, it’s not too late to discover the seminal series
Whether it's the original 1966 classic or one of its many modern spinoffs, there's a Star Trek story for everyone. Bethan Ackerley explores how newcomers can get acquainted with this daunting universe
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The danger of viewing the cosmos as a mirror that shows us ourselves
It is only natural to view the world, or even the entire universe, through the lens of humanity – we’re human, after all. But columnist Chanda Prescod-Weinstein says we can appreciate the wonder of the cosmos without inserting ourselves as a main character
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Early statin use linked to 15% lower dementia risk
Starting statins soon after a type 2 diabetes diagnosis may do more than protect the heart. In a nationwide Danish study of more than 132,000 people, those who began statin treatment within a year of diagnosis had a 15% lower relative risk of developing dementia over 10 years compared with those who did not start statins.
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25 years ago, a NASA astronaut captured this haunting photo of the 9/11 attacks — Earth from space
During the Sept. 11 attacks, NASA astronaut Frank Culbertson — the only American not on Earth at the time — snapped a "sobering" shot of smoke pouring across New York City as the second tower fell.
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Eerily humanlike AI-powered robot enters mass production in China — its makers say it could soon be helping you out at home
Xpeng's engineers have designed a humanoid robot that they say is the first in the world that will walk itself off the production line.
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Doctors saved this rare monkey from amputation. Months later, she gave birth
A critically endangered roloway monkey has given birth just months after surgeons performed an unusual operation that saved her foot from amputation. Her new daughter, Lagertha, is an important addition to a species believed to number fewer than 2,000 in the wild.
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Scientists discover a hidden immune signal that helps spinal cords regrow
A surprising immune system signal may help explain why zebrafish can regenerate damaged spinal cords so effectively. Researchers found that certain neutrophils release Il-4, which calms harmful inflammation and allows injured nerve fibers to grow again. Without these cells, healing stalled, but adding Il-4 restored regeneration. Scientists now want to know whether the same mechanism could someday be harnessed to improve spinal cord repair in humans.
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Common dry-cleaning chemical linked to triple the risk of liver scarring
A chemical commonly used in dry cleaning and found in some household products may be an overlooked threat to liver health. Researchers found that people with detectable levels of tetrachloroethylene (PCE) in their blood were three times more likely to have significant liver fibrosis, a dangerous buildup of scar tissue that can eventually lead to liver failure or cancer. The risk climbed sharply as PCE levels increased, even after accounting for factors such as age, sex, race, education, alcohol use, and metabolic conditions.
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Why music is a powerful tool to quiet stress in the brain
Music doesn’t just mask stress; it guides our brains back to a calm state
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Super El Niño set to cause ‘terribly dangerous’ drought in the Amazon
The El Niño phase now under way will be the most damaging on record for the Amazon, scientists warn, raising the risk of catastrophic wildfires
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I made a free AI chatbot solve a decade-long maths problem in 13 minutes
After months covering the shocking rise of AI mathematics, reporter Matthew Sparkes decided to put a free chatbot to the test – and was shocked at the speed at which it solved an outstanding problem
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We’re on the verge of seeing the quantum vacuum for the first time
Quantum theory says a vacuum isn’t truly empty, but proving it directly has remained out of reach. A new experiment using immensely powerful lasers could finally expose its hidden structure – and perhaps offer clues to dark matter
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New blending method gives common polymers a visible, reversible stress signal
Polymeric materials, such as plastics and rubbers, are essential in everyday life. However, detecting where mechanical stress is concentrated inside them remains a challenge.
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What happens when you flush? Study reveals how toilet aerosols reach the breathing zone
Researchers from Flinders University have found that flushing toilets can release aerosols and bioaerosols into the surrounding air, with some studies detecting particles at heights corresponding to adults' breathing zones.
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Genomic analysis clarifies origin of unusual tail in endangered Tsushima leopard cat
Tsushima leopard cats are an endangered species found only on this isolated island. The most recent government survey estimated the population at around 150 individuals, and because domestic cats also inhabit the same landscape, introgression is a legitimate conservation concern.
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Isle of Jura research casts new light on how rivers carve through landscapes
The waters of the remote Scottish island of Jura have long been famous for making whiskey. Now, the island's rivers have helped geologists learn more about how rivers erode rocks, providing new evidence that what streams carry plays an important role in how they carve through landscapes.
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Rare pulsar unleashes 114 giant pulses in a single hour
Astronomers have detected extreme, never-before-seen behavior from a rare kind of pulsar and stumbled on a surprising link to one of astronomy's biggest current mysteries. Using 174 hours of radio observations, researchers detected PSR J1227-4853, a rapidly spinning neutron star known as a "transitional millisecond pulsar," which unleashes hundreds of ultrashort, ultrapowerful "giant pulses." Their paper was published in The Astrophysical Journal on July 31.
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Investments promising social or environmental benefits need tougher anti‑greenwashing rules
Investment funds increasingly promise to deliver social or environmental benefits alongside financial returns. Regulators rightly ask whether these "impact investment" claims are accurate.
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Dog parks are an antidote to the isolation and divisions that social media can fuel
The case against social media has become so well rehearsed that most people can easily merge it into ordinary conversation: It makes people lonely. It sorts them into camps. It hands them a room full of people who already agree with them and calls that a community.