Science News
Latest news
Turuchan pika: The adorable ball of fluff that just loves to play
By Lydia Smith published
Turuchan pikas play all sorts of games, including swinging from branches, throwing food around and hiding them jumping out at each other.
Destroyed observatory helped SETI unlock the secrets of 'cosmic lighthouses' powered by dead stars
By Robert Lea published
"Even years after the Arecibo Observatory's collapse, its data continues to unlock critical information that can advance our understanding of the galaxy."
World's 1st mechanical qubit uses no light or electronics. It could lead to ultra-precise gravity-sensing tech.
By Owen Hughes published
Scientists have created a single unit of quantum information using a superconducting circuit and a vibrating sapphire crystal.
Tiny, portable 'laboratories' sort germs using electricity
By Blanca H. Lapizco-Encinas published
Pathogens have distinct electrical charges, shapes and sizes. Measuring how quickly they move through an electric field can help researchers separate different species in a sample in minutes.
Do cats communicate with their tails?
By Clarissa Brincat published
From tail up to tail down, what do different cat tail positions and movements mean?
'A challenge and an opportunity for evolution': The extreme, hidden life thriving in Earth's most acidic and alkaline lakes
By David Strayer published
"The most acidic natural inland waters are the lakes that lie in the craters of volcanoes, like Kawah Ijen in Indonesia. These lakes are so rich in sulfuric acid that they may have a pH as low as 0.1. To put this in context, fresh battery acid has a pH of about 0.7. "
Raw milk from US dairies must now be tested for bird flu
By Nicoletta Lanese published
A new federal order requires that U.S. dairies provide milk samples to the USDA so the agency can test the milk for bird flu prior to pasteurization.
Rock found by a 6-year-old on a beach is actually a 50,000-year-old Neanderthal ax
By Margherita Bassi published
The 6-year-old boy found the rock and then didn't tell anyone for three years. But a new examination reveals it was made by some of the last Neanderthals.
Gut microbiome may have fueled the growth of humans' big brains, study suggests
By Emily Cooke published
A new laboratory study in mice suggests that primates like humans evolved large brains with a helping hand from microbes that live in the gut.
NASA delays historic Artemis missions — yet again
By Ben Turner published
The Space Launch System blasts off from its Florida launchpad.
'Eight billion bucks or bust': From pirates to 'stupid mistakes' — the wild story of how James Webb Space Telescope almost failed to launch
By Richard Panek published
"Budget overruns, bureaucratic malfeasance, congressional oversight, review-board reckonings, the whole process of rethinking how to test a space telescope from the ground up: Webb had survived them all. One other factor, however, continued to create havoc with the budget and the launch timeline deep into the 2010s — what Menzel called 'stupid mistakes.'"
100th woman in space, Emily Calandrelli, stands up to 'small men' on the internet: 'I should have expected this.'
By Pandora Dewan published
The astronaut and MIT engineer's monumental milestone was marred by misogyny: "Instead of being on cloud nine, I’m crying in my seat."
Most expensive dinosaur skeleton ever now on display in New York City
By Stephanie Pappas published
'Apex,' one of the most complete stegosaurus fossils ever found, is on display at the American Museum of Natural History.
'Mega momma' great white shark killed on drumline may reveal secrets about iconic predator
By Melissa Hobson published
Scientists hope the body of a pregnant great white shark killed on a drumline will reveal some of the mysteries of the species' reproduction.
Fossil Forest, Dorset: England's 145 million-year-old tree stump fossils preserved by ancient microbes
By Sascha Pare published
The Fossil Forest in Dorset is a stretch of southern English coastline peppered with living mounds of limestone that hide the remains of cypress trees from the late Jurassic period.
World's 2nd fastest supercomputer runs largest-ever simulation of the universe
By Keith Cooper published
The simulations will be used by astronomers to test the standard model of cosmology.
Tiny spoons could have measured out ancient Roman drugs, researchers suggest — but evidence is sparse
By Kristina Killgrove published
Spoon-like metal objects attached to Roman-era belts may represent drug dosing equipment, researchers suggest.
Why do worms come out in the rain?
By Charles Q. Choi published
Earthworms commonly come out when it's wet outside, but why?
Sign up for the Live Science daily newsletter now
Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox.