Latest news
AI-designed chips so weird that 'humans cannot really understand them' — but they perform better than anything we've created
AI models have, within hours, created more efficient wireless chips through deep learning, but it is unclear how their 'randomly shaped' designs were produced.
Evolution itself can evolve, new study argues
A new computer model suggests that the process of evolution can get better at evolving in the face of environmental change.
Norrie disease: The rare genetic disorder that makes people go blind and deaf
Only around 500 cases of Norrie disease, a genetic condition, have been reported worldwide.
Tomb of ancient Egyptian pharaoh is 1st to be discovered in 100 years
The tomb of Thutmose II, a pharaoh who ruled about 3,500 years ago, has been discovered west of the Valley of the Kings.
Strange radio signals traced to outskirts of long-dead galaxy — and scientists aren't sure why
A dead galaxy shouldn't produce bursts of radio light. Yet this 11 billion-year-old one did — throwing scientists for a loop.
US suffers record-breaking cold: What's going on with the polar vortex?
A winter storm is hitting the U.S. with record-breaking cold and heavy snow. Is the polar vortex to blame?
5,000-year-old fortress found in Spain contains mysterious burial of Roman-era man with dagger
The nearly 5,000-year-old fortress in Spain has a much more recent burial dating to the Roman era.
'Plastics are there and seem to be getting worse': Viral study of microplastics in human brains shows worrisome trend, but has flaws
A close-up shot of microplastics resting on a human finger.
Lasers reveal 1,000-year-old Indigenous road near Chaco Canyon that aligns with the winter solstice
Researchers think the Indigenous roads were more about cosmology than traffic.
Man nearly guaranteed to get early Alzheimer's is still disease-free in his 70s — how?
A man who should have developed early-onset Alzheimer's disease due to a genetic mutation is still symptom-free in his 70s. Scientists are trying to understand why.
'Iridescent' clouds on Mars captured in Martian twilight in stunning NASA rover images
"I'll always remember the first time I saw those iridescent clouds and was sure at first it was some color artifact."
2,000-year-old spoon from Isle of Man may have been used in blood rituals for fortune telling
A mysterious bronze spoon unearthed on the Isle of Man is rare evidence of ancient ritual in Europe.
Hormonal birth control may double risk of stroke, study finds — but don't panic
Using hormonal birth control methods, such as "the pill," may increase users' risk of blood clots, strokes and heart attacks, a new study has found. However, even then, a person's overall risk of these conditions is still low.
World's glaciers are losing enough ice to fill 3 Olympic pools every second, terrifying new study finds
A groundbreaking new study provides the first consistent global picture of glacier decline since 2000, revealing that glaciers across the world have lost a whopping 5% of their volume since then.
Breakthrough quantum chip that harnesses new state of matter could set us on the path to quantum supremacy
Microsoft scientists have created a quantum processor that taps into a rare state of matter that was first theorized in the 1930s, paving the way for a processor with a million qubits within years.
'Speech gene' seen only in modern humans may have helped us evolve to talk
A specific gene variant seen in people is likely one of many that contributed to the development of language in modern humans, scientists say. And it changes how mice squeak.
Shattered 1,800-year-old sword was 'ritually sacrificed' and may be from Vandal warrior's grave
A metal sword broken into three pieces may be evidence of a Germanic warrior's burial from the Roman Empire.
Diagnostic dilemma: Weakness in a man's leg revealed his abnormally small brain
A man went to hospital complaining about weakness in his left leg, and subsequent brain scans revealed a surprising finding.
