Latest news
'Impossible' black holes, Antarctica's hidden 'plumbing' and more.
Science news this week Feb. 8, 2025: Our weekly roundup of the latest science in the news, as well as a few fascinating articles to keep you entertained over the weekend.
'City-killer' asteroid has a 1-in-43 chance of smashing into Earth in 2032, NASA says
A space rock dubbed 2024 YR4 has a roughly 2.3% chance of smashing into our planet, NASA scientists announced.
Astronomers discover 'Quipu', the single largest structure in the known universe
Newly discovered Quipu, a superstructure in which galaxies group together in clusters and clusters of clusters, is the largest known structure in the universe in terms of length, scientists claim.
In a 1st, ancient proteins reveal sex of human relative from 3.5 million years ago
Researchers have extracted ancient proteins from australopithecine fossils and determined whether they were male or female — a first for human evolution studies.
'Wandering' contraceptive implant travels to woman's lung in rare case
A woman's contraceptive implant ended up in her lung; doctors believe the device migrated because it wasn't inserted in her upper arm properly.
January 2025 hottest on record despite US cold and La Niña
La Niña and record cold temperatures in the U.S. should have made Earth cooler, but January 2025 was still the hottest on record, with an average global warming of 3.15 F (1.75 C) above pre-industrial levels.
Red 'star' rising with the moon on Sunday is really Mars — and you may be able to see it 'disappear'
Mars will appear to make an ultraclose approach to the moon on Sunday, after Jupiter had a turn earlier this week. Here's how to get the best view of the rare conjunction.
Stunning, rainbow-colored object spotted by James Webb telescope could be an alien solar system in the making
The James Webb Space Telescope has captured a belching protostar in its infancy. By studying the dust grains whirling around it, astronomers hope to better understand how solar systems like our own take shape.
Orcas off Antarctica filmed teaching calves to hunt in incredible new footage
The adult orcas swam around the ice demonstrating how to pull a seal off by its tail.
Alaska's ice is melting in front of our eyes, staggering satellite shots show
Unusual weather patterns and climate change have been driving stark changes in the northwestern state. Now, new satellite images show the extent of this transformation.
11,000-year-old settlement in Canada could rewrite history of Indigenous civilizations in North America
The discovery of an 11,000-year-old village in Saskatchewan could rewrite Indigenous history in central Canada.
Coldest-ever qubits could lead to faster quantum computers
Scientists have cooled qubits to record low temperatures using a quantum refrigerator powered by "hot thermal baths."
Romania's trovants: The bulbous 'living' rocks that inspired folkloric tales of dinosaur eggs and aliens
Trovants are rocks that grow by absorbing minerals from rainwater. Romania is home to a cluster of trovants that inspired folklore of dinosaur eggs, plant fossils and alien creations.
NASA's new SPHEREx space telescope to launch in February — it can do what the JWST can't
SPHEREx is slated to launch Feb. 27 on a SpaceX rocket. It is meant to map the entire night sky in infrared — something even the JWST can't exactly do.
2nd form of bird flu detected in US cows
A branch of the H5N1 bird flu family tree that hadn't previously been seen in cattle has now been detected in dairy cows.
Scientists are building an ultimate atlas of the vagina. Here's why.
Scientists are studying the vaginal microbiome in populations all around the world to see how it might differ in different people and in health and disease.
'Incredible moment in history:' Particle accelerator and AI offer first peek inside 2,000-year-old Herculaneum scroll
A 2,000-year-old Herculaneum scroll buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius is filled with lost words that scholars can now decipher thanks to AI and a particle accelerator.
New 'Camp Hill' virus discovered in Alabama is relative of deadly Nipah — the 1st of its kind in the US
A new virus related to the deadly Nipah and Hendra viruses has been detected in shrews in the U.S. However, scientists say there is currently "no evidence" that it has infected humans and the risk of it doing so is "likely low."
