Top Sciences Discovery

Three major reviews commissioned by the World Health Organization find that GLP-1 drugs including tirzepatide (sold as Mounjaro and Zepbound), semaglutide (Ozempic and Wegovy), and liraglutide (Victoza and Saxenda) can lead to substantial weight loss in people with obesity. But while the results are impressive, researchers caution that most trials were funded by drugmakers, long term safety data are still limited, and side effects such as nausea are common.

Life may have started in sticky, rock-hugging gels rather than inside cells. Researchers suggest these primitive, biofilm-like materials could trap and concentrate molecules, giving early chemistry a protected space to grow more complex. Within these gels, the first hints of metabolism and self-replication may have emerged.

For millions of years, a frozen wanderer drifted between the stars before slipping into our solar system as 3I/ATLAS—only the third known interstellar comet ever spotted. When scientists turned NASA’s Swift Observatory toward it, they caught the first-ever hint of water from such an object, detected through a faint ultraviolet glow of hydroxyl gas. Even more surprising, the comet was blasting out water at a rate of about 40 kilograms per second while still far from the Sun—much farther than where most comets “switch on.”

Avian malaria is spreading across Hawaiʻi in a way scientists didn’t fully grasp until now: nearly every forest bird species can help keep the disease alive. Researchers found the parasite at 63 of 64 sites statewide, revealing that both native honeycreepers and introduced birds can quietly pass the infection to mosquitoes—even when carrying only tiny amounts of it. Because infected birds can remain contagious for months or even years, transmission keeps simmering almost everywhere mosquitoes exist.

A distant star system with four super-sized gas giants has revealed a surprise. Thanks to JWST’s powerful vision, astronomers detected sulfur in their atmospheres — a chemical clue that they formed like Jupiter, by slowly building solid cores. That’s unexpected because these planets are far bigger and orbit much farther from their star than models once allowed.

Depression in older adults may sometimes signal the early stages of Parkinson’s disease or Lewy body dementia. Researchers found that depression often appears years before diagnosis and remains elevated long afterward, unlike in other chronic illnesses. This suggests depression may reflect early brain changes rather than emotional distress alone.

Your cat’s purr may say more about who they are than their meow ever could. Scientists discovered that purrs are stable and uniquely identifiable, while meows change dramatically depending on context. Domestic cats, in particular, have evolved highly flexible meows as a way to communicate with humans. The purr, meanwhile, stays constant—making it a reliable marker of individual identity.

Hundreds of millions of years ago, the first animals to crawl onto land were strict meat-eaters, even as plants had already taken over the landscape. Now scientists have uncovered a 307-million-year-old fossil that rewrites that story: one of the earliest known land vertebrates to start eating plants. The animal, named Tyrannoroter heberti, was a stocky, football-sized creature with a skull packed with specialized teeth designed for crushing and grinding vegetation.

Blood vessels twist, branch, narrow, and balloon in ways that dramatically affect how blood flows — but most lab models have long treated them like straight pipes. Researchers at Texas A&M have now built a new kind of “vessel-chip” that mirrors the real complexity of human blood vessels, from aneurysms to dangerous constrictions.

Why does the same virus barely faze one person while sending another to the hospital? New research shows the answer lies in a molecular record etched into our immune cells by both our genes and our life experiences. Scientists at the Salk Institute have created a detailed epigenetic map of human immune cells, revealing how inherited traits and past exposures—like infections, vaccines, or even environmental chemicals—shape immune responses in different ways.

A bonobo named Kanzi surprised scientists by successfully playing along in pretend tea party experiments, tracking imaginary juice and grapes as if they were real. He consistently pointed to the correct locations of pretend items, while still choosing real food when given the option. The results suggest that imagination may not be exclusive to humans after all.

Scientists have uncovered a surprising way tumors turn the immune system to their advantage. Researchers at the University of Geneva found that neutrophils—normally frontline defenders against infection—can be reprogrammed inside tumors to fuel cancer growth instead. Once exposed to the tumor environment, these immune cells begin producing a molecule called CCL3 that actively promotes tumor progression.

Around 1550, life on Rapa Nui began changing in ways long misunderstood. New research reveals that a severe drought, lasting more than a century, dramatically reduced rainfall on the already water-scarce island, reshaping how people lived, worshiped, and organized society. Instead of collapsing, Rapanui communities adapted—shifting rituals, power structures, and sacred spaces in response to climate stress.

Life’s story may stretch further back than scientists once thought. Some genes found in nearly every organism today were already duplicated before all life shared a common ancestor. By tracking these rare genes, researchers can investigate how early cells worked and what features of life emerged first. New computational tools are now helping scientists unlock this hidden chapter of evolution.

A long-standing mystery in spintronics has just been shaken up. A strange electrical effect called unusual magnetoresistance shows up almost everywhere scientists look—even in systems where the leading explanation, spin Hall magnetoresistance, shouldn’t work at all. Now, new experiments reveal a far simpler origin: the way electrons scatter at material interfaces under the combined influence of magnetization and an electric field.

Researchers at the University of Michigan have created an AI system that can interpret brain MRI scans in just seconds, accurately identifying a wide range of neurological conditions and determining which cases need urgent care. Trained on hundreds of thousands of real-world scans along with patient histories, the model achieved accuracy as high as 97.5% and outperformed other advanced AI tools.

Time may feel smooth and continuous, but at the quantum level it behaves very differently. Physicists have now found a way to measure how long ultrafast quantum events actually last, without relying on any external clock. By tracking subtle changes in electrons as they absorb light and escape a material, researchers discovered that these transitions are not instantaneous and that their duration depends strongly on the atomic structure of the material involved.

Satellite imagery reveals how the 2026 Winter Olympics are spread across northern Italy, from alpine valleys to historic cities. Events are hosted in mountain resorts, while Milan and Verona frame the Games with opening and closing ceremonies. The view includes iconic features like Lake Garda and the Venetian lagoon. Together, they show the vast scale and unique setting of this year’s Olympics.

We don’t experience the world through neat, separate senses—everything blends together. Smell, touch, sound, sight, and balance constantly influence one another, shaping how food tastes, objects feel, and even how heavy our bodies seem. Scientists now believe humans may have more than 20 distinct senses working at once. Everyday illusions and experiences reveal just how surprisingly complex perception really is.

Scientists have discovered that DNA behaves in a surprising way when squeezed through tiny nanopores, overturning a long-held assumption in genetics research. What researchers once thought were knots causing messy electrical signals turn out to be something else entirely: twisted coils called plectonemes, formed as flowing ions inside the pore spin the DNA like a phone cord. These twists can linger and grow as DNA moves through, leaving clear electrical fingerprints.

A long-term study found that women who closely followed a Mediterranean diet had a much lower risk of stroke. The strongest benefits were seen in women who ate more plant-based foods, fish, and olive oil while cutting back on red meat and saturated fats. Their risk dropped across all major stroke types, including bleeding strokes, which are less commonly studied. The findings suggest diet may be a powerful but overlooked factor in stroke prevention.

Forests around the world are quietly transforming, and not for the better. A massive global analysis of more than 31,000 tree species reveals that forests are becoming more uniform, increasingly dominated by fast-growing “sprinter” trees, while slow-growing, long-lived species are disappearing. These slower species act as the backbone of forest ecosystems, storing carbon, stabilizing environments, and supporting rich webs of life—especially in tropical regions where biodiversity is highest.

A common iron mineral hiding in soil turns out to be far better at trapping carbon than scientists realized. Its surface isn’t uniform — it’s a nanoscale patchwork of positive and negative charges that can grab many different organic molecules. Instead of relying on a single weak attraction, the mineral uses several bonding strategies to hold carbon tightly in place. This helps explain how soils store enormous amounts of carbon for the long term.

A legendary golden fabric once worn only by emperors has made an astonishing comeback. Korean scientists have successfully recreated ancient sea silk—a rare, shimmering fiber prized since Roman times—using a humble clam farmed in modern coastal waters. Beyond reviving its luxurious look, the team uncovered why this fiber never fades: its glow comes not from dyes, but from microscopic structures that bend light itself.

Baker’s yeast isn’t just useful in the kitchen — it may also be built for space. Researchers found that yeast cells can survive intense shock waves and toxic chemicals similar to those on Mars. The cells protect themselves by forming special stress-response structures that help them endure extreme conditions. This resilience could make yeast a powerful model for astrobiology and future space missions.

Your gut is home to trillions of bacteria that constantly “sense” their surroundings to survive and thrive. New research shows that beneficial gut microbes, especially common Clostridia bacteria, can detect a surprisingly wide range of chemical signals produced during digestion, including byproducts of fats, proteins, sugars, and even DNA. These microbes use specialized sensors to move toward valuable nutrients, with lactate and formate standing out as especially important fuel sources.

Researchers have found a surprising way to turn sunflower oil waste into a powerful bread upgrade. By replacing part of wheat flour with partially defatted sunflower seed flour, breads became dramatically richer in protein, fiber, and antioxidants—while also offering potential benefits for blood sugar and fat digestion.

Scientists at the University of Warwick have cracked a long-standing problem in air pollution science: how to predict the movement of irregularly shaped nanoparticles as they drift through the air we breathe. These tiny particles — from soot and microplastics to viruses — are linked to serious health risks, yet most models still treat them as perfect spheres for simplicity. By reworking a century-old formula, researchers have created the first simple, accurate way to predict how particles of almost any shape behave.

Scientists have uncovered promising clues that compounds found in Aloe vera could play a role in fighting Alzheimer’s disease. Using advanced computer modeling, researchers discovered that beta-sitosterol—a natural plant compound—strongly interacts with two key enzymes involved in memory loss and cognitive decline. The compound showed stability, strong binding, and favorable safety indicators, making it a standout candidate for future drug development.

Scientists have identified a promising new compound, Mic-628, that can reliably shift the body’s internal clock forward—something that’s notoriously hard to do. By targeting a key clock-control protein, Mic-628 jump-starts the gene that sets daily rhythms, synchronizing both the brain’s master clock and clocks throughout the body. In mice experiencing simulated jet lag, a single dose cut recovery time nearly in half.

A colossal ancient impact may have reshaped the Moon far more deeply than scientists once realized. By analyzing rare lunar rocks brought back by China’s Chang’e-6 mission from the Moon’s largest crater, researchers found unusual chemical fingerprints pointing to extreme heat and material loss caused by a giant impact. The collision likely stripped away volatile elements, reshaped volcanic activity, and left a lasting chemical signature deep below the surface.

Physicists at Heidelberg University have developed a new theory that finally unites two long-standing and seemingly incompatible views of how exotic particles behave inside quantum matter. In some cases, an impurity moves through a sea of particles and forms a quasiparticle known as a Fermi polaron; in others, an extremely heavy impurity freezes in place and disrupts the entire system, destroying quasiparticles altogether. The new framework shows these are not opposing realities after all, revealing how even very heavy particles can make tiny movements that allow quasiparticles to emerge.

New evidence from Neolithic mass graves in northeastern France suggests that some of Europe’s earliest violent encounters were not random acts of brutality, but carefully staged displays of power. By analyzing chemical clues locked in ancient bones and teeth, researchers found that many victims were outsiders who suffered extreme, ritualized violence after conflict. Severed arms appear to have been taken from local enemies killed in battle, while captives from farther away were executed in a grim form of public spectacle.

Tiny marine plankton that build calcium carbonate shells play an outsized role in regulating Earth’s climate, quietly pulling carbon from the atmosphere and helping lock it away in the deep ocean. New research shows these microscopic engineers are largely missing from the climate models used to forecast our planet’s future, meaning scientists may be underestimating how the ocean responds to climate change.

Pumas returning to Patagonia have begun hunting mainland penguins that evolved without land predators. Scientists estimate that more than 7,000 adult penguins were killed in just four years, many of them left uneaten. While the losses are dramatic, models show that pumas alone are unlikely to wipe out the colony. Greater dangers come from poor breeding and low survival among young penguins.

A newly discovered deep-sea creature has become an unlikely Internet star. After appearing in a popular YouTube video, a rare chiton found nearly three miles beneath the ocean surface sparked a global naming effort, drawing more than 8,000 suggestions from people around the world. Scientists ultimately chose the name Ferreiraella populi, meaning “of the people,” honoring the public that helped bring it into the scientific record.

New research suggests the astringent sensation caused by flavanols could act as a direct signal to the brain, triggering effects similar to a mild workout for the nervous system. In mouse experiments, flavanol intake boosted activity, curiosity, learning, and memory—despite these compounds barely entering the bloodstream. The key appears to be sensory stimulation: the taste itself activates brain pathways linked to attention, motivation, and stress response, lighting up regions involved in arousal and memory.

Fossils from a Moroccan cave have been dated with remarkable accuracy to about 773,000 years ago, thanks to a magnetic signature locked into the surrounding sediments. The hominin remains show a blend of ancient and more modern features, placing them near a pivotal branching point in human evolution. These individuals likely represent an African population close to the last common ancestor of Homo sapiens, Neandertals, and Denisovans.

Voyager 2’s flyby of Uranus in 1986 recorded radiation levels so extreme they baffled scientists for nearly 40 years. New research suggests the spacecraft caught Uranus during a rare solar wind event that flooded the planet’s radiation belts with extra energy. Similar storms have been seen near Earth, where they dramatically boost radiation levels. The discovery reshapes how scientists think about Uranus—and why it deserves another visit.

Astronomers propose that an ultra-dense clump of exotic dark matter could be masquerading as the powerful object thought to anchor our galaxy, explaining both the blistering speeds of stars near the center and the slower, graceful rotation of material far beyond. This dark matter structure would have a compact core that pulls on nearby stars like a black hole, surrounded by a broad halo shaping the galaxy’s outer motion.

New simulations reveal that both H1N1 and COVID-19 spread across U.S. cities in a matter of weeks, often before officials realized what was happening. Major travel hubs helped drive rapid nationwide transmission, with air travel playing a bigger role than daily commuting. Unpredictable transmission patterns made real-time forecasting especially difficult. The study highlights why early detection systems are critical for slowing future pandemics.

For decades, Americans were surrounded by lead from car exhaust, factories, paint, and even drinking water, often without realizing the damage it caused. By analyzing hair samples preserved across generations, scientists uncovered a striking record of how exposure soared before environmental rules and then collapsed after leaded gasoline and other sources were phased out.

New research suggests that Epstein-Barr virus may actively provoke the immune system in people with multiple sclerosis. Scientists found large buildups of virus-targeting immune cells in the nervous systems of MS patients, far more than in their blood. One viral gene was active only in people with MS, hinting at a direct role in the disease. The findings could help guide new approaches to treatment.

New research using rhesus monkeys suggests that the brain’s relationship with alcohol may begin forming long before a person ever takes a drink. Scientists found that exposure to alcohol before birth reshaped the brain’s dopamine system, a key player in motivation and reward, and those changes were linked to faster drinking later in adulthood.

Scientists in Australia have uncovered a clever new way to fight some of the most dangerous drug-resistant bacteria by targeting a sugar that exists only on bacterial cells. By designing antibodies that recognize this unique sugar, researchers were able to guide the immune system to attack and eliminate deadly infections that normally shrug off antibiotics.

Scientists have cracked a key mystery behind spider silk’s legendary strength and flexibility. They discovered that tiny molecular interactions act like natural glue, holding silk proteins together as they transform from liquid into incredibly tough fibers. This same process helps create silk that’s stronger than steel by weight and tougher than Kevlar.

Scientists have found that ancient Martian lakes could have survived for decades despite freezing air temperatures. Using a newly adapted climate model, researchers showed that thin, seasonal ice could trap heat and protect liquid water beneath. These lakes may have gently melted and refrozen each year without ever freezing solid. The idea helps solve a long-standing mystery about how Mars shows so much evidence of water without signs of a warm climate.

A new imaging breakthrough combines ultrasound and light-based techniques to generate vivid 3D images that show both tissue structure and blood vessel activity. Developed by researchers at Caltech and USC, the system delivers detailed results quickly and without radiation or contrast dyes. It has already been used to image multiple parts of the human body. The approach could significantly improve cancer detection, nerve-damage monitoring, and brain imaging.

Physicists have watched a quantum fluid do something once thought almost impossible: stop moving. In experiments with ultra-thin graphene, researchers observed a superfluid—normally defined by its endless, frictionless flow—freeze into a strange new state that looks solid yet still belongs to the quantum world. This long-sought phase, known as a supersolid, blends crystal-like order with superfluid behavior and has puzzled scientists for decades.

Kemp’s ridley sea turtles, one of the most endangered sea turtle species on Earth, live in some of the noisiest waters on the planet, right alongside major shipping routes. New research reveals that these turtles are especially sensitive to low-frequency sounds—the same rumbling tones produced by ships and industrial activity underwater.

Deep inside Earth, two massive hot rock structures have been quietly shaping the planet’s magnetic field for millions of years. Using ancient magnetic records and advanced simulations, scientists discovered that these formations influence the movement of liquid iron in Earth’s core. Some parts of the magnetic field remained stable over vast stretches of time, while others changed dramatically.

At just two months old, babies are already organizing the world in their minds. Brain scans revealed distinct patterns as infants looked at pictures of animals, toys, and everyday objects, showing early category recognition. Scientists used AI to help decode these patterns, offering a rare glimpse into infant thinking. The results suggest babies begin learning and understanding far sooner than expected.

Scientists still don’t know how the brain turns physical activity into thoughts, feelings, and awareness—but a powerful new tool may help crack the mystery. Researchers at MIT are exploring transcranial focused ultrasound, a noninvasive technology that can precisely stimulate deep regions of the brain that were previously off-limits. In a new “roadmap” paper, they explain how this method could finally let scientists test cause-and-effect in consciousness research, not just observe correlations.

Melting ice from West Antarctica once delivered huge amounts of iron to the Southern Ocean, but algae growth did not increase as expected. Researchers found the iron was in a form that marine life could not easily use. This means more melting ice does not automatically boost carbon absorption. In the future, Antarctic ice loss could actually reduce the ocean’s ability to slow climate change.

Scientists have uncovered a surprising genetic shift that may explain how animals with backbones—from fish and frogs to humans—became so complex. By comparing sea squirts, lampreys, and frogs, researchers found that key genes controlling cell communication began producing many more protein variations right at the moment vertebrates emerged. This genetic flexibility likely helped cells specialize in new ways, shaping the development of diverse tissues and organs.

Plants make chemical weapons to protect themselves, and many of these compounds have become vital to human medicine. Researchers found that one powerful plant chemical is produced using a gene that looks surprisingly bacterial. This suggests plants reuse microbial tools to invent new chemistry. The insight could help scientists discover new drugs and produce them more sustainably.

A newly identified tiny dinosaur, Foskeia pelendonum, is shaking up long-held ideas about how plant-eating dinosaurs evolved. Though fully grown adults were remarkably small and lightweight, their anatomy was anything but simple—featuring a bizarre, highly specialized skull and unexpected evolutionary traits. Detailed bone studies show these dinosaurs matured quickly with bird- or mammal-like metabolism, while their teeth and posture hint at fast, agile lives in dense forests.

Researchers have found that manganese, an abundant and inexpensive metal, can be used to efficiently convert carbon dioxide into formate, a potential hydrogen source for fuel cells. The key was a clever redesign that made the catalyst last far longer than similar low-cost materials. Surprisingly, the improved manganese catalyst even beat many expensive precious-metal options. The discovery could help turn greenhouse gas into clean energy ingredients.

Astronomers have produced the most detailed map yet of dark matter, revealing the invisible framework that shaped the Universe long before stars and galaxies formed. Using powerful new observations from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, the research shows how dark matter gathered ordinary matter into dense regions, setting the stage for galaxies like the Milky Way and eventually planets like Earth.

As we age, our cells don’t just wear down—they reorganize. Researchers found that cells actively remodel a key structure called the endoplasmic reticulum, reducing protein-producing regions while preserving fat-related ones. This process, driven by ER-phagy, is tied to lifespan and healthy aging. Because these changes happen early, they could help trigger later disease—or offer a chance to stop it.