Top Sciences Discovery

Cosmic “touchdown airbursts” — explosions of comets or asteroids above Earth’s surface — may be far more common and destructive than previously thought, according to new research. Unlike crater-forming impacts, these events unleash extreme heat and pressure without leaving obvious scars, making them harder to detect.

Gravitational waves from black holes may soon reveal where dark matter is hiding. A new model shows how dark matter surrounding massive black holes leaves detectable fingerprints in the waves recorded by future space observatories.

Astronomers have detected spacetime itself being dragged and twisted by a spinning black hole for the first time. The discovery, seen during a star’s violent destruction, confirms a prediction made over 100 years ago and reveals new clues about how black holes spin and launch jets.

Much of the western U.S. is overdue for wildfire, with decades of suppression allowing fuel to build up across millions of hectares. Researchers estimate that 74% of the region is in a fire deficit, meaning far more land needs to burn to restore healthy forest conditions. Catching up would require an unprecedented amount of controlled and managed fire.

Researchers have uncovered that the body uses different molecular systems to sense cold in the skin versus internal organs. This explains why surface chills feel very different from cold experienced deep inside the body.

Scientists have discovered that T cell receptors activate through a hidden spring-like motion that had never been seen before. This breakthrough may help explain why immunotherapy works for some cancers and how it could be improved for others.

After a decade of painstaking measurements, scientists have delivered a major plot twist in particle physics: a long-hypothesized “mystery particle” likely doesn’t exist. Using the MicroBooNE experiment at Fermilab, researchers analyzed neutrinos from two powerful beams and found no evidence for a sterile neutrino, ruling it out with 95% certainty.

Traces of opium found inside an ancient alabaster vase suggest drug use was common in ancient Egypt, not rare or accidental. The discovery raises the possibility that King Tut’s famous jars once held opiates valued enough to be buried with pharaohs—and stolen by tomb raiders.

AI tools designed to diagnose cancer from tissue samples are quietly learning more than just disease patterns. New research shows these systems can infer patient demographics from pathology slides, leading to biased results for certain groups. The bias stems from how the models are trained and the data they see, not just from missing samples. Researchers also demonstrated a way to significantly reduce these disparities.

Researchers have identified a previously overlooked protein that helps regulate appetite and energy use in the body. This “helper” protein supports a key system that decides whether the body burns energy or stores it, and when it does not function properly, appetite signals can weaken.

A long-standing physics mystery has been solved with the discovery of emergent photon-like behavior inside a strange quantum material. The finding confirms a true 3D quantum spin liquid and unlocks a new way to study deeply entangled matter.

A missing brain molecule may be disrupting neural wiring in Down syndrome, according to new research. Replacing it in adult mice rewired brain circuits and improved brain flexibility, challenging the idea that treatment must happen before birth.

California researchers are preparing for the possible return of the New World screwworm, a parasitic fly that feeds on living flesh and once devastated U.S. livestock. By monitoring traps and educating veterinarians and farmers, they hope to stop the pest before it gains a foothold.

A rare tick-borne allergy linked to red meat has now been confirmed as deadly for the first time. A healthy New Jersey man collapsed and died hours after eating beef, with later testing revealing a severe allergic reaction tied to alpha-gal, a sugar spread by Lone Star tick bites. Symptoms often appear hours later, making the condition easy to miss. Researchers warn that growing tick populations could put more people at risk.

Scientists at Northern Arizona University are developing a promising new way to detect Alzheimer’s disease earlier than ever before—by tracking how the brain uses sugar. Using tiny particles in the blood called microvesicles, researchers may soon be able to gather brain-specific information without invasive procedures. If successful, this approach could transform Alzheimer’s diagnosis, monitoring, and even prevention, much like how doctors manage heart disease today.

A mysterious cloud of ultra-hot dust around Kappa Tucanae A may finally have an explanation: a hidden companion star. The star’s extreme orbit carries it straight through the dust zone, strongly suggesting it plays a key role in keeping the dust alive. This finding could help astronomers untangle one of the biggest challenges in imaging Earth-like exoplanets. It also opens the door to discovering similar hidden companions around other stars.

People think online platforms are overflowing with toxic and misleading content, but the reality is far calmer. A small group of highly active users creates most of the harm, while the majority remain relatively civil. Still, many Americans assume the worst about each other because of this imbalance. Correcting that belief can noticeably improve how people feel about society.

Researchers used miniature human brains grown in the lab to uncover why certain genetic mutations lead to abnormally small brains. Changes in actin disrupted the orientation of early brain cell divisions, causing crucial progenitor cells to disappear too soon. This reduced the brain’s ability to grow normally. The work offers a clear cellular explanation for microcephaly linked to Baraitser-Winter syndrome.

Over 8,000 years ago, early farming communities in northern Mesopotamia were already thinking mathematically—long before numbers were written down. By closely studying Halafian pottery, researchers uncovered floral and plant designs arranged with precise symmetry and numerical patterns, revealing a surprisingly advanced sense of geometry.

A museum visit sparked a revelation when a Roman glass cup was turned around and its overlooked markings came into focus. These symbols, once dismissed as decoration, appear to be workshop identifiers used by teams of skilled artisans. The findings challenge centuries of assumptions about how Roman glass was made. They also restore identity and agency to the anonymous makers behind these stunning objects.

Cells may generate their own electrical signals through microscopic membrane motions. Researchers show that active molecular processes can create voltage spikes similar to those used by neurons. These signals could help drive ion transport and explain key biological functions. The work may also guide the design of intelligent, bio-inspired materials.

Ramanujan’s elegant formulas for calculating pi, developed more than a century ago, have unexpectedly resurfaced at the heart of modern physics. Researchers at IISc discovered that the same mathematical structures behind these formulas also describe real-world phenomena like turbulence, percolation, and even black holes. What once seemed like pure mathematics now appears deeply intertwined with the physical laws governing the universe.

Scientists have digitally reconstructed the face of a 1.5-million-year-old Homo erectus fossil from Ethiopia, uncovering an unexpectedly primitive appearance. While its braincase fits with classic Homo erectus, the face and teeth resemble much older human ancestors. This discovery challenges long-held ideas about where and how Homo erectus evolved. It also hints at a complex web of migrations and possible mixing between early human species.

Scientists are uncovering a surprising way to influence bacteria—not by killing them, but by changing how they communicate. Researchers studying oral bacteria found that disrupting chemical signals used in bacterial “conversations” can shift dental plaque toward healthier, less harmful communities. The discovery could open the door to new treatments that prevent disease by maintaining a balanced microbiome rather than wiping bacteria out entirely.

Physicists have found a clever way to detect the elusive Unruh effect without extreme accelerations. By using atoms that emit light cooperatively between mirrors, acceleration subtly shifts when a powerful light burst appears. That early flash acts like a timestamped signature of the effect. The method could make once-theoretical physics experimentally reachable.

A rare, ultra-long earthquake in Myanmar revealed that mature faults can deliver their full force directly to the surface. The discovery could mean stronger shaking near faults like California’s San Andreas than current models predict.

Around 1,000 years ago, a major climate shift reshaped rainfall across the South Pacific, making western islands like Samoa and Tonga drier while eastern islands such as Tahiti became increasingly wet. New evidence from plant waxes preserved in island sediments shows this change coincided with the final major wave of Polynesian expansion eastward. As freshwater became scarcer in the west and more abundant in the east, people may have been pushed to migrate, effectively “chasing the rain” across vast stretches of ocean.

Consciousness evolved in stages, starting with basic survival responses like pain and alarm, then expanding into focused awareness and self-reflection. These layers help organisms avoid danger, learn from the environment, and coordinate socially. Surprisingly, birds show many of these same traits, from subjective perception to basic self-awareness. This suggests consciousness is far older and more widespread than once believed.

A new theory proposes that the universe’s fundamental forces and particle properties may arise from the geometry of hidden extra dimensions. These dimensions could twist and evolve over time, forming stable structures that generate mass and symmetry breaking on their own. The approach may even explain cosmic expansion and predict a new particle. It hints at a universe built entirely from geometry.

Researchers discovered a hidden molecular “switch” that herpes viruses rely on to invade cells. By combining AI, simulations, and lab experiments, they identified and altered a single amino acid that shut down viral entry. What once might have taken years was achieved far faster using computational tools. The findings open new possibilities for designing future antiviral treatments.

Giant mosasaurs, once thought to be strictly ocean-dwelling predators, may have spent their final chapter prowling freshwater rivers alongside dinosaurs and crocodiles. A massive tooth found in North Dakota, analyzed using chemical isotope techniques, reveals that some mosasaurs adapted to river systems as seas gradually freshened near the end of the age of dinosaurs. These enormous reptiles, possibly as long as a bus, appear to have hunted near the surface, perhaps even feeding on drowned dinosaurs.

Natural killer cells act as the immune system’s rapid-response team, but the stress of anxiety and insomnia may be quietly thinning their ranks. A study of young women in Saudi Arabia found that both conditions were linked to significantly fewer NK cells—especially the circulating types responsible for destroying infected or abnormal cells. As anxiety severity increased, NK cell levels dropped even further, suggesting a stress-driven weakening of immune defenses.

Hot Jupiters were once cosmic oddities, but unraveling how they moved so close to their stars has remained a stubborn mystery. Scientists have long debated whether these giants were violently flung inward or peacefully drifted through their birth disks. A new approach from researchers in Tokyo cracks open this puzzle by using the timescale of orbital circularization as a diagnostic.

The study reveals how Balanophora plants function despite abandoning photosynthesis and, in some species, sexual reproduction. Their plastid genomes shrank dramatically in a shared ancestor, yet the plastids remain vital. Asexual reproduction appears to have evolved repeatedly, helping the plants survive in isolated, humid forest habitats. The research highlights surprising resilience in these bizarre parasitic species.

Scientists are uncovering a new possibility behind long COVID’s stubborn symptoms: hidden infections that awaken or emerge alongside SARS-CoV-2. Evidence is mounting that viruses like Epstein-Barr and even latent tuberculosis may flare up when COVID disrupts the immune system, creating lingering fatigue, brain fog, and other debilitating issues.

Scientists found that certain molecules made by gut bacteria travel to the liver and help control how the body uses energy. These molecules change depending on diet, genetics, and shifts in the microbiome. Some even improved insulin response in liver cells when tested in the lab. The findings could open the door to new ways of preventing or managing obesity and diabetes.

A series of century-scale droughts may have quietly reshaped one of the world’s earliest urban civilizations. New climate reconstructions show that the Indus Valley Civilization endured repeated long dry periods that gradually pushed its people toward the Indus River as rainfall diminished. These environmental stresses coincided with shrinking cities, shifting settlements, and eventually widespread deurbanization. Rather than a dramatic collapse, the civilization appears to have faded slowly under relentless climate pressure.

Male bonobos have an impressive ability to detect when females are most fertile, even though the usual visual cues are unreliable. Researchers tracking wild bonobos in the Congo discovered that males skillfully interpret a mix of swelling timing and a female’s reproductive history to pinpoint the optimal moment for mating. By blending these clues, they overcome nature’s misleading signals and maximize their chances of fathering offspring.

Senescent “zombie” cells are linked to aging and multiple diseases, but spotting them in living tissue has been notoriously difficult. Researchers at Mayo Clinic have now taken an inventive leap by using aptamers—tiny, shape-shifting DNA molecules—to selectively tag these elusive cells. The project began as an offbeat conversation between two graduate students and quickly evolved into a collaborative, cross-lab effort that uncovered aptamers capable of binding to unique surface proteins on senescent cells.

Forskolin, a plant-derived compound, shows surprising potential against one of the most aggressive forms of leukemia. Researchers discovered that it not only stops cancer cells from growing but also makes them far more vulnerable to chemotherapy by preventing them from pumping out the drugs meant to kill them. Experts say this dual action could help create safer, more powerful AML treatments with fewer harsh side effects.

Astronomers tracked a decade of dramatic changes in P13, a neutron star undergoing supercritical accretion. Its X-ray luminosity rose and fell by factors of hundreds while its rotation rate accelerated. These synchronized shifts suggest the accretion structure itself evolved over time. The findings offer fresh clues to how ultraluminous X-ray sources reach such extreme power.

Webb’s latest observations reveal a hellish world cloaked in an unexpected atmosphere: TOI-561 b, an ultra-hot rocky planet racing around its star in under 11 hours. Despite being blasted by intense radiation that should strip it bare, the planet appears to host a thick layer of gases above a global magma ocean, making it far less dense than expected.

Researchers analyzing ancient fossils from caves across Western Australia have uncovered a completely new species of bettong along with two new woylie subspecies—remarkable finds made bittersweet by signs that some may already be extinct.

Scientists exploring how the brain responds to stress discovered molecular changes that can influence behavior long after an experience ends. They also identified natural resilience systems that help protect certain individuals from harm. These findings are opening the door to treatments that focus on building strength, not just correcting problems. The work is also fueling a broader effort to keep science open, independent, and accessible.

A new analysis suggests that people with type 2 diabetes who use GLP-1 medications like Ozempic, Trulicity or Victoza may be less likely to develop epilepsy than those taking DPP-4 inhibitors. Semaglutide showed the strongest connection to lowered risk. Researchers caution that the findings show an association, not proof of cause and effect. More rigorous long-term studies are needed to understand the link.

Researchers discovered that children who went back to school during COVID experienced far fewer mental health diagnoses than those who stayed remote. Anxiety, depression, and ADHD all declined as in-person learning resumed. Healthcare spending tied to these conditions also dropped. Girls showed the largest improvements, highlighting the importance of school-based structure and support.

Scientists have discovered that Madagascar’s iconic Pinocchio chameleon is actually a distinct species now named Calumma pinocchio. DNA from both modern samples and centuries-old museum specimens also exposed another hidden species, Calumma hofreiteri. The study shows that the chameleons’ elongated snouts evolve surprisingly quickly, likely influenced by female mate choice. These findings highlight Madagascar as a hotspot of rapidly diversifying reptile life.

Researchers used AI to pinpoint a little-known monkeypox protein that provokes strong protective antibodies. When the team tested this protein as a vaccine ingredient in mice, it produced a potent immune response. The discovery could lead to simpler, more effective mpox vaccines and therapies. It may also help guide future efforts against smallpox.

Scientists discovered that certain gene changes allow cells to function even when frataxin, the protein lost in Friedreich’s ataxia, is missing. Experiments in worms, human cells, and mice revealed that lowering a gene called FDX2 helps restore vital energy processes. The work points to a new, more targeted treatment strategy.

New research shows that crops are far more vulnerable when too much rainfall originates from land rather than the ocean. Land-sourced moisture leads to weaker, less reliable rainfall, heightening drought risk. The U.S. Midwest and East Africa are particularly exposed due to soil drying and deforestation. Protecting forests and improving land management could help stabilize rainfall and crop yields.

Emerging evidence hints that daily multivitamins might quietly help certain older adults keep their blood pressure in check—especially those with poorer diets and normal readings at the start. While the overall results showed no broad benefit, intriguing improvements appeared in targeted groups, suggesting that micronutrient gaps may play a subtle but meaningful role in hypertension risk.

A sweeping review of more than 2,500 studies reveals that despite booming public enthusiasm, cannabis has strong scientific support for only a few medical uses, leaving most popular claims—like relief for chronic pain, anxiety, and insomnia—on shaky ground. The findings spotlight a persistent gap between what people believe cannabis can do and what clinical evidence actually shows.

Scientists have uncovered a surprising link between dark chocolate and slower aging. A natural cocoa compound called theobromine was found in higher levels among people who appeared biologically younger than their real age.

Scientists have managed to observe solar neutrinos carrying out a rare atomic transformation deep underground, converting carbon-13 into nitrogen-13 inside the SNO+ detector. By tracking two faint flashes of light separated by several minutes, researchers confirmed one of the lowest-energy neutrino interactions ever detected.

TRAPPIST-1e, an Earth-sized world in the system’s habitable zone, is drawing scientific attention as researchers hunt for signs of an atmosphere—and potentially life-supporting conditions. Early James Webb observations hint at methane, but the signals may instead come from the star itself, a small ultracool M dwarf whose atmospheric behavior complicates interpretation.

A sudden, unexplained mass die-off is decimating sea urchins around the world, including catastrophic losses in the Canary Islands. Key reef-grazing species are reaching historic lows, and their ability to reproduce has nearly halted in some regions. Scientists suspect a pathogen but haven’t yet confirmed the culprit. The fate of these reefs may hinge on solving this unfolding pandemic.

Fossils from Qatar have revealed a small, newly identified sea cow species that lived in the Arabian Gulf more than 20 million years ago. The site contains the densest known collection of fossil sea cow bones, showing that these animals once thrived in rich seagrass meadows. Their ecological role mirrors that of modern dugongs, which still reshape the Gulf’s seafloor as they graze. The findings may help researchers understand how seagrass ecosystems respond to long-term environmental change.

Researchers discovered that nerve injuries can alter the immune system throughout the body, and males and females react very differently. Male mice showed strong inflammatory responses, while females showed none, yet both transmitted pain-inducing signals through their blood. These findings reveal previously unknown pathways driving pain, especially in females. The work points toward new opportunities for personalized chronic pain therapies.

Researchers found that eroded lava rubble beneath the South Atlantic can trap enormous amounts of CO2 for tens of millions of years. These porous breccia deposits store far more carbon than previously sampled ocean crust. The discovery reshapes how scientists view the long-term balance of carbon between the ocean, rocks, and atmosphere. It also reveals a hidden mechanism that helps stabilize Earth’s climate over geological timescales.

Rats with naturally high stress levels were far more likely to self-administer cannabis when given access. Behavioral testing showed that baseline stress hormones were the strongest predictor of cannabis-seeking behavior. Lower cognitive flexibility and low endocannabinoid levels also contributed to increased use. The results hint at possible early indicators of vulnerability to drug misuse.