Science

Science news: discoveries, health, climate and space, from the journals and the labs, explained plainly.

750 articles · page 11 of 16 · The Science front page

Space

JWST Reveals Alien Planet's Atmosphere Has a Warped, Asymmetrical Shape

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have discovered that the atmosphere of WASP-17b, a giant planet 1,300 light-years from Earth, is noticeably asymmetrical. The bulge on one side, detected using a technique called transmission strings, provides the first direct observational evidence that exoplanet atmospheres can have uneven shapes. The finding, published in Nature Astronomy, closely matches theoretical predictions and offers a three-dimensional view of an alien world's atmospheric structure.

Science

Stanford researchers develop label-free microscope with unprecedented resolution for living cells

A new microscope developed at Stanford University allows scientists to watch the tiny structures inside living cells move and interact in real time, achieving a resolution of approximately 120 nanometers without the need for fluorescent labels. The breakthrough, published in the journal Light: Science and Applications, could advance cancer research, drug development, and the study of infectious diseases.

Health & Medicine

Experimental drug reverses severe fatty liver disease by repairing gut barrier, animal study finds

An experimental drug developed at Michigan Medicine has reversed a severe form of fatty liver disease in animal studies by protecting the gut lining and reducing harmful bacteria that trigger liver inflammation, researchers report. The compound, DT-109, targets the gut rather than the liver directly, offering a potential new approach to treating metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), a condition affecting roughly 7% of the global population.

Archaeology & Origins

75,000-year-old Neanderthal remains show earliest known spear murder, researchers say

A Neanderthal who died 75,000 years ago from a spear wound through the chest was carefully laid to rest by their kin in Shanidar Cave, according to a study published in Scientific Reports. The remains, unearthed in 2020, preserve a puncture in the shoulder blade consistent with a wooden spear that likely pierced the heart, making it possibly the earliest known lethal spear attack on a human relative.

Earth & Nature

Honeybees aggressively outcompete wild pollinators for food, study finds

Honeybees are actively bullying wild pollinators away from flowers, using physical displacement and chasing to secure more pollen and nectar, according to a two-year study from Anglia Ruskin University. The research provides direct evidence that the surge in managed honeybee hives, driven by public campaigns to “save the bees”, is harming wild pollinator populations through aggressive competition.

Earth & Nature

Thwaites Glacier Melting Much Faster, New Study Warns

New research published in Nature Communications has found that the Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica is losing mass significantly faster than previously estimated. A team from the University of California and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory discovered that warm seawater is intruding beneath the glacier, melting it from its core. This mechanism could add 1.2 inches (30 millimeters) to global sea levels over the next century, roughly double what earlier models predicted.

Health & Medicine

Melbourne scientists develop RNA therapy to save children's sight from Usher syndrome

Melbourne researchers are developing a treatment they hope will prevent the progressive blindness caused by Usher syndrome, a genetic condition that is the leading cause of deafblindness in Australia. The therapy, called EDITRA, aims to correct the genetic error behind one variant of the syndrome by repairing the cell's RNA instructions rather than replacing the faulty gene itself.

· 3 sources
Health & Medicine

Same-day metagenomic test detects hidden infections in critically ill children at Great Ormond Street Hospital

A pioneering same-day test has been used to detect hidden and drug-resistant infections among more than 100 critically ill children in intensive care at London's Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), according to a report by the BBC. The metagenomic sequencing test can identify bacteria, viruses and fungi from a single respiratory sample, often influencing treatment decisions and catching infections that standard methods miss.

· 2 sources
Earth & Nature

Microplastics found to generate DNA-damaging free radicals in water, study shows

Microplastics, long assumed to be chemically inert, spontaneously generate DNA-damaging free radicals when they interact with water, according to a new study published in Nature. Researchers from Columbia University and the University of California, Berkeley, found that as plastics fragment into smaller particles, their increased surface area triggers the formation of highly reactive hydroxyl radicals, the same type of toxic molecules that antioxidants are designed to neutralise.

· 3 sources
Earth & Nature

NASA Satellites Track Likely Strongest El Niño Since 1950 Unfolding This Fall

NASA is closely monitoring a historic El Niño event unfolding in the equatorial Pacific, with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration placing an 83% chance that it will become the strongest since records began in 1950. Satellite data show sea surface temperatures and sea levels rising dramatically, with effects already felt by farmers, firefighters and coastal communities around the world.

Health & Medicine

Pig kidneys frozen for a year successfully revived in scientific first

Scientists say they have, for the first time, revived pig kidneys that were cooled to -150 °C and stored in a freezer for months, with one organ kept in a glass-like state for more than a year. After rewarming, testing in machines and transplanting into pigs, the kidneys regained their color and produced urine, key signs that they were working. The team hopes the findings can eventually be replicated with human organs.

Space

Chandra study traces 'Treble Clef' radio formation to black hole outburst and cluster collision

A new study using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory has identified the likely cause of a striking radio wave formation nicknamed the 'Treble Clef': an outburst from a supermassive black hole followed by a collision of two galaxy clusters. The findings, led by Andrea Botteon of Italy's National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF), were published Oct. 14, 2026, in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.

· 2 sources
Earth & Nature

New study finds sea cucumber species can live to 100, threatening sustainability assumptions

A first-of-its-kind genetic study has found that the black teatfish, a sought-after sea cucumber species, can live up to 100 years, far longer than the previously assumed lifespan of 5 to 20 years. Researchers warn this means Australian fisheries regulators may be overestimating how quickly the species can replenish, raising doubts about the sustainability of current catch limits.

· 2 sources
Space

NASA développe des batteries solides pour affronter le froid lunaire

Les chercheurs de la NASA travaillent sur une nouvelle génération de batteries à l'état solide conçues pour résister aux températures extrêmes du pôle Sud lunaire, où la nuit thermique descend à -200 °C. Le projet, baptisé SPEARS (Solid Power for Extreme Environment Adaptability and Resilience in Space), doit fournir des accumulateurs fiables et sûrs pour les missions Artemis, des kits d'urgence aux rovers explorant les cratères les plus sombres.

Archaeology & Origins

Turkish minister confirms world's oldest shipwreck, sheds light on Bronze Age trade routes

Turkey's Culture Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy has officially announced the discovery of what is believed to be the world's oldest shipwreck, a Bronze Age vessel dating back 4,700 years, found off the coast of Kekova Island in southern Antalya. The announcement confirms that underwater excavations have uncovered ceramic storage jars providing concrete evidence of early maritime trade across the eastern Mediterranean.

· 8 sources
Health & Medicine

US military races to develop synthetic blood as shortages fuel preventable deaths

A chronic shortage of blood in both military and civilian settings is accelerating research into synthetic blood substitutes, as data shows hemorrhage remains the leading cause of preventable battlefield deaths and a major factor in maternal mortality worldwide. The effort, driven in part by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), seeks to overcome the logistical challenges of transporting and storing real blood in combat zones and remote areas.

Earth & Nature

High-speed video reveals honey bee stinger's double-piston venom pump

High-speed video has revealed how a honey bee stinger keeps pumping venom into a victim after the bee has flown away: the three-part stinger works as a double-piston pump, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The footage provides the first direct observation of the mechanism behind the phenomenon, known as autotomy, in which the detached stinger continues to penetrate tissue and deliver venom on its own.