News without the noise
Science news: discoveries, health, climate and space, from the journals and the labs, explained plainly.
748 articles · page 9 of 16 · The Science front page
Hewlett Packard Enterprise is sending its fourth Spaceborne Computer to the Moon later this year, aboard Astrolab's Flex Lunar Innovation Platform (FLIP) rover. The system will run AI and high-performance computing experiments near the lunar south pole, as part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program.
NASA scientists have finally discovered why asteroid Bennu loses heat so rapidly despite being covered in massive boulders. Analysis of samples returned to Earth by the OSIRIS-REx mission reveals hidden networks of cracks within the rocks, solving a puzzle that has puzzled researchers since the spacecraft arrived in 2018.
A small pilot trial suggests that focused ultrasound waves aimed at a deep brain structure can ease delusions in people with schizophrenia for at least a week, offering a possible noninvasive alternative to antipsychotic drugs. Researchers at NYU Grossman School of Medicine reported the results Tuesday in the journal npj Acoustics.
Researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the University of Wisconsin-Madison have identified the molecular mechanism by which statins, a class of drugs used by more than 200 million people worldwide, cause muscle pain and damage, according to a study published in Nature Communications. The discovery could lead to safer cholesterol-lowering medications that preserve cardiovascular benefits without the risk of muscle injury.
Scientists at the University of Arizona have proposed a new understanding of cognitive aging, arguing that the brain's gradual shift away from precise memory toward accumulated wisdom may be an adaptive developmental stage rather than simple decline. The adaptive aging hypothesis, published in Perspectives on Psychological Science, suggests that aging brains rebalance activity between the hippocampus and frontal cortex to prioritize the sharing of stored expertise and social relationships over the retention of every detail.
Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine have shown that blocking a protein on immune cells can protect against Alzheimer's-related brain damage in mice, preserving roughly 40% more tissue in memory centres without clearing the abnormal tau protein thought to drive the disease. The findings, published in Neuron, suggest a new treatment strategy that targets the immune system rather than the protein deposits themselves.
A new study in Physical Review Letters proposes that an overlooked exotic particle, the heaviest decoupled right-handed neutrino, could explain why matter came to dominate the universe over antimatter. The particle, nearly invisible to current experiments, may have helped tip the primordial balance and could leave detectable traces in future gravitational wave observatories.
Novo Nordisk on Tuesday reported that its experimental obesity drug CagriSema produced an average 25% weight loss in adult women in a post-trial analysis, offering fresh evidence that the combination of semaglutide and cagrilintide may provide a powerful tool for weight management, particularly during menopause.
A team led by astronomer Brittany Miles of the University of Arizona has confirmed that the coldest known brown dwarf, WISE 0855, hosts water ice clouds in its atmosphere. Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), researchers settled a decade-long debate over the nature of the object's spectral signature, revealing a dynamic world with patchy clouds and deep churning gases.
Researchers at the University of Exeter and City St George's, University of London have discovered mechanisms that help explain how the infectious fungus Candida auris survives certain antifungal treatments, according to a study published October 15 in Nature Communications.
More than 400 people, most of them children under four, have fallen ill with stomach cramps and diarrhoea after drinking contaminated water in townships east of Pretoria, prompting authorities to declare the local tap water unfit for human consumption and to dispatch tankers with clean drinking water.
Storm Austen, the first named storm of the season, is forecast to bring strong and disruptive winds to parts of the UK on Friday. The Met Office has issued a weather warning covering south Wales, south-west England, and coastal areas as far east as Brighton, with peak gusts of 50-60mph expected widely and up to 70mph possible on exposed coasts.
An international team has identified the first Neanderthal remains in the Spanish region of Navarre, six bone fragments from Abauntz cave that belonged to a male who lived about 46,000 years ago. The discovery, announced on 19 October, fills a gap in the archaeological record of the western Pyrenees.
The Isle of Man's Assisted Dying Bill has been granted Royal Assent, allowing adults with a terminal illness and a life expectancy of 12 months or less to request an assisted death. The island is the first place in the British Isles to pass such a law, though the legislation required amendments before it could receive Royal Assent.
The Australian Museum is digitising the extensive notes and photographs of Michael Sharland, the prolific naturalist who wrote under the alias Peregrine, with help from University of Sydney students. The work coincides with the annual Aussie Bird Count, which has already logged more than a million bird sightings this week.
Japan's Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission launched successfully early Monday, setting course for Phobos in an attempt to become the first spacecraft to return samples from a Martian moon. The uncrewed probe, carried by an H3 rocket from Tanegashima Space Center, is expected to reach Mars in August 2027.
An NHS trust in Essex is being prosecuted by the Care Quality Commission over the deaths of two children who had sepsis, court documents have revealed. Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust faces three charges, relating to three-year-old Zadie Ajetunmobi, who died in November 2022, and two-year-old Selina Samarina, who died in April 2024. The trust is due before Chelmsford Magistrates' Court in December.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health issued a health alert Monday over an increase in congenital measles cases, measles transmitted from a pregnant person to a newborn, a development not seen in the United States for decades. The alert comes as the state struggles with a large measles outbreak that has fueled the re-emergence of this preventable condition.
Scientists in Germany have converted blood precursor cells from donors up to 101 years old into neural stem cells that progressively shed their biological age, eventually reaching roughly five percent of the donor's age. The findings, published in Aging Cell, offer a new experimental model for aging research and a possible route toward engineered brain cells for neurodegenerative disease.
A Welsh drugs charity has reported a surge in young people seeking treatment for ketamine addiction, with referrals to its detox and rehabilitation facility rising from two in 2021 to 112 so far this year. The majority of clients are aged 18 to 24, and the University of South Wales has begun research into the needs of a group whose physical harm can develop more rapidly than from alcohol or Class A drugs.
A grass-covered wildlife overpass spanning six lanes of Interstate 25 in Colorado has cut vehicle-animal collisions by 91 per cent since opening 10 months ago, according to a new report from state officials, who have tracked elk, bears, pronghorn and even northern leopard frogs using the crossing.
People can now upload a facial photograph and receive their own biological age and health readout from the AI tool that predicts cancer survival from a selfie, with researchers inviting the public to join the study through the project website faceage.bwh.harvard.edu. The invitation is the latest step for the Mass General Brigham system, described in a study published in the Lancet Digital Health journal.
Japan's Martian Moons Exploration (MMX) mission has passed its initial critical operations phase, JAXA announced Wednesday, confirming the spacecraft is locked onto its trajectory to Mars following a successful launch on October 19. The milestone marks the first steps in a five-year, round-trip journey to collect samples from Phobos, the larger of Mars's two moons, and return them to Earth in 2031.
A study published as the UN biodiversity summit Cop17 opens in Yerevan, Armenia, has found that most of Europe's wild bee species and about half of its hoverfly species have declined over the past century, with scientists warning of deeper disruptions to ecosystems if current trends continue.
The European Space Agency's Euclid space telescope, designed to map distant galaxies and probe dark energy, has discovered its first comet, a long-period object designated C/2026 S1 (Euclid), in an unexpected find during routine observations between September 16 and 24, 2026.
A Seattle startup has achieved a world first by generating net-positive electricity from an active underwater volcano, though the test produced less than 10 seconds of power. The proof-of-concept deployment hints at a potential new renewable energy source for Pacific island nations.
A new study has revealed how the APOE4 gene variant, which triples the risk of late-onset Alzheimer's disease, causes fat droplets to accumulate in brain cells, and suggests a possible way to reverse the process by targeting a key signaling pathway.
A Russian military satellite executed a series of deliberate maneuvers to come within extreme proximity of a U.S.-operated commercial Earth-imaging satellite that provides imagery to Ukraine, according to orbital tracking firm LeoLabs. The incident is the first known example of an unsanctioned rendezvous in low-Earth orbit, the company said.
Hydrogen water, marketed as an antioxidant anti-aging elixir, is gaining popularity in Australian wellness centres, but experts say there is no credible scientific evidence to support health claims. Chemist Oliver Jones and dietitian Danielle Shine have both warned that the trend lacks rigorous human studies and may offer no advantage over ordinary water.
Astronomers have confirmed the first known microblazar, a compact black hole system within the Milky Way that fires twin jets of material almost at light speed, with one beam aimed directly at Earth. The discovery, published today in Astronomy & Astrophysics, provides a long‑sought “Galactic analogue” of the much larger blazars seen in distant galaxies and offers a natural laboratory for studying how cosmic particles reach energies far beyond what human accelerators can achieve.
Four volunteers have spent the past year living and working inside a 1,700-square-foot 3D-printed habitat at NASA's Johnson Space Center as part of the agency's simulated Mars mission. The crew, part of the Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog (CHAPEA) Mission 2, will exit the habitat on Oct. 31 after 378 days of isolation.
A genetic form of Parkinson's disease previously considered rare is affecting Pacific communities at rates far higher than recognised, New Zealand researchers have found. Studies estimate more than 400 Pasifika people in New Zealand could be living with PINK1-linked Parkinson's, and the discovery has opened the door to treatments targeting the disease's root cause.
Jalen Hurts was in a London hospital until 4am on the morning he played for the Philadelphia Eagles, according to an ESPN report, and is now expected to miss the rest of the NFL season with blood clots in both lungs.
A large review published in JAMA Network Open has found that people with ADHD face a significantly higher risk of early death from any cause, including suicide, injury and natural causes. However, the study also suggests that prescription medications used to treat ADHD are associated with a lower risk of death among those with the disorder.
A landslide-triggered tsunami in Alaska’s Tracy Arm sent water and debris 1,580 feet up a mountainside in August 2025, making it the second-highest tsunami in recorded history, according to researchers who say the event showed warning signs that could help protect ships and coastal communities.
Researchers have identified specific biological changes inside taste buds that may explain why some people continue to experience taste disturbances more than a year after recovering from COVID-19. The study, published in Chemical Senses, reveals reduced levels of a key signaling protein and physical disorganization within taste cells, offering the first direct evidence linking patient-reported symptoms to measurable cellular abnormalities.
Researchers at Columbia University have identified the biological mechanism behind a rare genetic defence that appears to protect some carriers of the strongest common Alzheimer's risk gene from ever developing the disease. The findings, published in Nature Aging, show how a protein called fibronectin can damage the brain's protective blood-brain barrier, and point to ways of recreating the natural protection seen in APOE ε4 carriers who remain mentally sharp into their 80s.
Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel have been awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their work on optogenetics, the technique that lets scientists switch nerve cells on and off with light. The prize recognises research into light-gated ion channels that began with a humble question: how does a single-celled alga swim toward light?
Astronomers at the University of Warwick have identified a white dwarf star that would appear genuinely green to the human eye, the first such star known. Using spectral data and a model of human color vision, they determined that WD J1330+6435, a cool white dwarf with a temperature around 4,000 degrees Celsius, has accreted sodium-rich rocky debris from its planetary system, giving it a chartreuse glow. The team also found a candidate for the reddest star ever documented and estimate that about one in every 30 white dwarfs across the Universe may display unexpected colors.
Scientists at Penn State have uncovered evidence of two previously unrecognized magma sources beneath Nicaragua's active Masaya volcano, a popular tourist destination that sits within 13 miles of roughly 2 million people. The discovery, based on six years of satellite observations and published in Geophysical Research Letters, reveals that the volcano's underground magma system may be considerably more complicated than previously understood, with separate reservoirs behaving in opposite ways.
In a laboratory experiment, scientists have shown that severely bleached corals can regain their health within seven weeks after just a few days of physical contact with healthy, genetically identical coral fragments. The discovery, published in Science Advances, represents the fastest documented recovery from coral bleaching and points toward potential new reef restoration techniques.
Scientists at the University of Kentucky have found that overactive microglia, the brain's immune cells, drive sleep loss in Alzheimer's disease, and temporarily eliminating them restored more than two hours of sleep per day in mice. The discovery suggests that sleep problems may be reversible even without removing the amyloid plaques long associated with the condition.
A Chinese rocket that launched from the Gobi Desert in September dropped debris over the American Midwest before a piece landed in a farmer's cornfield, according to experts who tracked the event. The Zhuque-2E booster, built by LandSpace, released 10 satellites then reignited its engine for a controlled deorbit that sent wreckage raining over Kansas, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.
Hungry and heat-stressed grey-headed flying foxes are prompting warnings from Greater Sydney Parklands, which says summer heat could force closures of parts of major parklands to protect the vulnerable species.
Better Health Network will close its St Kilda clinic on October 23, redirecting vulnerable clients to services in Prahran and South Melbourne. The not-for-profit blames lease and landlord building issues and a forecast operating deficit, but former staff say the move dismantles community trust built over decades.
A mother in Staffordshire is urging parents to learn about the dangers cold sores can pose to newborn babies, after her 10-day-old daughter died from the herpes simplex virus. Meg Edmonds, 22, from Rugeley, said Magnolia was born healthy but later became ill and died in February.
Residents of Longyearbyen, one of the fastest-warming towns on Earth, have been told to stop drinking tap water after thawing permafrost exposed bedrock that is leaching heavy metals into the settlement's water supply.
Seabird populations along the Solent coast have rebounded sharply three years after avian flu devastated nesting colonies, with sandwich terns at Pagham harbour in West Sussex recovering from a complete wipeout in 2022 to 756 breeding pairs this year.