Science News
These are the doctors and scientists elected in the 2026 midterms
Learn more about the scientific community coming into office in January
Science News
Latest science news, discoveries and scientific developments.
Science News
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is changing the color of the ocean
The ocean’s blue and green hues near the infamous zone of debris have gotten brighter over the past 20 years, satellite data show
Science News
Climate change is undermining our health, and the burden falls heaviest on women
As sea levels creep higher in the Pacific, salt leaches into the soil and reduces the land available to grow food. Ocean warming is damaging coral reefs, reducing fish stocks, and salinity has tainted freshwater supplies.
Science News
When Einstein's gravitational waves meet Newton's tides
Newton's theory of gravity has described the tides accurately for centuries. But could a tiny trace of Einstein's general relativity also be hidden in them? In a new study, a mathematician at Freie Universität Berlin has outlined how a targeted approach could be used to search for effects of this nature.
Science News
NASA's Swift telescope has burned up, months after a robot sent to save it failed
NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory took its last look at the sky on Oct. 20, 2026, while orbiting about 171 miles (275 kilometers) above Earth. NASA ended the telescope's mission three days later, because Swift had sunk so low that drag from the thin air there meant its telescopes couldn't hold steady.
Science News
Australian classrooms are getting a 'digital detox'—what does this mean for schools and students?
The federal government is pushing for a "digital detox" in schools.
Science News
Earth's slowing spin may have shaped its primordial crust
Around 4.5 billion years ago, a planet-sized object collided with the newly formed Earth, throwing out the debris that would later form the moon. The collision left Earth spinning extremely fast, with days lasting just two to five hours. Yet existing models of how Earth's first crust formed and evolved have largely overlooked how the planet's later slowdown might have affected it.
Science News
From doctors and teachers to lawyers, every profession has a duty to align with climate goals
A Dutch family doctor named Tibor Poelmann posted a petition on an online forum for general practitioners (GPs) in 2021. He wanted their pension fund to stop investing in oil and gas. It quickly gathered 1,200 signatures.
Science News
Coordinated activity gives large pedestrian crowds a distinctive seismic signature
Large pedestrian crowds generate distinctive seismic signals depending on their collective behavior, according to a new study that includes data from Tokyo schools and outdoor gatherings in the United States and Israel. These seismic signals are strongest in the 1–2 hertz frequency band, which is consistent with human walking frequencies.
Science News
Young children like sharks, but fear grows with age
Most young children like sharks, with almost seven in 10 describing them in a positive light, but a new study has found that associations between sharks and fear become more common as children get older.
Science News
Which infinity is bigger? Under alternative mathematical rules, a 2D map emerges
It is one of the great questions of mathematics: What does "infinity" actually mean? Which infinities are larger than others? Can infinities be arranged in a sequence, like the rungs of an endless ladder, so that for any two of them we can always say which one lies above the other?
Science News
New statistical method eliminates AI estimation bias in econometrics
A new research paper describes a statistical framework that resolves significant calculation biases caused by artificial intelligence in econometric models. The method, two-step extraction, removes estimation bias when researchers measure the business or economic effects of variables extracted using machine learning algorithms from unstructured data such as photos and consumer text.
Science News
Webb Space Telescope's little red dots could hold key to first black holes
Johns Hopkins researchers searching the expanse of the universe for the existence of the first black holes are zeroing in on little red dots that may hold the key to the theoretical phenomenon.
Science News
Scientists discover that a clogged filter could revolutionize oil refining
Scientists have developed a remarkable new membrane that separates crude oil at room temperature, using the oil itself to create microscopic filtration channels. The breakthrough could cut refining energy consumption by nearly 32%, carbon emissions by almost 38%, and operating costs by 36%, potentially transforming one of the world's most energy-intensive industries.
Science News
Swiss Army knife of the Hawaiian Islands—how an endangered bird drills into trees to find food
There are no woodpeckers on the Hawaiian Islands, but a little yellow bird called the 'akiapōlāʻau (Ah-key-ah-pole-ah-ow) has evolved an unusual beak to drill into branches to find food.
Science News
What sorts of nudges win wallet share in the attention economy?
Nudges—the subtle interventions that encourage people to make beneficial decisions without forcing them into these choices—are a popular marketing tool widely used for a variety of social causes and business purposes. But their effectiveness depends on finding the right combination of context and content, says Siddharth Bhattacharya, an assistant professor of information systems and operations management at the Costello College of Business.
Science News
Microbial growth in simulated Mars conditions could guide search for life
A new experiment reveals that Earth's microbes can grow in harsh conditions similar to what may exist just below the surface of Mars, suggesting new directions in the search for potential cellular life on the red planet.
Science News
Researchers highlight ferroptosis's dual roles in plant immunity
When plants encounter pathogens, they can defend themselves by rapidly killing infected cells to restrict pathogen spread. This immune response, known as the hypersensitive response (HR), was first described in 1915. However, the molecular mechanism underlying HR cell death remained poorly understood for more than a century.
Science News
A clever molecular trick unlocks previously impossible properties in glass
Scientists have discovered how to reprogram the internal structure of glass using a special molecule that rearranges chemical bonds while lowering the melting temperature. The breakthrough could unlock entirely new glass materials with precisely controlled magnetic and optical properties, opening possibilities for advanced electronics, sensors, and other technologies.
Science News
Hundreds of stunning ice age drawings discovered inside Spanish cave
The find includes 280 engravings, including 55 depictions of animals