Science News
The John Lewis Christmas ad captures the deep need for grandmothers
Like many of us, I always enjoy the John Lewis Christmas ad and 2026 is no different. This year, I love the fact that the star of the show is a grandmother.
Science News
Latest science news, discoveries and scientific developments.
Science News
Atom-scale model could help improve material growth for advanced electronics
Penn State researchers have refined an atom-scale model of how silicon carbide changes from a solid into vapor during crystal growth, work that could help manufacturers produce higher-quality material for advanced electronics while reducing costly trial-and-error experiments.
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States tax sports betting heavily, but gamblers may barely feel it
Sports betting has grown explosively since 2018, when a U.S. Supreme Court ruling struck down a federal ban on it. Now, Americans wager more than $165 billion on sports annually, contributing to an industry larger than state-run lotteries even excluding prediction markets such as Kalshi and Polymarket.
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Scientists achieve record-breaking low temperature on China's space station, paving the way for new physics experiments
Matter starts to behave differently at extremely low temperatures, creating conditions ideal for studying quantum physics and new states of matter. Now, researchers from China have achieved a new low-temperature record aboard their Tiangong space station. Their research, recently published in Science, might lead to a new generation of experiments in quantum physics and precision measurements in space.
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Evolutionary history and genetic basis of spruce diversification revealed
The genus Picea (spruce) is widely distributed across the Northern Hemisphere and is a dominant component of boreal and montane forests. Understanding the evolutionary processes that have shaped diversification and regional differentiation across the genus requires a well-resolved phylogeny of Picea. However, the evolutionary history of Picea has long been obscure due to conflicting genetic signals.
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Researchers establish G0 founder population carrying targeted mutations in marine mollusks
Although genome-editing-based breeding has advanced rapidly in aquaculture, progress in marine mollusks has lagged behind. The main challenge is not genome editing itself, but rather rearing the few edited larvae through metamorphosis to establish a viable G0 founder population.
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Technique that spots tRNAs in action could accelerate drug development for inherited diseases
Human cells turn genetic instructions into proteins with great precision. Critical for the translation of this information are transfer RNAs, or tRNAs, small molecules that read the genetic code three letters at a time and bring the matching building blocks of proteins, the amino acids, to the cell's protein-making machinery, the ribosome.
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Positive views of caregiving nearly double for dementia caregivers after support program
Chinese American family caregivers of people with dementia reported a greater sense of control and competence in their caregiving roles and more positive views of caregiving after taking part in a seven-week digital support program, researchers at George Mason University found.
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Have astronomers spotted Planet Nine?
Archived observations appear to show a moving object in the far-distant outer solar system, but its reality is unclear
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Scientists just found dinosaur blood that survived 115 million years
Scientists have discovered chemically confirmed traces of ancient blood inside 115-million-year-old dinosaur bones, challenging assumptions about how long biological molecules can survive. The extraordinary preservation could unlock new clues about dinosaur physiology and even help scientists search for ancient life elsewhere in the universe.
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Kevin Roose says the race to build superintelligence is accelerating
What happens when a technology becomes more powerful than its creators can fully understand?
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Major trial challenges how doctors decide who really needs statins
A study of nearly 5,800 adults found that heart scans measuring calcium buildup in the arteries led to the same observed rate of major cardiovascular events as traditional risk assessments, despite recommending statins to far fewer patients. Surprisingly, patients advised to take statins based on their scans were nearly three times as likely to stick with their medication, raising intriguing questions about how doctors should identify and treat heart disease risk.
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Forests or underground storage? New metric compares risks of carbon removal projects
The risk of relying on uncertain carbon removal projects can now be quantified using a new standardized metric that can be applied across all such schemes, irrespective of the technology used.
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High-elevation terraces suggest faster-than-expected uplift in southern Italy
University of Oregon geologist Becky Dorsey's latest research sheds light on the Siculo-Calabrian rift zone, a belt of faults spanning more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) in southern Italy. The new data could help improve earthquake hazard assessment in this seismically active region.
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Can AI learn to understand nature? Scientists set out a roadmap for the future of ecology
An international team of scientists has outlined how a new generation of artificial intelligence models could transform our understanding of ecosystems and help predict their responses to environmental change.
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Cancer-linked gene uses 'shortcut' to trigger cell division
Living cells are one of the few materials that can replicate themselves, and this is crucial for tissue development and recovery from injury or illness. But making sure cell division only happens at the right time is essential; otherwise, unregulated replication can lead to problems like cancer.
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Five-inch-long beetle larvae are quietly destroying blueberry roots
Scientists have solved a mystery surrounding destructive beetles attacking blueberry bushes in North Carolina, identifying a species whose massive larvae can grow up to five inches long and destroy plant roots. Although farmers have reported damage for more than a decade, the insects responsible remained unidentified until researchers used DNA analysis to uncover the culprit.
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Bear necessities: Indian techie builds wildlife alert
After his mother was killed in a bear attack in Kashmir, Indian software engineer Mudasir Ali developed an online early-warning system to help people in the Himalayan region avoid dangerous encounters with wildlife.
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Don't miss: Meteor showers, fireballs, and a supermoon light up November's night sky
November's night sky is packed with celestial wonders, from bright meteor fireballs and a close pairing of Mars and Jupiter to a spectacular supermoon. Meanwhile, NASA's Voyager 1 is making history by becoming the first spacecraft to reach a distance of one light-day from Earth.
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NASA’s Swift telescope falls to Earth after nearly 22 years in space
After nearly 22 years of exploring the universe’s most violent explosions, NASA’s Swift Observatory has re-entered Earth’s atmosphere over Indonesia. Originally designed to last just two years, the pioneering space telescope transformed our understanding of black holes, exploding stars, and mysterious cosmic outbursts.