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Science News

Latest science news, discoveries and scientific developments.

Hepatitis B could surge, infecting millions more in childhood, under proposed CDC guidance
Science News

Hepatitis B could surge, infecting millions more in childhood, under proposed CDC guidance

A proposed change to decades-old guidance on hepatitis B vaccination would lead to a dramatic increase in chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections among young people, a new modeling study predicts.Previously, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that all newborns be vaccinated against HBV within hours of birth ‪—‬ a strategy known as "universal birth-dose vaccination." But in December 2025, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) advised ending this recommendation, and the CDC accepted that advice. The new guidance would recommend birth doses only to babies whose mothers tested positive for HBV or whose HBV status was unknown. The guidance sugges...

📅 2026-10-27 17:05:00    •    Live Science
Native Hawaiians and Easter Islanders came from same 'ultravoyager' group
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Native Hawaiians and Easter Islanders came from same 'ultravoyager' group

Native Hawaiians and Easter Islanders genetically descend from the same "ultravoyager" Polynesian group that crossed vast distances of ocean to reach these remote islands, a new study finds.Easter Island (also known as Rapa Nui) and Hawaii are part of Polynesia, a group of more than 1,000 islands spread over an area of the Pacific Ocean roughly equal to the areas of North and South America combined. Hawaii and Easter Island are the farthest of these isles from each other, at about 4,500 miles (7,200 kilometers) apart — around the distance from San Francisco to Lima, Peru.The researchers discovered the connection by analyzing the genomes of 1,050 modern individuals across Polynesia, including...

📅 2026-10-27 16:51:48    •    Live Science
James Webb telescope discovers rare ring galaxy and 'intruder' 2 billion years after the Big Bang
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James Webb telescope discovers rare ring galaxy and 'intruder' 2 billion years after the Big Bang

A view of the possible ring galaxy GS18660 as seen by the James Webb Space Telescope. New observations hint that the ancient galaxy may have been created by a collision with an 'intruder' galaxy. (Image credit: Perna et. al/ Astronomy and Astrophysics)Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have discovered a galaxy with a glowing ring of newborn stars shining in the early universe. The galaxy, which the researchers observed as it appeared just 2.1 billion years after the Big Bang, is the most distant ring galaxy ever found. The ring galaxy, known as GS18660, may be the result of a collision between two galaxies, the researchers reported in their study, published Sept. 8 in th...

📅 2026-10-27 16:31:29    •    Live Science
Scientists invent implant that can transform sugar in the blood to treat type 2 diabetes
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Scientists invent implant that can transform sugar in the blood to treat type 2 diabetes

An experimental medical implant that removes excess sugar from the blood has shown promise in treating diabetes and obesity in tests with lab mice. Coupled with a continuous glucose monitor, which tracks blood sugar levels in real time, the tiny device is designed to adjust blood sugar levels according to a patient's needs. It does so using a chemical reaction powered by electricity. In the mouse experiments, it prevented sudden insulin spikes and promoted fat loss. The implant, described Oct. 22 in the journal Science, could offer a completely new way to treat diabetes and obesity, study co-author Martin Fussenegger, a professor of biotechnology and bioengineering at ETH Zurich, told Live S...

📅 2026-10-27 15:30:00    •    Live Science
Roller coaster safety is a matter of science
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Roller coaster safety is a matter of science

Guidelines for designing coasters don’t reflect the latest science about what types of movement the brain can withstand.

📅 2026-10-27 15:00:00    •    Science News
Twin hurricanes stare out to space as they barrel toward Hawaii
Science News

Twin hurricanes stare out to space as they barrel toward Hawaii

QUICK FACTSWhere is it? Pacific OceanWhat's in the photo? Hurricane Madeline (left) and Hurricane Lester (right)Which satellite took the photo? Suomi NPPWhen was it taken? Aug. 29, 2016This eye-catching satellite snap from a decade ago shows a pair of hurricanes barreling toward Hawaii. The clouds swirling around the twin cyclones make them look eerily like the eyes of a pale face smiling up at space. The sight appears even spookier when viewed on a weather map (see below).The surprisingly symmetrical storms — Hurricane Madeline (left) and Hurricane Lester (right) — were the 14th and 13th named storms, respectively, during 2016's Pacific hurricane season, which is tied for the sixth-most-act...

📅 2026-10-27 12:19:25    •    Live Science
The secret to slower aging may be hiding in your gut
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The secret to slower aging may be hiding in your gut

The secret to aging more slowly may be hiding in your gut. Scientists discovered that certain gut bacteria are strongly linked to how quickly the body ages, with microbial differences accounting for about 15% of the variation in biological aging rates. Some bacterial species were associated with slower aging, while others were linked to accelerated aging.

📅 2026-10-27 11:53:24    •    ScienceDaily
Low testosterone may make sugar far more harmful to your liver
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Low testosterone may make sugar far more harmful to your liver

Scientists have discovered that low testosterone and a high-fructose diet can work together to worsen fatty liver disease in mice. Unexpectedly, changes in gut bacteria appear to drive this harmful interaction, revealing a potential new target for preventing liver damage.

📅 2026-10-27 11:18:37    •    ScienceDaily
Common drugs may help dangerous viruses spread through the body
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Common drugs may help dangerous viruses spread through the body

A surprising discovery reveals that widely used anti-inflammatory drugs may unintentionally help dangerous viruses spread through the body. Scientists found that JAK inhibitors, prescribed for rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory diseases, can weaken a crucial immune defense against influenza, COVID-19, and other infections. By suppressing genes that normally fight viruses, these medications may leave patients more vulnerable to infection.

📅 2026-10-27 10:46:21    •    ScienceDaily
James Webb discovers a scorching lava planet with a “giant sunscreen”
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James Webb discovers a scorching lava planet with a “giant sunscreen”

A scorching lava planet 280 light-years away has surprised astronomers by apparently maintaining a thick atmosphere despite conditions that should have stripped it away billions of years ago. James Webb Space Telescope observations suggest that TOI-561 b reflects about 75% of incoming starlight, possibly because of mineral clouds that act like a giant sunscreen. The planet may also be continually replenishing its atmosphere through gases released from a global ocean of molten rock.

📅 2026-10-27 10:20:52    •    ScienceDaily
Why we’ll never have another Black Death
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Why we’ll never have another Black Death

The death of a worker at a Russian plague lab was alarming, but the disease is extremely unlikely to become a worldwide problem as it has in the past

📅 2026-10-27 10:00:00    •    Scientific American
Smithsonian scientists just recreated the first 2 billion years of the Universe
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Smithsonian scientists just recreated the first 2 billion years of the Universe

Scientists have created one of the largest and most detailed simulations of the early universe ever made, offering an extraordinary new glimpse into the cosmos shortly after the Big Bang. Called Lumina, the groundbreaking simulation recreates the universe’s first 2 billion years, showing how dark matter, gas, and radiation interacted to give rise to the earliest stars, galaxies, and black holes.

📅 2026-10-27 09:48:35    •    ScienceDaily
A tiny laser beam could make computer memory 1,000 times faster
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A tiny laser beam could make computer memory 1,000 times faster

Scientists at UC San Diego have developed a surprising new way to store digital information using light instead of magnets, potentially paving the way for smaller, faster, and more energy-efficient memory devices. By precisely shaping and shrinking an ultrafast laser beam, researchers demonstrated that they could switch magnetic states in a material, the basic process used to write digital data. The technique could potentially operate more than 1,000 times faster than conventional magnetic switching methods.

📅 2026-10-27 09:22:06    •    ScienceDaily
A psychologist explains his theory for why orcas are attacking boats
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A psychologist explains his theory for why orcas are attacking boats

Over the past six years, orcas have made headlines for a unique behavior: Some individuals have repeatedly damaged or destroyed rudders on boats. The behavior has prompted a wide range of explanations, including that it's playful, a form of revenge, a warning against getting too close to the pod, or even a type of cultural transmission, in which one orca observes another interacting with a boat and then imitates it. But Christian Frings, a cognitive psychologist who studies how humans control their actions, thinks it could be deliberate. While Frings, who is also chair of general psychology and methodology at Trier University in Germany, does not study orcas directly, he believes that theori...

📅 2026-10-27 09:00:00    •    Live Science
Do spiders dream? Scientists just found a surprising clue
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Do spiders dream? Scientists just found a surprising clue

Scientists have discovered that spiders may sleep in ways surprisingly similar to humans, complete with distinct sleep stages and a dream-like REM state. Researchers at the University of Bonn studied the Australian jumping spider Portia fimbriata, a remarkably clever hunter known for its sophisticated strategies. By recording the spiders over several days and nights, they found clear evidence of regulated sleep, including a REM-like stage marked by eye movements and muscle twitches.

📅 2026-10-27 04:53:11    •    ScienceDaily