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Latest news
New pain-relief opioid could be much less addictive than morphine, rodent study finds
A new and potentially safer opioid has been tested in lab rats, and the results suggest it relieves pain with a lower risk of addiction than other drugs in its class.
Experimental drug doubles one-year survival in pancreatic cancer
A new drug that works by making tumors more susceptible to chemotherapy and the immune system has increased survival in those with advanced pancreatic cancer in a trial.
Physicists witness faster-than-light darkness pinpricks, humans found to still be evolving, and the endangered polar bears that are getting fatter than ever
Science news this week April 18, 2026: Our weekly roundup of the latest science in the news, as well as a few fascinating articles to keep you entertained over the weekend
Archaeologists discover perfectly circular ancient Egyptian temple that may have been used for sacred water rituals
The temple included a network of water infrastructure, revealing the importance of the ancient city and the Nile.
2 supermassive black holes may collide 100 years from now — and Earth would feel it
In a galaxy 500 million light-years away, two supermassive black holes could merge, spreading gravitational waves across the universe.
Anglo-Saxon burial holds an older sister cradling her little brother after they both died 1,400 years ago, possibly of an infectious disease
An ancient-DNA analysis of a rare Anglo-Saxon double burial revealed the people in the grave were brother and sister.
Colorado River may have pooled and spilled over to form the Grand Canyon, solving a long-standing mystery — but not everyone agrees
The Colorado River muscled its way through today's Grand Canyon after pooling as a giant lake, according to new research.
Bright-green fireball meteor caught exploding above famous Viking raid site in UK
Photographers caught a spectacular emerald-green fireball meteor streaking above Lindisfarne in northeast England, where Viking raiders famously killed and robbed Christian monks in the eighth century.
Northern lights may be visible from several US states Friday and Saturday as giant hole opens up in sun's atmosphere
A large hole opened up in the sun's atmosphere this week, spewing high-speed solar winds that will paint northern lights displays across several U.S. states this weekend.
Hackers used AI to steal hundreds of millions of Mexican government and private citizen records in one of the largest cybersecurity breaches ever
A group of hackers used both Claude Code and ChatGPT in a cybersecurity hack that lasted two and a half months.
The first black hole ever discovered is spewing 'dancing jets' at half the speed of light
Astronomers have accurately measured the "dancing" energy jets of the first confirmed black hole, Cygnus X-1, more than 60 years after it was first spotted.
Stephen Hawking's black hole paradox could be solved — if the universe has 7 dimensions
Stephen Hawking's theory of black hole evaporation clashes with the laws of quantum mechanics. A new paper finds a way around this paradox, provided that the universe has seven dimensions.
'Something's missing': Most thorough-ever study of the cosmos proves we still can't explain how the universe is expanding
A comprehensive new study combines decades of research to reveal that we're missing an essential component in our understanding of how the universe works.
'Human evolution didn't slow down; we were just missing the signal': Large DNA study reveals natural selection led to more redheads and less male-pattern baldness
Over the past 10,000 years, evolution in West Eurasia has been selecting for light skin, red hair and resistance to HIV and leprosy in humans, according to a new study.
New study confirms lobsters feel pain, driving scientists to call for a ban on boiling them alive
A new study adds to the growing body of evidence that lobsters feel pain, with the crustaceans seemingly responding to electrical shocks with emotional distress.
This humanoid robot does all your housework for you — and its makers say it's ready for your home
Panther has been filmed doing basic household chores, like making the bed and cooking breakfast.
Ancient process that created rare earth elements discovered — and it could help us locate desperately needed deposits
A new study suggests rare earth elements form in magma above ancient subduction zones, as that magma reacts with substances that are released when one tectonic plate dives beneath another.
Strange mammal ancestor laid huge, leathery eggs — and it was key to surviving the world's worst mass extinction
Using synchrotron X-ray CT scans of a fossilized, intact embryo, researchers found evidence that the plant-eating mammal Lystrosaurus laid eggs, which answers a key question about mammalian evolution.
73 moon landings? NASA's 'Moon Base User's Guide' reveals the agency's 'most ambitious space project' will be fraught with challenges
NASA has released a 'Moon Base User's Guide' that reveals the major gaps the agency and its partners must fill in to land and live on the moon.
