Science News: Recent scientific discoveries and expert analysis

In a first, scientists have recreated the formation of the first ever molecules in the universe to learn more about early star formation.

A popular zero-calorie sweetener could injure cells in the brain's blood vessels, a lab study finds. Here's what we know so far.

Researchers have discovered a giant stick insect living at high altitude in tropical North Queensland. Acrophylla alta is around 16 inches long and a strong contender for Australia's heaviest recorded insect.

Krasheninnikov volcano has erupted on Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula. This is the second volcano to erupt in the region following the magnitude 8.8 megaquake on July 30.

A surprising new paper suggests that the universe's expected lifespan is just 33 billion years, and that the cosmos will start dying in less than a third of that time. However, this is only one possible theory.

Scientists pinpointed key "regulators" that help control the metabolisms of hibernators, and say the same genes might hold untapped benefits for humans.

New reconstructions based on the skeletons of two sisters who lived in a prehistoric mining community in what is now the Czech Republic show what they likely looked like and wore.

Giant, ridge-like structures of methane ice, known as "bladed terrain," may be much more abundant along Pluto's equator than previously realized, a new study suggests.

Neuroscientists think moments of "mind blanking" could be a way for the brain to protect itself.

Astronomers have long voiced concerns about Starlink's satellite constellation interfering with observations of the universe, and a new survey by Curtin University confirms those fears.

New simulations suggest that up to four of the solar system's rocky planets, including Earth and a long-lost world, once orbited in mathematical harmony around the infant sun.

A new study has revealed that "junk DNA" descended from ancient viruses could play a key role in controlling genes.

Scientists have filmed odd communities of life flourishing deeper in the ocean than ever before. The chemosynthesis-based life-forms get their energy from chemical reactions, powered by gases seeping out of faults on the seafloor.

Researchers have mapped out the neural pathway that humans use to perceive cool temperatures and found that it's separate from the one for sensing heat.

Lightning is one of the greatest natural forces on our planet. New mapping tools are revealing just how big it is.

A lightning "megaflash" that zipped across five U.S. states has set a new record for the longest ever detected.

Research suggests that whether people view the world as competitive or cooperative impacts how they perceive antagonistic leaders.

A laboratory experiment suggests caffeine may boost E. coli’s antibiotic resistance. However, whether this discovery applies to real-world infections in people is not yet known.

Researchers say they have finally uncovered the mysterious origins of one of our favorite carbs: the humble potato.

Astronomers believe they have spotted an elusive intermediate-mass black hole shredding a distant star, and they have re-created the stellar murder in a stunning new animation.