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1,200-year-old giant 'death jar' in Laos contains generations of human skeletonsExcavation of a large stone vessel from the mysterious Laos Plain of Jars has confirmed its use in an ancient funerary tradition.
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Doctor's kit found on Mount Vesuvius victim in PompeiiA man who died in Pompeii during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79 was carrying a medical kit with him, new scans reveal.
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950-year-old burial of a pet dingo is first clear archaeological evidence of humans ritually 'feeding' a grave anywhere in the worldArchaeologists have excavated the remains of a dingo that was buried by ancestors of the Australian Aboriginal Barkindji people and "fed" for the next 500 years with river mussels.
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Deadly Ebola outbreak is a public health emergency of international concern, WHO declaresHealth officials suspect that an Ebola epidemic has killed 100 people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with the World Health Organization declaring it a public health emergency.
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James Webb telescope reveals largest-ever map of the universe's megastructuresUsing the James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers have created the most detailed map of the cosmic web ever.
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Watch a newly discovered, blue-whale-size asteroid fly super close to Earth todayNewly spotted asteroid 2026 JH2, which could be up to 115 feet wide, will fly past Earth closer than some satellites on Monday (May 18). The close approach will be visible to stargazers and can be viewed via livestream.
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'Last titan' of Thailand discovered, and it's the longest-necked dinosaur on record from Southeast AsiaA newfound species of long-necked dinosaur from Thailand lived up to 120 million years ago, and it's the largest known of its kind from Southeast Asia.
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8-year-old African American boy from Colonial Maryland found buried with white Colonists, and it's unclear if he was enslavedA 17th-century cemetery from Colonial Maryland held the remains of an 8-year-old boy with majority African ancestry, as well as two indentured servants.
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What counts as 'close contact'? Why the risk of hantavirus transmission is tricky to defineHealth officials have said the Andes virus implicated in the cruise ship outbreak spreads via "close contact." Live Science spoke to experts about what that means.
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PCOS name change, Neanderthals the world's oldest dentists, and the 'alien' crystal that spawned from the world's first atomic bombScience news this week May 16, 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.
Science news this week -
Hantavirus cruise: 41 people in the United States being monitored as investigation into outbreak source continuesTake a look back at our live coverage during the cases of hantavirus aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius.
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'The biggest El Niño event since the 1870s': 'Super' El Niño is now the most likely scenario by the end of this year — and the humanitarian cost could be hugeA "very strong" El Niño is now the most probable scenario for the October-to-February period.
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Antarctica’s sudden sea ice loss is one of the most extreme and confusing events in the modern climate record. Scientists now know why it's happening.In 2015, after decades of relative stability, Antarctica's sea ice suddenly began to disappear. Sea ice extent reached a record low in 2023, and scientists have now figured out what happened in that period.
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'I heard gasps': Artemis II astronauts reveal inside story of their mind-bending solar eclipseIn their first visit to Canada since returning to Earth, the Artemis II astronauts opened up about the moments that blew their minds — and brought them to tears.
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'There are 4 people in those pixels': Earth-based telescope snapped Artemis II crew orbiting the moonA blurry new photo captured by the Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia shows Artemis II's Orion capsule circling the moon more than 200,000 miles away, making it a candidate for the longest-distance image of humans ever taken from Earth.
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A pill can stop people from developing COVID after being exposed to the virus, trial findsA pill called ensitrelvir is the first drug shown to effectively reduce infection after exposure to SARS-CoV-2.
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High-status Roman woman was buried in a lead coffin with jet hairpins and exotic resins, archaeologists findA burial of an elite Roman-era woman who appears to have been buried with exotic resins has been discovered in Colchester.
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'Extreme' crystal that formed in 1945 nuclear bomb test is unlike anything scientists have seenSamples of "trinitite" created during the world’s first nuclear bomb test in 1945 contain unique crystals never seen before.
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SpaceX prepares to launch next-generation Starship, the tallest and most powerful rocket ever builtStarship V3's maiden spaceflight is scheduled for next week as SpaceX prepares to launch the tallest and most powerful rocket ever built.
