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'An extreme end of human genetic variation': Ancient humans were isolated in southern Africa for nearly 100,000 years, and their genetics are stunningly different
Ancient genomes from southern Africa show that people evolved in isolation for upward of 100,000 years.
Today's biggest science news: Mining viruses | Asteroid Bennu samples | Seven-armed octopus
Live blog Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025: Your daily feed of the biggest discoveries and breakthroughs making headlines.
China has planted so many trees it's changed the entire country's water distribution
Huge "regreening" efforts in China over the past few decades have activated the country's water cycle and moved water in ways that scientists are just now starting to understand.
Cold Moon 2025: See the last and highest full moon of the year
The Cold Moon, the 12th and final full moon of 2025, will rise on Dec. 4 and reach its highest point in the night sky.
Death Valley's 'world's hottest temperature' record may be due to a human error
A new analysis of July temperatures in Death Valley between 1923 and 2024 suggests the world record near-surface air temperature of 134 F measured in July 1913 may be erroneous.
When an AI algorithm is labeled 'female,' people are more likely to exploit it
People who played the “Prisoner’s Dilemma” were less likely to cooperate when the other player was a male human or AI, and exploited female players.
JWST spots a planet chasing its own atmosphere through space
New James Webb telescope observations of the 'super-puff' planet WASP-107b show that the exoplanet's runaway atmosphere is frantically escaping into space.
Anacondas became massive 12 million years ago — and it worked so well, they haven't changed size since
The snakes stayed large and thrived even when cooling temperatures and shrinking habitats killed off other giant reptiles millions of years ago.
Law of 'maximal randomness' explains how broken objects shatter in the most annoying way possible
A new mathematical equation describes the distribution of different fragment sizes when an object breaks. Remarkably, the distribution is the same for everything from bubbles to spaghetti.
Elaborate 2,700-year-old tomb in Greece contains burial of a woman with an upside-down crown
A lavish tomb of a noblewoman discovered in ancient Greece includes a mysterious symbol of lost power.
'We do not know of a similar case': 4,000-year-old burial in little-known African kingdom mystifies archaeologists
Remains of what was likely a funeral feast were discovered in a 4,000-year-old jug in Africa.
Earth had a secret neighbor, and it may explain our moon
Earth may have a moon today because a nearby neighbor once crashed into us, a new analysis of Apollo samples and terrestrial rocks reveals.
Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is erupting in 'ice volcanoes', new images suggest
Scientists have observed cryovolcanoes erupting on comet 3I/ATLAS — giving us a new clue about what's inside it.
Russia accidentally destroys its only working launch pad as astronauts lift off to ISS
The recent launch of a Soyuz rocket carrying three astronauts to the International Space Station has caused significant damage to Russia's only launch pad capable of sending humans into space.
Once-in-a-century floods set to become annual events in northeastern US in the next 75 years, study finds
Rising sea levels and storm surges from hurricanes will bring more frequent extreme floods to northeastern U.S. states, including Connecticut, New York and New Jersey.
A 'functional cure' for HIV may be in reach, early trials suggest
People infected with HIV must take antiretroviral drugs for life. But promising trials using engineered antibodies suggest that "functional cures" may be in reach.
'Potentially hazardous' asteroid 2024 YR4 was Earth's first real-life planetary defense test
The discovery and swift monitoring of asteroid 2024 YR4 earlier this year represented Earth's first real-life planetary defense test.
Antarctica's Southern Ocean might be gearing up for a thermal 'burp' that could last a century
When humans manage to cut enough emissions and eventually reduce global temperatures, new research shows the Southern Ocean could kick warming back into gear.
