Science News: Recent scientific discoveries and expert analysis
Read the latest science news and recent scientific discoveries on Live Science, where we've been reporting on groundbreaking advances for over 20 years. Our expert editors, writers and contributors are ready to guide you through today's most important breakthroughs in science with expert analysis, in-depth explainers and interesting articles, covering everything from space, technology, health, animals, planet Earth, and much more.
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Some naked mole rats are designated toilet cleaners, study suggests
By Chris Simms published
Naked mole rats may have specific roles, such as cleaning the toilet chamber or transporting waste, rather than being generalist helpers. The findings suggest naked-mole-rat colonies are even more complex than we thought.

James Webb telescope finds 'remarkable' evidence that a black hole plowed through a galaxy, leaving an enormous scar behind
By Abha Jain published
Using JWST and ALMA data, astronomers have spotted a superlong and narrow 'galactic contrail,' possibly produced by a black hole. The gas- and dust-rich tail is 20,000 light-years long but just 650 light-years wide.

Scientists invent 'Pulse-Fi' prototype — a Wi-Fi heart rate monitor that's cheaper to set up than the best wearable devices
By Sophie Berdugo published
Engineers are in the early stages of harnessing Wi-Fi as a way to monitor heart rates, but don't expect to use your home router anytime soon.

Psychedelic beer may have helped pre-Inca empire in Peru schmooze elite outsiders and consolidate power
By Owen Jarus published
The Wari used beer mixed with psychedelics to help build an empire in Peru around 1,200 years ago, a new study suggests.

'Harry Potter' materials land three scientists Nobel Prize in chemistry
By Patrick Pester last updated
Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar Yaghi awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for the development of metal–organic frameworks."

When is the next full moon?
By Jamie Carter last updated
When does the next full moon rise? Find out exactly when to see the full moons of 2025, including the full 'Beaver Moon' supermoon on November 5.

'Closest view' yet of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS captured by Mars orbiter
By Brandon Specktor published
The European Space Agency's ExoMars orbiter has captured the closest view yet of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS. The images reveal the comet's bright coma but show no signs of a tail.

Hundreds of ancient gold and silver coins from possible Celtic market found in Czech Republic
By Tom Metcalfe published
Hundreds of gold and silver coins, along with jewelry and other artifacts, have been found in the Czech Republic at what might have been an ancient Celtic market.

Harvest supermoon photos: See the moon at its biggest and brightest in pictures from around the world
By Patrick Pester published
This year's full 'Harvest moon' was also a supermoon. Check out some of the best images of this lunar event with our worldwide gallery.

Self-healing 'concrete batteries' now 10 times better — they could one day power cities, scientists say
By Owen Hughes published
Called ec³, the material is made by combining cement and water with a liquid electrolyte and carbon powder — both readily available.

Quantum record smashed as scientists build mammoth 6,000-qubit system — and it works at room temperature
By Tristan Greene published
A new system, made by splitting a laser beam into 12,000 tweezers and trapping 6,100 neutral atom qubits, hit new heights for coherence times.

Nobel Prize in physics goes to three scientists who discovered bizarre quantum effect on large scales
By Patrick Pester published
The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret and John M. Martinis "for the discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunnelling and energy quantisation in an electric circuit."

The Red Sea experienced 'one of the most extreme environmental events on Earth' 6 million years ago
By Stephanie Pappas published
The Red Sea became a desert about 6.2 million years ago, before a massive flood from the Indian Ocean turned it into a waterway again.

Soar through a 1,000-mile-long maze on Mars in this mesmerizing new satellite video
By Elizabeth Howell published
A stunning new video, made from Mars Express orbiter data, allows you to soar over a gigantic maze on the Red Planet in incredible detail.

Scientists used AI to map uncharted areas of the mouse brain
By RJ Mackenzie published
A new brain map details regions of the organ that had previously been difficult to chart.

Shackleton's infamous ship 'Endurance clearly had several structural deficiencies,' new analysis reveals
By Skyler Ware published
Ernest Shackleton's ship, the Endurance, infamously sank in Antarctica — and now a new study finds that it had known flaws.

Sneaky asteroid zooms past Antarctica closer than a satellite — and astronomers didn't catch it until hours after
By Brandon Specktor published
A small, giraffe-size asteroid called 2025 TF came closer to Earth than some satellites on Wednesday (Oct. 1), stunning astronomers who first spotted it hours later.

Dramatic 'fireballs' expected during Draconid meteor shower this week: How to get the best views
By Jamie Carter published
Expect a modest-but-convenient display of "shooting stars" after sunset, with a chance of bright "fireballs," as the Draconids peak this week.

2,700-year-old temple with 'sacred cave' discovered in Turkey — and it may honor the 'mother goddess'
By Owen Jarus published
The temple may have been dedicated to a mother goddess worshipped by many cultures, including the Greeks and the Romans.

AI can now be used to design brand-new viruses. Can we stop it from making the next devastating bioweapon?
By Stephanie Pappas published
Scientists have used AI to design bacteriophages, or viruses that infect only bacteria. Does the prospect of designing viruses with AI pose threats to biosecurity?
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