Skip to main content
Live Science

Live Science

Subscribe
RSS
How It Works Magazine
How It Works Magazine
Why subscribe?
  • The ultimate action-packed science and technology magazine bursting with exciting information about the universe
  • Subscribe today and save an extra 5% with checkout code 'LOVE5'
  • Engaging articles, amazing illustrations & exclusive interviews
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$3.99
View Deal
  • Space
  • Health
  • Planet Earth
  • Animals
  • Archaeology
  • Physics & Math
  • Human Behavior
  • Technology
  • Chemistry
  • More
    • Science news
    • About Us
    • Forum
Trending
  • Ancient Egyptian bracelets
  • Paleolithic half-circles mystery
  • Ancient structures near galaxy's center
  • Why do cats knead?

Latest News

Wispy white noctilucent clouds swirl over an orange sunset and blue sea

Earth's highest, coldest, rarest clouds are back. How to see the eerie 'noctilucent clouds' this summer.

Jamie Carter published 5 June 23

Look North as the stars appear in June and July to have a chance of seeing rare noctilucent (or 'night-shining') clouds with the naked eye.

A scan of human lungs, depicted in dark red and pink, with a cancerous tumor in the upper right lung shown in yellow and orange

Lung cancer pill drastically cuts risk of death after surgery

Jennifer Nalewicki published 5 June 23

Taking the drug Tagrisso daily after surgery reduced non-small cell lung cancer patients' death risk by more than 50%.

Here we see a reconstruction of our human relative Homo naledi, which has a wider nose and larger brow than humans.

Extinct human relative buried their dead 100,000 years before modern humans did, study claims

Kristina Killgrove published 5 June 23

Homo naledi, an extinct human relative with one-third the brain size of ours, buried and may have memorialized their dead, controversial research suggests.

older woman with light grey hair and tan skin raises the arm of her t shirt to receive a shot from a gloved medical provider who's holding a syringe at the ready

Shingles vaccine may protect against dementia

Carissa Wong published 5 June 23

An analysis of thousands of healthcare records adds to mounting evidence that people who get the shingles vaccine in their 70s may reduce their dementia risk over the following seven years.

A picture of the orange alligator spotted in South Carolina in 2017 walking across grass.

Crocodiles and gharials are getting bizarre orange 'tans' in Nepal. Here's why.

Sascha Pare published 5 June 23

Researchers think it could be down to where these crocs are hanging out.

Members of Divaz dance group join participants in the Juneteenth Music Festival and parade on June 17, 2017 in Denver, Colorado. Organizers say that this is one of Denver's longest-running parades, dating back to the 1950s.

What is Juneteenth?

Mindy Weisberger last updated 5 June 23

Juneteenth is a federally-recognized American holiday observed on June 19. It is also known as Emancipation Day and Black Independence Day. In 2023, it falls on a Monday.

Homo naledi, an extinct human relative with one-third the brain size of ours, buried and may have memorialized their dead, controversial research suggests.
Extinct human relative buried their dead 100,000 years before modern humans did, study claims Homo naledi, an extinct human relative with one-third the brain size of ours, buried and may have memorialized their dead, controversial research suggests.
An analysis of thousands of healthcare records adds to mounting evidence that people who get the shingles vaccine in their 70s may reduce their dementia risk over the following seven years.
Shingles vaccine may protect against dementia An analysis of thousands of healthcare records adds to mounting evidence that people who get the shingles vaccine in their 70s may reduce their dementia risk over the following seven years.
Radio astronomers have discovered hundreds of long, thin structures emanating from our galaxy's supermassive black hole.
Hundreds of ancient, invisible structures discovered near our galaxy's center Radio astronomers have discovered hundreds of long, thin structures emanating from our galaxy's supermassive black hole.
The invasion of pythons has had little to no impact on cotton rats, explaining why some areas are now increasingly dominated by rodents.
Burmese pythons are helping rats take over Florida's Everglades — and that could help spread disease The invasion of pythons has had little to no impact on cotton rats, explaining why some areas are now increasingly dominated by rodents.
Researchers think it could be down to where these crocs are hanging out.
Crocodiles and gharials are getting bizarre orange 'tans' in Nepal. Here's why. Researchers think it could be down to where these crocs are hanging out.
This discovery reveals a mostly unstudied but apparently universal aspect of fungal life.
Fungi seem to 'sweat' to stay cool and scientists don't know why This discovery reveals a mostly unstudied but apparently universal aspect of fungal life.

Planet Earth

mexican magic mushrooms lit in pink and blue lights with a black background

Fungi seem to 'sweat' to stay cool and scientists don't know why

By Ethan Freedman published 5 June 23

This discovery reveals a mostly unstudied but apparently universal aspect of fungal life.

A layer of permafrost melts, exposing the rocky substrate underneath.

8 ancient 'zombie viruses' that scientists have pulled from the melting permafrost

By Sascha Pare published 1 June 23

Scientists are discovering and resurrecting ancient viruses trapped in permafrost and frozen remains. Here are 8 'zombie' viruses that scientists have pulled from the permafrost.

VIEW MORE
  1. 1
    Cancer Is a Man-Made Disease, Controversial Study Claims
  2. 2
    Does the giant blob of seaweed headed to Florida really contain 'flesh-eating' bacteria?
  3. 3
    Stephen Hawking's most famous prediction could mean that everything in the universe is doomed to evaporate, new study says
  4. 4
    Hundreds of ancient, invisible structures discovered near our galaxy's center
  5. 5
    Orcas have sunk 3 boats in Europe and appear to be teaching others to do the same. But why?
  1. 1
    Cancer Is a Man-Made Disease, Controversial Study Claims
  2. 2
    Stephen Hawking's most famous prediction could mean that everything in the universe is doomed to evaporate, new study says
  3. 3
    Hundreds of ancient, invisible structures discovered near our galaxy's center
  4. 4
    There may be hundreds of millions of habitable planets in the Milky Way, new study suggests
  5. 5
    Ancient Egyptian queen's bracelets contain 1st evidence of long-distance trade between Egypt and Greece

Space

A data plot of the radio filaments, bursting out of the center of the galaxy like fireworks

Hundreds of ancient, invisible structures discovered near our galaxy's center

By Brandon Specktor published 3 June 23

Radio astronomers have discovered hundreds of long, thin structures emanating from our galaxy's supermassive black hole.

An artist's illustration of three black holes merging.

Stephen Hawking's most famous prediction could mean that everything in the universe is doomed to evaporate, new study says

By Ben Turner published 2 June 23

A new theory has radically revised Stephen Hawking's 1974 theory of black holes to predict that all objects with mass may eventually disappear.

VIEW MORE

archaeology

Here we see a hand clenching around the end of a wooden spear, with the forefinger in the "open ring" finger loop.

150-year-old mystery of strange half-circles from Paleolithic site in France finally solved

By Tom Metcalfe published 2 June 23

Hurling spear-thrower projectiles at archery targets revealed that these loops may have been finger grips.

A painted human-shaped sarcophagus on a table under a tent.

2,300-year-old Egyptian mummification workshops found at Saqqara

By Owen Jarus published 2 June 23

Archaeologists in Egypt found ancient mummification workshops — one for humans and one for animals — at Saqqara.

VIEW MORE

Health

A woman in a light blue swimsuit walks along a beach coated in a thick layer of brown seaweed

Does the giant blob of seaweed headed to Florida really contain 'flesh-eating' bacteria?

By Kiley Price published 2 June 23

A gargantuan seaweed blob on its way to Florida beaches is filled with plastic and some potentially harmful bacteria, but no "flesh-eating" microbes, as some news reports have suggested.

close up of fuzzy, white fungus growing in a circular lab dish

Deadly fungal meningitis outbreak linked to cosmetic procedures in Mexico

By Nicoletta Lanese published 2 June 23

An outbreak of dangerous fungal infections has been tied to recent cosmetic procedures at specific clinics in Mexico. Health officials urge anyone who underwent such procedures to seek a medical evaluation right away.

hand holds up phone with the Neuralink website displayed on its screen. In the background, an edited photo of Elon Musk's face with the word "Neuralink" superimposed over it can be seen

Elon Musk's Neuralink 'brain chips' cleared for 1st in-human trials

By Sarah Moore published 2 June 23

Brain implants developed by Elon Musk's company Neuralink have been approved for human testing. The safety of the devices previously came under scrutiny following reports of "botched surgeries" in animal test subjects.

VIEW MORE

Animals

close up of a burmese python looking straight at camera on grassy background and a cotton rat on the bank of a river with its reflection showing in the water

Burmese pythons are helping rats take over Florida's Everglades — and that could help spread disease

By Hannah Osborne published 5 June 23

The invasion of pythons has had little to no impact on cotton rats, explaining why some areas are now increasingly dominated by rodents.

Eastern chimpanzee juvenile male 'Gimli' aged 8 years playing with his brother 'Gizmo' aged 3 years. Image taken in Gombe National Park, Tanzania, June 2012.

Do all animals go through adolescence?

By Amanda Heidt published 4 June 23

All species experience the bodily changes of puberty, but the social lessons that define the shift from childhood to adulthood are more nuanced.

View from above of a happy tabby cat kneading its paws on a soft white blanket.

Why do cats knead?

By Charles Q. Choi published 3 June 23

If a cat kneads on your lap, it's likely because it feels safe around you. But why do they knead in the first place?

VIEW MORE

Human Behavior

Japanese Unit 731 staff carrying a body from one of the unit's facilities.

World War II 'horror bunker' run by infamous Unit 731 discovered in China

By Ben Turner published 30 May 23

A bunker discovered near the city of Anda in northeast China is believed to be the largest test site of Imperial Japan's infamous Unit 731, which conducted horrifying human experiments during the 1940s.

A 1920s illustration of an ancient Greek Bireme that has two decks of oars.

What is the 'ship of Theseus' thought experiment?

By Meg Duff published 27 May 23

The Greek writer Plutarch proposed this question: If a ship's planks are replaced over time due to wear and tear until none of the original pieces remain, is it still the same ship?

Screenshot from Night of the Living Dead (1968)

Best zombie movies: viruses, fungi, space radiation & voodoo magic

By Fran Ruiz published 26 May 23

Movie Science We're shambling onto your screens to look at the best zombie movies, and the scientific (and not so scientific) inspirations behind them.

Movie Science
VIEW MORE

Physics & Mathematics

Red and blue bar magnet or physics magnetic with iron powder magnetic field on white background.

Why do magnets have north and south poles?

By Laurel Hamers published 30 April 23

Spinning electrons may help explain why magnets have north and south poles.

8 Einstein rings in a grid

Dark matter's secret identity could be hiding in distorted 'Einstein rings'

By Harry Baker published 27 April 23

Researchers may be a step closer to identifying dark matter after studying unusual cases of gravitational lensing caused by "dark matter halos" surrounding distant galaxies.

An artist's illustration of three Schrödinger's cats.

World's heaviest Schrödinger's cat made in quantum crystal visible to the naked eye

By Ben Turner published 26 April 23

Physicists have placed part of a sapphire crystal into a quantum superposition, making it the heaviest object to show quantum effects, in a new take on Erwin Schrödinger's famous cat experiment.

VIEW MORE

Chemistry

Uranium nitrate called uranyl, with uranium ore, radioactive material on isolated white background_RHJ via Getty Images

Scientists discover 1st 'neutron-rich' isotope of uranium since 1979

By Robert Lea published 15 April 23

Scientists have synthesized a previously unknown isotope of uranium, uranium-241, that may start to disappear after just 40 minutes.

A selection of images showing seedlings growing in a lab vs. computerized models.

Alan Turing's famous mathematical model was right all along, chia seed experiment reveals

By Jennifer Nalewicki published 5 April 23

For the first time, scientists using chia seed experiments have confirmed that Alan Turing's mathematical model can explain patterns seen in nature.

Best chemistry sets - Girl and boy playing with chemistry set_Thames & Kosmos

Best chemistry sets 2023: amazing at-home chemistry sets for kids and adults

By Jake Green last updated 7 December 22

Get the reaction you're looking for with the best chemistry sets for kids and adults.

VIEW MORE

Tech

Science kit deals - Kid doing science

Science kit deals 2023: Fun & educational STEM sets on offer at Amazon, Target, and more

By Kimberley Snaith published 5 April 23

From microscopes to robotic unicorns, we’ve rounded up some of the best science kit deals from around the web.

Laptop and assorted desk gadgets - best office gadgets and toys

Best office gadgets and toys 2023: Useful tools and fun toys for your desk

By Susan Arendt published 5 April 23

Having the best office gadgets and toys at your disposal transforms your personal space into a luxe working environment.

Best science kits for kids - Two cute children at chemistry lesson making experiments on white background.

Best science kits for kids 2023: Fun experiments for children of all ages

By Mihaela Bozukova published 5 April 23

Inspire your children to learn about the world with the best science kits for kids.

VIEW MORE

Live Science is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Advertise with us
  • Web notifications
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.