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  • WWII 'horror bunker'
  • Vaping vs smoking
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  • Oldest tree in the world
  • 'Ship of Theseus'

Latest News

An illustration of an asteroid orbiting the sun alongside Earth, much like the newly classified quasi-moon

New 'quasi-moon' discovered near Earth has been travelling alongside our planet since 100 BC

Kiley Price published 31 May 23

Astronomers recently identified asteroid 2023 FW13 as a quasi-moon, a space rock orbiting the sun nearly in tandem with Earth.

close up of an analog bathroom scale on a light wood floor

Weight-loss surgery is becoming more common among US teens

Nicoletta Lanese published 31 May 23

A study suggests that more U.S. teens with obesity are getting weight-loss surgeries, in line with official guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

A group of people seated at a table in front of a NASA logo.

NASA concludes first-ever public UFO briefing. What did we learn?

Brett Tingley published 31 May 23

The government is investigating hundreds of military UFO reports, but only a small fraction are truly "anomalous."

white woman with blonde hair pictured walking down a city sidewalk at night with her phone illuminating her face. She's looking up at the surrounding scene as if confused

What is the science behind déjà vu?

Racheal Ede published 31 May 23

Déjà vu, the feeling of having experienced something before, is very common, but why does it happen?

A stand of aspen trees

Listen to the sounds of Pando, the largest living tree in the world

Jennifer Nalewicki published 31 May 23

Researchers are using sound to study Pando, the world's largest tree.

Beluga whale in harness

Suspected Russian spy whale is looking for love in all the wrong places

Harry Baker published 31 May 23

A beluga whale that was discovered wearing a suspicious harness in 2019 is on the move in search of other belugas. But it's heading in the wrong direction.

A beluga whale that was discovered wearing a suspicious harness in 2019 is on the move in search of other belugas. But it's heading in the wrong direction.
Suspected Russian spy whale looking for love in all the wrong places A beluga whale that was discovered wearing a suspicious harness in 2019 is on the move in search of other belugas. But it's heading in the wrong direction.
The government is investigating hundreds of military UFO reports, but only a small fraction are truly "anomalous."
NASA concludes first-ever public UFO briefing. What did we learn? The government is investigating hundreds of military UFO reports, but only a small fraction are truly "anomalous."
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.
World War II 'horror bunker' run by infamous Unit 731 discovered in China 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 man escaped death after being stung by a swarm of 1,000 killer bees, yet previous similar incidents have proved fatal. Why do some people survive and others don't?
Killer bees stung a man 250 times in swarm attack, but he survived. How? A man escaped death after being stung by a swarm of 1,000 killer bees, yet previous similar incidents have proved fatal. Why do some people survive and others don't?
Researchers are using sound to study Pando, the world's largest tree.
Listen to the sounds of Pando, the largest living tree in the world Researchers are using sound to study Pando, the world's largest tree.
The bright-eyed reptiles were identified as a new species after a genetic analysis of other geckos revealed they were separate from another closely related species.
This psychedelic-eyed gecko isn't what we thought it was The bright-eyed reptiles were identified as a new species after a genetic analysis of other geckos revealed they were separate from another closely related species.

Planet Earth

A 3,200-year-old bristlecone pine in a forest with blue sky above

The oldest tree in the world (and the 7 runner-ups)

By Erik Ofgang published 29 May 23

From Prometheus and Methuselah to trees in remote forests of China, these are the most ancient known trees on Earth.

Composite of a blood-belly comb jelly and New York City

Science news this week: Sinking cities and tree of life mysteries

By Alexander McNamara published 27 May 23

May 27, 2023: Our weekly roundup of the latest science in the news over the past few days, as well as a few fascinating articles to keep you entertained over the weekend.

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  1. Sigourney Weaver (a white woman with curly brown hair) lies in a bed covered by a clear cover; she appears asleep and is wearing a white night gown
    1
    Scientists may be able to put Mars-bound astronauts into 'suspended animation' using sound waves, mouse study suggests
  2. 2
    What was the longest-lasting civilization?
  3. 3
    2,700-year-old petroglyphs depicting people, ships and animals discovered in Sweden
  4. 4
    153,000-year-old footprints from South Africa are the oldest Homo sapiens tracks on record
  5. 5
    The oldest tree in the world (and the 7 runner-ups)
  1. Mars in late spring. William Herschel believed the light areas were land and the dark areas were oceans.
    1
    First Martian life likely broke the planet with climate change, made themselves extinct
  2. 2
    Octopuses torture and eat themselves after mating. Science finally knows why.
  3. 3
    Never-before-seen 'crystal-like matter' hidden in a chunk of fossilized lightning is probably a brand new mineral
  4. 4
    2,700-year-old petroglyphs depicting people, ships and animals discovered in Sweden
  5. 5
    What is the speed of light?

Space

Several bright stars of the Beehive Cluster, a group of roughly 1,000 tight-knit stars

How to watch Mars photobomb the buzzing Beehive Cluster of stars this week

By Jamie Carter published 31 May 23

Here's how to watch the Red Planet swoop across the Beehive Cluster — one of the closest star clusters to Earth — after sunset this week.

A full moon rises over Arlington, Virginia. A plane passes in front of the moon's bright face.

Watch the full 'Strawberry Moon' rise on June 3

By Jamie Carter published 31 May 23

June's full moon is known as the Strawberry Moon, the Hot Moon and the Rose Moon. It will be at its fullest on Saturday night, June 3.

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archaeology

We see the raised imprint of a human footprint in brownish stone.

153,000-year-old footprints from South Africa are the oldest Homo sapiens tracks on record

By Kristina Killgrove published 29 May 23

A modern dating method has revealed the oldest Homo sapiens' footprints yet, placing bipedal humans in South Africa around 153,000 years ago.

The newly found petroglyphs from Sweden include depictions of humans. Here we see one tall human with their arms throw up in the air.

2,700-year-old petroglyphs depicting people, ships and animals discovered in Sweden

By Owen Jarus published 29 May 23

About 40 ancient rock carvings have been found on a former rocky island in Sweden.

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Health

a large group of africanized honey bees clinging to the same tree trunk (it's difficult to see the trunk for all the bees)

Killer bees stung a man 250 times in swarm attack, but he survived. How?

By Sarah Moore published 31 May 23

A man escaped death after being stung by a swarm of 1,000 killer bees, yet previous similar incidents have proved fatal. Why do some people survive and others don't?

Close up of a pair of hands holding smoking parafernalia. In the left hand is a vape pen and in the right hand there is a handful of cigarettes.

Is vaping healthier than smoking?

By Anna Gora published 29 May 23

Experts agree that all else being equal, it is better to vape than to smoke traditional cigarettes, but e-cigarettes come with their own risks.

One of the best fitness trackers being tested by Live Science

Best fitness trackers 2023

By Andrew Williams last updated 26 May 23

Buying Guide From sleep tracking to stress management, these are the best fitness trackers we’ve tested to support your health goals.

Buying Guide
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Animals

A geckos head covered in white and gray scales with an eye of the same color surrounded by and orange ring.

This psychedelic-eyed gecko isn't what we thought it was

By Harry Baker published 31 May 23

The bright-eyed reptiles were identified as a new species after a genetic analysis of other geckos revealed they were separate from another closely related species.

Fish pecking at a dead sea urchin in the Gulf of Aqaba.

Mystery pathogen is stripping sea urchins of their flesh and turning them to skeletons — and it's spreading fast

By Ben Turner published 30 May 23

A mysterious epidemic that began in the Mediterranean at the start of the year looks set to wipe out all of the Mediterranean and Red Sea’s urchins, and possibly their coral reefs too.

Here we see an orange/red crab with a pale yellow underbelly with its two claws raised in the air. It is on a sandy beach.

Why do animals keep evolving into crabs?

By Laurel Hamers published 29 May 23

Crabby bodies are so evolutionarily favorable, they've evolved at least five different times. So why does this process, known as carcinization, keep happening?

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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
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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.

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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.

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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

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