Science News: Recent scientific discoveries and expert analysis

In a first, scientists have extracted DNA from a Renaissance-era drawing attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, but they can't be sure that the genetic material belongs to the Italian polymath.

NASA's SPHEREx telescope unveiled its first full-sky map of the universe, combining more than 100 infrared observations into one dazzling mosaic.

Hunter-gatherers cremated the headless body of a woman in a pyre around 9,500 years ago in what is now Malawi.

Scientists drilled to the bottom of Greenland's 1,600-foot deep Prudhoe Dome and found it disappeared in the early Holocene, when temperatures were close to what we're predicted to reach by the end of the century.

A new DNA analysis of the mummies of historical Indigenous Yakuts reveals resistance to 17th-century Russian conquest.

A collection of bones from Casablanca holds important new clues to the origins of modern humans and Neanderthals.

A new study reveals that nerve cells receive periodic infusions of mitochondria from neighboring cells — and this may point to a new way of treating nerve pain.

An inexplicably hot, fast-growing cluster of galaxies in the early universe has scientists questioning theories of galactic evolution.

A new paper posits that advanced alien civilizations may communicate through subtle flashes, like fireflies do on Earth. The thought experiment suggests that we need to avoid human biases in our search for extraterrestrial life.

A new study reveals that tiny fragments of Earth's atmosphere are transported to and absorbed by the moon via gusts of solar wind and our planet's magnetic field, upending a 20-year-old theory based on NASA's Apollo lunar samples.

The 1,100-year-old burials of three elite warriors — two of whom were possibly father and son — have been discovered in Hungary.

Federal health officials are attempting to make the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule more like that of Denmark. Experts say the decision lacks scientific backing.

C-reactive protein — a marker of inflammation — is as easily measured with blood work in a doctor’s office as cholesterol.

The first full moon of 2026 shone brightly Saturday (Jan. 3). Known as the Wolf Moon, it appeared more luminous and larger than usual, rising together with Jupiter.

There are several methods for detecting whether a piece of text was written by AI. They all have limitations – and probably always will.

The dino lived during the Late Cretaceous alongside other hadrosaurids in present-day New Mexico.

A newly invented cipher may shed light on how the mysterious Voynich manuscript was made in medieval times.

A trio of mRNA molecules could help guard against the harmful effects of aging on immune cells, a study in mice finds.

A new study argues that AI can never be more creative than humans, but many experts argue that AI's output will only ever be as good as its input — with the goalposts shifting as AI improves in the years to come.

A long-term experiment reveals tropical forests in Panama are able to adapt to droughts, but scientists warn this short-term "rescue strategy" is unlikely to save them from the impacts of climate change.