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.
-
Drug-induced 'brain freeze' may help protect the brain after a stroke, early study suggestsBy tamping down metabolism, a new experimental treatment that induces a hypothermia-like state may slow stroke-associated brain injury, scientists report.
-
NASA satellite captures wave of warm water hundreds of miles long that signals a devastatingly strong El NiñoThis year's El Niño is on track to be among the strongest ever recorded.
-
Something in space is changing alien signals before they can reach Earth, new paper claimsNew research suggests that alien radio signals may be transformed by plasma from their home stars — and scientists on Earth could be overlooking prime evidence of alien intelligence.
-
One underlying cause of inflammatory bowel disease pinpointed in new studyAutoantibodies may be disabling one of the body's anti-inflammatory brakes in some IBD patients, a new study finds.
-
Never-before-seen shark that 'walks' on land discovered off Papua New GuineaDivers in Papua New Guinea recently discovered a new species of carpet shark that can traverse low-lying reefs.
-
James Webb telescope detects 'galaxy-killing wind' near the dawn of timeNew observations from the James Webb Space Telescope show that ancient galaxies lived fast and died young because of intense, collision-driven winds.
-
'You kill the bacteria and heal the wound at the same time': Emerging nanotech could be the future of wound healingSlow-healing lesions — common in diabetics and burn victims — can lead to lingering infections that resist antibiotic treatment. A new approach using light-activated therapies may offer a solution.
-
Rare animals spotted, California due a major quake, photon split into infinite others, and China 'tames nature.'Science news this week June 20, 2026: Our weekly roundup of the latest science in the news, as well as a few fascinating articles to keep you entertained over the weekend.
Science news this week -
Watch bison herd defend a newborn calf from wolf attack in a primeval Polish forestResearchers have captured first-of-its-kind footage of a wolf attack on European bison in the Bialowieza Primeval Forest. The recording shifts our understanding of predator-prey interactions in this region.
2 Comments -
Estrogen levels in both the male and female brain may shape memory's resilience in face of stressTraumatic experiences can cause memory problems, and estrogen may be a key factor that shapes the brain's resilience against such stressors, a mouse study finds.
-
'A completely different story': 300 million-year-old fossils reveal the first vertebrate land dwellers weren't what we thought, researchers claimOur ancient four-legged ancestors didn't have an amphibian-like life cycle when they began walking on land, according to a new study of rare fossils found near Chicago.
11 Comments -
Denisovan DNA influences the immune systems of modern Oceanians — but researchers aren't sure whyGenes inherited from the now-extinct Denisovans are actively playing a role in the immune system of some people from Oceania.
7 Comments -
Wildlife inside Chernobyl exclusion zone acted differently during Russia's invasion, camera traps revealCamera footage in Ukraine's Chernobyl exclusion zone revealed that mammals became less active — especially at night — during the Russian occupation, highlighting the war's immediate impact on wildlife.
2 Comments -
5,000-year-old 'prototype' Stonehenge aligning with solstices discovered near the famous Stone Age monumentThe discovery of two ancient holes at Stonehenge suggests people placed posts there to help observe the summer and winter solstices around 5,000 years ago.
-
'It's a huge deal': Archaeologists discover second cannonball from the Battle of the Alamo, and it was likely fired by TexansArchaeologists have discovered a second cannonball from the 1836 Battle of the Alamo, and now they have one from each side.
6 Comments -
'A mixture from zero to infinity': Physicists tried splitting a photon — and unleashed an improbable swarm of particlesPhysicists have found that splitting a photon would lead to a complex state that may change the way we think of particles.
31 Comments -
Oldest known plague victims found in a 5,500-year-old burial ground in Siberia — and many of them were childrenThe oldest known evidence of the plague killing people has been found in Siberia, and it carried a gene that may have made it particularly deadly for children.
-
China's secretive Tianwen-2 mission arrives at Earth's 'quasi-moon' ahead of historic landingAnalysis China's Tianwen-2 mission has arrived at the quasi-moon Kamo'oalewa, which orbits the sun alongside Earth. The secretive probe will scoop up samples from our temporary companion to help uncover its mysterious origin, experts say.
Analysis -
Atlantic 'cold blob' is responsible for shifts in the Indian summer monsoon that threaten over 1 billion peopleAn abnormally cold patch of water in the North Atlantic Ocean has triggered changes in the Indian summer monsoon via the jet stream winds, new research suggests.
