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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Mystery medical episode that left astronaut unable to speak shows one of NASA's biggest risks as moon missions ramp up
By Kenna Hughes-Castleberry published
Veteran astronaut Michael Fincke's sudden medical emergency aboard the ISS is a stark reminder that, as NASA pushes toward long-term lunar missions, astronaut health remains one of spaceflight's biggest unknowns.

Synesthesia isn't just in your mind. The body reacts as if the colors were real.
By Clarissa Brincat published
Pupil size in people with synesthesia changed depending on how bright or dark the perceived colors were.

Live Science Today: Jaw-dropping first glimpse of sperm whale birth and how NASA is turning astronauts into test subjects
By Ben Turner published
Daily Roundup Friday, March 27, 2026: Your daily roundup of the biggest science stories making headlines.

'Major disruption in Neanderthal history': 65,000 years ago, all Neanderthals in Europe died out except for one lineage
By Charles Q. Choi published
The last Neanderthals to survive in Europe came from a single lineage that survived the worst period of the ice age, ancient DNA reveals.

Astronauts will 'absolutely be test subjects': NASA's moon base dreams could have a human cost
By Georgia Michelman published
Experts say building a lunar colony within the next decade, as NASA and Elon Musk want to, will require finding solutions to problems we don't yet fully understand.

2 Neanderthals present at same Siberian cave 10,000 years apart were distant relatives, 110,000-year-old bone reveals
By Aristos Georgiou published
Researchers extracted DNA from a Neanderthal bone fragment found in Russia's Denisova Cave, and the genome is shedding light on how small and isolated their groups were.

18 million-year-old fossils of ape found in Africa, but in an unexpected place
By Colin Barras published
The ancestor of apes was long thought to come from East Africa, but newly discovered fossils in Egypt may prompt a rethink.

Astronauts may struggle to reproduce in outer space, study suggests — what does that mean for the future of space colonization?
By Kenna Hughes-Castleberry published
A new study found that microgravity simulated on Earth hindered sperm cell movement, egg fertilization and embryo development — findings that have serious implications for the future of space colonization.

Brain aging results from a loss of control over how genes are regulated, mouse study suggests
By RJ Mackenzie published
Aging may "erase" the epigenetic markers that control gene expression in the brain, and this may create a snowball effect.

Live Science Today: Meta and Google fined for causing social media addiction and how dogs were our friends for millennia
By Ben Turner published
Daily Roundup Thursday, March 26, 2026: Your daily roundup of the biggest science stories making headlines.

Roman mosaic shows topless woman battling leopard in arena, study finds
By Owen Jarus published
A third-century mosaic shows a topless woman battling a leopard in a Roman arena.

1,000-year-old altar and human sacrifices from Toltec Empire discovered in Mexico
By Kristina Killgrove published
Archaeologists found the altar and human bones during a construction project near Tula, an ancient city that was the capital of the pre-Hispanic Toltec Empire.

Chinese lander reveals giant 'cavity' of radiation between Earth and the moon — and it could change how lunar exploration is done
By Kenna Hughes-Castleberry published
A new study using data from China's Chang'e-4 moon lander found an area of reduced radiation from cosmic rays near the moon. The findings could be used to improve the safety of lunar explorations.

NASA announces 'near‑impossible' space plans, including $20B moon base and humanity's first nuclear-powered interplanetary spacecraft
By Patrick Pester published
NASA's Gateway lunar space station won't launch next year in new changes to the Artemis program, which include ramping up development of a $20 billion moon base and a nuclear-powered 'Freedom' spacecraft.

Is the metaverse finally dead and buried? What's really going on with the embattled idea of living in virtual worlds.
By Drew Turney published
Touted as the next big thing just a few years back, the development of and hype fueling the metaverse have spluttered to a halt. Is it headed for the scrapheap of history?

How many moons are in the solar system?
By Harry Baker last updated
The solar system has many more moons than the one we can see in the sky. But how many do we actually know about? And how many more are waiting to be discovered?

Critically endangered hare spotted in surprising location for the first time in 40 years — but it was already dead
By Aristos Georgiou published
Scientists in China have announced the first confirmed sighting of the critically endangered Hainan hare in part of its native range in four decades, after spotting its completely flattened carcass on a roadside.

Scientists are racing to save Australia's 'zombie tree' from a fast-spreading fungal disease
By Kenna Hughes-Castleberry published
A fast-spreading fungal disease has left the newly named Australian "zombie tree" unable to produce flowers, fruit or seeds, and scientists warn that 16 other species may be heading down the same path.
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