Giant 'stone' in a man's bladder looked like an ostrich egg
A man visited a hospital because of bladder discomfort, and his doctors discovered a remarkably large bladder stone.
Space
January 'Wolf Supermoon': How to see the full moon rise with Jupiter this weekend
The first full moon of 2026 and of winter in the Northern Hemisphere will shine brightly this week, just as Earth makes its annual closest approach to the sun.
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Full moons of 2026: When to see all 13 moons rise next year
When does the next full moon rise? Find out exactly when to see the full moons of 2026, including the full "Wolf Moon" supermoon in January.
Quadrantid meteor shower peaks this week: How to see the first 'shooting' stars of the year
The Quadrantids will be harder to see than usual due to the bright full moon. Here's how to get the best views.
Planet Earth
Spotted Lake: Canada's soda lake with colorful brine pools that are smelly and slimy 'like the white of an egg'
Spotted Lake is a soda lake that evaporates every summer, leaving a white crust with circular brine pools that can appear blue, green or yellow.
Trees in Panama's tropical forests are growing longer roots in the face of drought
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.
Melting of West Antarctic ice sheet could trigger catastrophic reshaping of the land beneath
A picture of what West Antarctica looked like when its ice sheet melted in the past can offer insight into the continent’s future as the climate warms.
Massive Myanmar earthquake was super smooth and efficient — and it holds lessons for the 'Big One'
The fault that ruptured in the March quake was simple and mature, which allowed the quake's energy to shoot right to the surface.
Enough fresh water is lost from continents each year to meet the needs of 280 million people. Here's how we can combat that.
Earth's continents are losing 4 Olympic swimming pools' worth of fresh water every second, with dire consequences for jobs, food security and water availability.
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archaeology
Mysterious Voynich manuscript may be a cipher, a new study suggests
A newly invented cipher may shed light on how the mysterious Voynich manuscript was made in medieval times.
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Centuries-old 'trophy head' from Peru reveals individual survived to adulthood despite disabling birth defect
A researcher has documented a cleft lip in an ancient mummified head from the Andes, a condition that may have been seen as a "blessing" rather than a disability.
'Artificial intelligence' myths have existed for centuries – from the ancient Greeks to a pope's chatbot
'Artificial intelligence' myths have existed for centuries — from the ancient Greeks to a pope's chatbot
LATEST ARTICLES
Animals
50 mind-blowing science facts about our incredible world
Life's Little Mysteries If you're looking for weird facts about animals, gross human body facts or just something a bit random, get ready to geek out with these fascinating bits of trivia.
Did any cat breeds develop naturally?
Humans have undoubtedly bred cats to create certain breeds, but did any of these feline breeds emerge naturally?
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Giant 'cow of the Cretaceous' discovered almost 100 years ago identified as new duck-billed dinosaur
The dino lived during the Late Cretaceous alongside other hadrosaurids in present-day New Mexico.
Did reintroducing Wolves to Yellowstone really cause an ecological cascade?
Previous research on the effect of wolves on the food web has been criticized, raising questions about the predator’s role in the Yellowstone ecosystem.
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Health & Human Behavior
US government overhauls the childhood vaccine schedule in unprecedented move
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.
How common is it to have extra bones in your skeleton?
Adult human bodies typically have about 206 bones. But is it possible to have more?
An experimental mRNA treatment counters immune cell aging in mice
A trio of mRNA molecules could help guard against the harmful effects of aging on immune cells, a study in mice finds.
Why can't you wiggle your toes one at a time?
A biological anthropologist explains why humans can't wiggle their toes in the same way they can wiggle their fingers.
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Life's Little Mysteries
Science questions, answered
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Space photo of the week
Extraordinary images of our sublime universe
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Diagnostic dilemma
Unusual case reports from the medical literature
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Incredible places
A window onto extraordinary landscapes on Earth
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Astonishing artifacts
A glimpse into how people lived in the past
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Earth from space
Incredible images of our planet from above
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Technology
Even AI has trouble figuring out if text was written by AI — here's why
There are several methods for detecting whether a piece of text was written by AI. They all have limitations – and probably always will.
Will AI ever be more creative than humans?
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.
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This new DNA storage system can fit 10 billion songs in a liter of liquid — but challenges remain for the unusual storage format
The new storage system could hold family photos, cultural artifacts and the master versions of digital artworks, movies, manuscripts and music for thousands of years, scientists say.
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Physics, Math & Chemistry
Science history: Richard Feynman gives a fun little lecture — and dreams up an entirely new field of physics — Dec. 29, 1959
In a short talk at Caltech, physicist Richard Feynman laid out a vision of manipulating and controlling atoms at the tiniest scale. It would precede the field of nanotechnology by decades.
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Quizzes & Games
Live Science crossword puzzle #25: Ancient hominin species famous for their 'upright' posture — 11 across
Science crossword Test your knowledge on all things science with our weekly, free crossword puzzle!
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What to buy to start a fitness journey (and save some money in the process)
Buying guides A quick beginner's guide to shopping for workout gear, fitness tech and exercise equipment during January's fitness rush.
