Planet Earth

An astronaut photo of three dark mesas, partially surrounded by orange sand dunes

Trio of 'black mesas' leftover from Paleozoic era spawn rare sand dunes in the Sahara

By Harry Baker published

Earth from space A 2023 astronaut photo shows three dark hills, or mesas, towering above part of the Sahara desert in southern Mauritania. The structures are remnants of a single Paleozoic era formation, and have helped to create a series of striking sand dunes.

Earth from space
Cars sit abandoned on the flooded Major Deegan Expressway in the Bronx following a night of heavy wind and rain from the remnants of Hurricane Ida on September 02, 2021 in New York City.

Once-in-a-century floods set to become annual events in northeastern US in the next 75 years, study finds

By Brian Owens published

Rising sea levels and storm surges from hurricanes will bring more frequent extreme floods to northeastern U.S. states, including Connecticut, New York and New Jersey.

Climate change
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Space

Earth had a secret neighbor, and it may explain our moon

By Sharmila Kuthunur published

Earth may have a moon today because a nearby neighbor once crashed into us, a new analysis of Apollo samples and terrestrial rocks reveals.

Planets
An image of comet 3I/ATLAS with what appear to be spiralling jets shooting off its surface.

Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is erupting in 'ice volcanoes', new images suggest

By Patrick Pester published

Scientists have observed cryovolcanoes erupting on comet 3I/ATLAS — giving us a new clue about what's inside it.

21 Comments
Space
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archaeology

Roman sun hat: A 'very rare' 1,600-year-old brimmed cap that may have protected a Roman soldier from Egyptian sandstorms

By Kristina Killgrove published

A rare example of a sun hat from late Roman Egypt that was stitched together from fabrics in five colors.

Romans
Science News This Week Nov. 29 2025

An enigmatic human relative, dark matter discovery and mysterious lights in the sky during nuclear weapons tests

By Ben Turner published

Science news this week Nov. 29, 2025: 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
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World of science

Health

A woman got a rare parasitic lung infection after eating raw frogs

By Mindy Weisberger published

In an unusual case, a woman developed a parasitic infection in her lungs, when more typically, the parasite stays just under the skin.

2 Comments
Viruses, Infections & Disease
A Live Science Cyber Monday logo and a picture of the Blueair Classic Pro CP7i on a blue background

Hurry, this germ-busting air purifier is still $210 off this Cyber Monday

By Anna Gora published

Deals Save 30% on the Blueair Classic Pro CP7i, the only air purifier that uses violet-blue light to remove bacteria and viruses.

Deals

A 'functional cure' for HIV may be in reach, early trials suggest

By Andrea Teagle, Knowable Magazine published

People infected with HIV must take antiretroviral drugs for life. But promising trials using engineered antibodies suggest that "functional cures" may be in reach.

HIV
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Animals

What's the difference between a newt and a salamander?

By Alice Sun published

Salamanders and newts are both long-tailed amphibians, but what's the difference between them?

Animals
Close Up of a Leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis).

People in China lived alongside 'chicken-killing tigers' long before domestic cats arrived

By Chris Simms published

Leopard cats were living alongside people in ancient China for more than 3,500 years before domestic cats arrived from Europe via the Silk Road.

Cats

Large, bone-crushing dogs stalked 'Rhino Pompeii' after Yellowstone eruption 12 million years ago, ancient footprints reveal

By Patrick Pester published

Researchers have found footprints of large, bone-crushing dogs in the 12 million-year-old Ashfall Fossil Beds in northeastern Nebraska, suggesting these large carnivores may have survived a cataclysmic Yellowstone eruption that covered parts of North America in ash.

Extinct species
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Human Behavior

A hand holding a pencil over a crossword puzzle

Live Science crossword puzzle #22: Subatomic particle with a positive charge — 13 across

By Harry Baker last updated

Science crossword Test your knowledge on all things science with our weekly, free crossword puzzle!

Science crossword

Time may be a psychological projection, philosopher argues

By Adrian Bardon published

Is time real, or an illusion? The best answer may be neither: Both physics and philosophy suggest that time is a projection of the mind onto a timeless reality.

Human Behavior

There is such a thing as 'settled science' — anyone who says otherwise is trying to manipulate you

By Kit Yates published

Opinion How bad-faith arguments sow doubt by weaponizing scientific humility.

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Opinion
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Physics & Mathematics

World's largest neutrino detector starts up — with incredible results

By Rory Harris last updated

Deep underground in southern China, there is a 20,000-ton tank of liquid that can detect neutrinos. Named JUNO, the detector's first results are in — and they're very promising.

Particle Physics
Gamma-ray intensity map superimposed in the corner of an image of a galaxy.

Did a NASA telescope really 'see' dark matter? Strange gamma-rays spark bold claims, but scientists urge caution

By Elizabeth Howell published

A new study says observations from the NASA Fermi space telescope suggest a halo of dark matter around the center of our galaxy, but more information is needed to confirm the result.

Dark Matter

Two stars spiraling toward catastrophe are putting Einstein's gravity to the test

By Paul Sutter published

The two stars in the nearby system ZTF J2130 are spiraling toward a catastrophic supernova. In the meantime, scientists are using the pair's slow orbital decay to put Einstein's theory of gravity to the test.

Gravity
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Chemistry

Scientists invent way to use E. coli to create and dye rainbow-colored fabric in the lab

By Mason Wakley published

Scientists have used a novel method to create sustainable, rainbow-colored fibers using bacteria in the lab.

Chemistry
an animation of a spinning buckyball molecule

Science history: Chemists discover buckyballs — the most perfect molecules in existence — Nov. 14, 1985

By Tia Ghose published

Over a feverish 10-day period, scientists synthesized and described a new class of carbon molecules, called buckminster fullerenes, after the iconic 20th-century inventor.

Chemistry

Why does boiling water have bubbles, except in a microwave?

By Victoria Atkinson published

Bubbles are usually the first sign that water’s coming to the boil, but heating it in a microwave seems to skip this important step. Here’s what’s going on.

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Chemistry
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Technology

Vector of a man working with a robot sitting at table. Symbol of future cooperation and technology advance

When an AI algorithm is labeled 'female,' people are more likely to exploit it

By Damien Pine published

People who played the “Prisoner’s Dilemma” were less likely to cooperate when the other player was a male human or AI, and exploited female players.

Artificial Intelligence
CPU processing data with futuristic electronic circuit and glowing lines, representing artificial intelligence, big data, machine learning, and high-speed connection.

Science history: Computer scientist lays out 'Moore's law,' guiding chip design for a half century — Dec. 2, 1964

By Tia Ghose published

At a small local chapter meeting of a professional society, Gordon Moore's talk laid out the rudiments of what would become "Moore's law, which would govern the electronics industry for a half century.

Technology

The 7 best running headphone deals that remain for Cyber Monday

By Tantse Walter published

Deals Last-minute Cyber Monday shopping this evening? Get the best running headphones for less. Whether you're a seasoned runner or plan to start as a New Year's resolution, one of these will be the perfect pair for you.

Deals
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