Giving AI the ability to monitor its own thought process could help it think like humans
Today's best AI systems don't have a good grasp on their own thought process, but a new model might allow them to tap into metacognition
Space
See February's full Snow Moon rise this weekend next to a glittering star cluster
February's full "Snow Moon" will be at its fullest on Sunday, Feb. 1, and will be best seen at moonrise. It will appear just beneath the Beehive Cluster, one of the closest star clusters to the solar system.
How to photograph the moon: Tips on camera gear, settings and composition
We're sharing our best tips on how to photograph the moon ahead of the blood moon eclipse on March 3 — discover the right gear, settings and composition techniques to get the best shots.
How to see 2 total solar eclipses in the next 2 years — including the 'eclipse of the century'
After a two-year gap, there will be two total solar eclipses within 12 months of each other, on Aug. 12, 2026, and Aug. 2, 2027.
James Webb telescope peers into 'Eye of God' and finds clues to life's origins — Space photo of the week
A spectacular new image from the James Webb Space Telescope reveals intricate structures inside the Helix Nebula, where a dying sunlike star is enriching the galaxy with the elements needed for life.
Planet Earth
A drying climate is making East Africa pull apart faster
A switch from a humid to a dry climate has led the Eastern African Rift Zone to pull apart more freely, new research finds.
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Chocolate Hills: The color-changing mounds in the Philippines that inspired legends of mud-slinging giants
The Chocolate Hills are 1,776 mounds on Bohol Island in the Philippines where grassy cover turns brown during the dry season.
Arctic blast probably won't cause trees to explode in the cold — but here's what happens if and when they do go boom
An exploding tree claim has gone viral as the U.S. brace for an Arctic blast that will send temperatures plunging, triggering a massive and long-lasting winter storm.
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Californians have been using far less water than suppliers estimated — what does this mean for the state?
Flawed assumptions about water demand mean suppliers in California overestimated future demand by an average of 74% over 20 years — positive news for the drought-embattled state.
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Enormous freshwater reservoir discovered off the East Coast may be 20,000 years old and big enough to supply NYC for 800 years
An expedition off the coast of Massachusetts has confirmed the existence of a freshwater reservoir beneath the seafloor. Now, scientists are starting to understand when and how it formed.
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archaeology
1,400-year-old Zapotec tomb discovered in Mexico features enormous owl sculpture symbolizing death
The president of Mexico called the discovery of a 1,400-year-old Zapotec tomb in Oaxaca the "most significant archaeological discovery in a decade."
Varna Gold: Humanity's first gold jewelry was found in a cemetery with a gold 'penis sheath'
Archaeologists found hundreds of burials in the Copper Age cemetery in Varna, Bulgaria, some of which were littered with gold artifacts.
2,500 years ago, people in Bulgaria ate dog meat at feasts and as a delicacy, archaeological study finds
A study of dog bones across several Iron Age sites in Bulgaria has shown that people ate dog meat.
480,000-year-old ax sharpener is the oldest known elephant bone tool ever discovered in Europe
The "very rare" find provides an extraordinary glimpse into the ingenuity of early human relatives who lived around half a million years ago.
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World's oldest rock art, giant reservoir found beneath the East Coast seafloor, black hole revelations, and a record solar radiation storm
Science news this week Jan. 24, 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.
LATEST ARTICLES
Animals
Shark attacks in Hawaii spike in October, and scientists think they know why
Sharktober is real in Hawaii — and it's down to the reproductive pattern of predatory tiger sharks, an analysis of 30 years of data reveals.
'They are life, but not as we now know it': 26-foot organism that lived 420 million years ago is completely unknown branch of animal kingdom
An ancient and enormous organism called Prototaxites, initially found to be a type of fungus, may actually be an unknown branch of life, researchers say.
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Coyote scrambles onto Alcatraz Island after perilous, never-before-seen swim
Experts have reacted to a viral video of a coyote swimming to Alcatraz Island in what is a surprising first for the San Francisco Bay Area.
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Ever watched a pet cow pick up a broom and scratch herself with it? You have now
A pet cow in Austria started using a broom to scratch herself — the first ever documented case of bovine tool use.
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Health & Human Behavior
IVF hormones could be delivered with painless 'microneedle' patch someday, early study hints
Scientists are developing a microneedle patch that they hope could someday simplify IVF hormone delivery. They've tested it in animals.
The UK has lost its measles elimination status — again
Measles has been spreading continuously in the U.K. for over a year, meaning the country has lost its elimination status.
People with more 'brown fat' have healthier cardiovascular systems. A new study in mice may explain why.
A mouse study shows that beige fat, previously known for its heating function, may also lower blood pressure by keeping blood vessels relaxed. The same may go for brown fat in humans.
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Antibiotic resistance is the 'silent pandemic' — here are four steps to stop it
Four major trends that will shape how we as a society will confront antibiotic resistance in the coming decade.
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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
AI may accelerate scientific progress — but here's why it can't replace human scientists
The achievements of AI-augmented science are mixed, but that doesn't mean the technology can't play a role in future endeavors.
Microsoft says its newest AI chip Maia 200 is 3 times more powerful than Google's TPU and Amazon's Trainium processor
The Maia 200 AI chip is described as an inference powerhouse — meaning it could lead AI models to apply their knowledge to real-world situations much faster and more efficiently.
Physics, Math & Chemistry
Dark matter and neutrinos may interact, hinting at 'fundamental breakthrough' in particle physics
Astronomers found evidence that dark matter and neutrinos may interact, hinting at a "fundamental breakthrough" that challenges our understanding of how the universe evolved.
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Our model of the universe is deeply flawed — unless space is actually a 'sticky' fluid
Our best models of the cosmos don't add up — but that could change if the universe is actually made of a viscous 'fluid,' a new paper suggests.
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Science history: Sophie Germain, first woman to win France's prestigious 'Grand Mathematics Prize' is snubbed when tickets to award ceremony are 'lost in the mail' — Jan. 9, 1816
Sophie Germain was a brilliant, self-taught mathematician who won one of France's most prestigious prizes, yet she declined to attend the award ceremony because the committee members didn't respect her work.
Quizzes & Games
Live Science crossword puzzle #28: Largest desert in Asia — 6 across
Science crossword Test your knowledge on all things science with our weekly, free crossword puzzle!
Live Science Recommends
Renpho Lynx smart ring review: Somewhat disappointing
Reviews The first fitness tracker made by wellness giant Renpho has some strong points, but it is unlikely to make serious waves in the smart ring industry.
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