Preserved hair reveals just how bad lead exposure was in the 20th century
A new study reveals the dramatic decrease in lead exposure in the U.S. following the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency 55 years ago.
Space
Artemis II simulated launch window opens tonight as NASA delays mission due to 'rare Arctic outbreak'
NASA's Artemis II simulated launch is scheduled for tonight after Arctic weather forced the mission to be delayed. The first crewed Artemis mega moon rocket could still leave Earth as early as this weekend.
Astronomers spot 'time-warped' supernovas whose light both has and hasn't reached Earth
Will two rare supernovas finally tell us how fast the universe is expanding? Perhaps, but we'll have to wait for it for them to 'reappear'.
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James Webb telescope solves mystery of 'forever young' vampire stars from the dawn of time
Astronomers have discovered how "forever young" stars stay blue and bright despite being almost as old as the universe.
Planet Earth
Earth is 'missing' lighter elements. They may be hiding in its solid inner core.
These chemical oddities may explain why Earth seems to be deficient in certain elements — and could prove useful in catalysts and more.
Life may have rebounded 'ridiculously fast' after the dinosaur-killing asteroid impact
After the asteroid smashed into Earth around 66 million years ago, it didn't take life that long to rebound, a new study finds.
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Critical moment when El Niño started to erode Russia's Arctic sea ice discovered
Scientists discover a tipping point that took place in 2000, where El Niño’s effect on sea ice loss in Siberia was amplified.
archaeology
Ribchester Helmet: A rare 'face mask' helmet worn by a Roman cavalry officer 1,900 years ago
The helmet has been a powerful symbol of Roman Britain since it was discovered over 200 years ago.
'It's similar to how Google can map your home without your consent': Why using aerial lasers to map an archaeology site should have Indigenous partnership
Aerial lidar is transforming how archaeologists map sites, but they should do it in tandem with Indigenous people.
Halley wasn't the first to figure out the famous comet. An 11th-century monk did it first, new research suggests.
An 11th-century monk saw the famous "Halley's comet" first as a child and later as an adult, new research finds.
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LATEST ARTICLES
Animals
'Part of the evolutionary fabric of our societies': Same-sex sexual behavior in primates may be a survival strategy, study finds
A new study comparing 59 species of primates linked same-sex sexual behavior to scarce resources and more predators in socially complex species. The findings show diverse sexual behaviors are common — and likely beneficial in primates.
Rock climbers in Italy accidentally discovered evidence of an 80 million-year-old sea turtle stampede
Scientists say grooves on a rock face overlooking the Adriatic Sea may have been made by sea turtles fleeing an earthquake.
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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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Health & Human Behavior
Lifespan may be 50% heritable, study suggests
A new study suggests that lifespan might be 50% heritable — although for now, it's hard to know if the finding applies across diverse populations.
South Carolina's measles outbreak nears 790 cases — making it the biggest in decades
Nearly 790 people, primarily children, have been infected in South Carolina's ongoing measles outbreak, officials report.
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Can AI detect cognitive decline better than a doctor? New study reveals surprising accuracy
Designed to assist rather than replace doctors, a new autonomous tool scans clinical notes to highlight patients who may need urgent follow-up for cognitive decline and potential dementia.
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Liquid-nitrogen-infused cocktail popped a man's stomach like a balloon
Liquid nitrogen can be used safely in food preparation — but one man's stomach burst after he threw back a cocktail that had been cooled with the substance.
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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
'The problem isn't just Siri or Alexa': AI assistants tend to be feminine, entrenching harmful gender stereotypes
Virtual assistants mostly adopt 'female' personas, but all that does is exacerbate the notion that women are subservient.
AI swarms, mysterious Zapotec tomb, pancreatic cancer breakthrough and the growing threat of U.S. dam collapses.
Science news this week Jan. 31, 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.
Physics, Math & Chemistry
New study of chemical reactions in space 'could impact the origin of life in ways we hadn't thought of'
The complex building blocks of life can form spontaneously in space, a new lab experiment shows.
Standard model of cosmology holds up in massive 6-year study of the universe
The six-year Dark Energy Survey has released its full results, showing that two leading models of cosmology are equally valid — but both fail to explain one key observation.
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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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Quizzes & Games
Live Science crossword puzzle #29: The 'middle' period of the dinosaurs — 13 across
Science crossword Test your knowledge on all things science with our weekly, free crossword puzzle!
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