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February 2026

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226 articles

February 28
- Scientists made AI agents ruder — and they performed better at complex reasoning tasks
- Giant string of organic molecules on Mars may be one of the best signs of life yet
- 'We're starting to find a lot more weirdness': These strange animals can control their body heat
- Paleolithic humans invented an 'early predecessor to writing' at least 40,000 years ago, carved signs suggest
- Science news this week: 'Spiderwebs' on Mars, tigers' return to Kazakhstan, and 2,000-year-old skull with permanently blackened teeth
- Did the Vikings reach Maine?
February 27
- Stone Age boy in Sweden was buried in deerskin and a woodpecker headdress, archaeologists discover
- Acing this new AI exam — which its creators say is the toughest in the world — might point to the first signs of AGI
- The sun just experienced its first 'spotless days' in 4 years — but we're not in the clear yet
- NASA announces sweeping overhaul of Artemis return to moon, targeting two 2028 landings and a 2027 in-orbit docking flight
- Inherited diseases don't work like we thought they did
- Just in time for the total lunar eclipse, this beginner-friendly telescope is now $100 off at Amazon
- 'It doesn't lie. So who are you?': What happens when DNA tests show a woman is not the mother of the child she gave birth to?
- March 2026 night sky — what to see and what you need
- Science history: Carbon-14 is discovered, opening a window into past civilizations — Feb. 27, 1940
February 26
- Humans and Neanderthals interbred — but it was mostly male Neanderthals and female humans who coupled up, study finds
- 'Revolutionary': Vera C. Rubin Observatory found 800,000 objects of interest in a single night
- Giant 'spiderwebs' on Mars contain tiny egg-like structures that scientists 'can't quite explain,' NASA rover reveals
- Fresh look at Apollo moon rocks solves decades-old mystery about the moon's magnetic field
February 25
- Babies weren't supposed to be mourned in the Roman Empire. These rare liquid-gypsum burials prove otherwise.
- Chinese astronauts describe moment a crack was discovered on Shenzhou-20 spacecraft
- Kazakhstan plants tens of thousands of trees in giant effort to reintroduce tigers
- We now know why shoes squeak, and it involves miniature lightning bolts
- COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy may cut risk of preeclampsia
- 'Rare and enigmatic' structures found at the Milky Way's center in largest-ever map of its kind
- Follow the BBC's Kingdom and all your favorite natural history documentaries on your travels with this great deal on a top-rated VPN
- Chain Word: Can you crack our science word of the day puzzle?
- Diagnostic dilemma: A parasite never before seen in humans was behind a woman's lung infection, organ damage and forgetfulness
February 24
- James Webb telescope spots giant auroras rolling through Uranus' atmosphere
- Scientists find genetic 'switch' in mice that turns caring dads into violent brutes
- 14,000-year-old ivory tools found in Alaska hint at how Clovis ancestors first arrived in the New World
- Far fewer people are related to Genghis Khan than previously assumed, new genomic study suggests
- Obesity is linked to 1 in 10 deaths from infection worldwide — and scientists are still learning why
- Live Science crossword puzzle #31: First person to walk on the moon — 11 across
- Coros Pace 4 smartwatch review: A capable and affordable fitness tracker
- 'Blood moon' total lunar eclipse: How to see the March 3 celestial spectacle from anywhere on Earth
- Incomplete remains of world's 'youngest' impact crater spotted lurking in Chinese forest — Earth from space
February 23
- 2,800-year-old mass grave of women and children discovered in Serbia reveals 'brutal, deliberate and efficient' violence
- NASA set to roll Artemis rocket back for urgent repairs after yet another delay
- Best STEM star projectors for kids in 2026
- Neanderthals: Facts, news, features and articles about our extinct human relatives
- Ancient China: Facts, news, features and articles about the most powerful ancient civilizations in the world
- Lotus shoes: Tiny footwear for Chinese women whose feet were bound as children
February 22
- How menopause affects the brain — and what we still don't know
- 'Some of them have accuracy that's close to zero': Experts unpack the promise and pitfalls of genetic tests aimed at consumers
- Scientists find ancient black hole breaking the cosmic 'speed limit,' challenging multiple theories
- Ultrafast quantum chemistry engine could speed up the development of new medicines and materials
- Rare 'planetary parade' will return to the evening sky this week — but you'll have to look at exactly the right time
- Closest baby nebula to Earth 'hatches' in strange new Hubble image – Space photo of the week
- How can deserts form next to oceans?
February 21
- Scientists may have seen a star collapse directly into a black hole without exploding first
- 'The limits of human longevity have still not been reached,' study suggests
- 'Thermodynamic computer' can mimic AI neural networks — using orders of magnitude less energy to generate images
- Scientists propose new plan to 'catch' comet 3I/ATLAS — but we have to act fast
- Emerging embryo-selection technologies are currently 'little more than snake oil.' But someday, they could widen social inequities.
- Science news this week: China's AI kung fu robots, physicists' re-creation of the Big Bang soup, and a teenager buried with her father's bones on her chest
- 2,000-year-old skulls reveal people in ancient Vietnam permanently blackened their teeth — a stylish practice that persists today
- What is rigor mortis, and why does it happen?
February 20
- Ancient 'Asgard' microbe may have used oxygen long before it was plentiful on Earth, offering new clue to origins of complex life
- 'Universal' nasal-spray vaccine protects against viruses, bacteria and allergens in mice
- Your own voice could be your biggest privacy threat. How can we stop AI technologies exploiting it?
- Artemis II update: NASA targets March 6 for launch of historic moon mission following successful 'wet dress rehearsal'
- A coffin holding a dead 'princess' fell from an eroded cliff over 100 years ago — archaeologists just solved a major mystery about her
- 'Proof by intimidation': AI is confidently solving 'impossible' math problems. But can it convince the world's top mathematicians?
- New tech allows parents to 'score' IVF embryos for desirable traits — and it's in desperate need of regulation
February 19
- Bungled Boeing Starliner mission was the highest order of mishap that put stranded astronauts at risk, report says
- In a 'race against time,' archaeologists uncovered Roman-era footprints from a Scottish beach before the tide washed them away
- 95 million-year-old Spinosaurus had a scimitar-shaped head crest and waded through the Sahara's rivers like a 'hell heron'
- Quantum computing news, features and articles
- Solar flares may be triggering earthquakes, controversial study claims
- Saturn's largest moon may actually be 2 moons in 1 — and helped birth the planet's iconic rings
- China tests world's first megawatt-class flying wind turbine — it generated enough energy to power a house for 2 weeks
- 2,500-year-old 'primitive prosthetic' found on jaw of mummified Scythian woman who survived complex jaw surgery
February 18
- Physicists recreated the first millisecond after the Big Bang — and found it was surprisingly soupy
- 'Absolute surprise': Homo erectus skulls found in China are almost 1.8 million years old — the oldest evidence of the ancient human relatives in East Asia
- City-size, cold-volcano comet transforms into a glowing 'snail shell' after major explosive outburst
- NASA starts countdown clock for second Artemis II wet dress rehearsal after rocky first attempt
- Microsoft can now store data for 10,000 years on everyday glass thanks to laser breakthrough
- Save $150 on our cycling experts' recommended choice as the best cycling smart trainer, now at its lowest-ever price
- The biggest trees in the Peruvian Amazon store the most carbon — and they also face the greatest threat from humans
- Supercomputers simulated the orbits of 1 million satellites between Earth and the moon — and less than 10% survived
- Research group claims preeclampsia doomed the Neanderthals, but experts say it's just a 'thought experiment'
- We tested the 'first wooden, sustainable air purifier' and it's a thing of beauty
- Missing megaflood: How did the Mediterranean transform from a salt-filled bowl to a deep sea if it wasn't a cataclysmic deluge?
- Diagnostic dilemma: 83-year-old man's unusual form of syphilis had an 'uncertain' source
- 5,500 years ago, a teenage girl was buried with her father's bones on her chest, new DNA study reveals
February 17
- Humanoid robots show off creepily impressive kung-fu moves during Lunar New Year festival in China
- Sleep deprivation harms the gut via the vagus nerve, early study reveals
- Our adorable, noodle-like ancestor had 4 eyes, half-a-billion-year-old fossils reveal
- Hidden slippery clay on seafloor may have worsened devastating 2011 tsunami in Japan
- Mineral sunscreen leaves an annoying white cast on skin — this new formula could change that
- Renpho Morphoscan Nova smart scale review: Deep-dive body analysis
- Vanishing lakes in Tibet may have triggered earthquakes by awakening faults in Earth's crust
- Hidden beauty of Zimbabwe's 2.5 billion-year-old 'geological marvel' revealed in striking astronaut photo — Earth from space
February 16
- Live Science crossword puzzle #30: Brightest star in the night sky — 5 down
- Many men lose their Y chromosomes as they age. It may shorten their lives.
- Tumaco-Tolita Seated Elder: This 2,000-year-old depiction of an aged man with wrinkles struck fear in people because it held 'the power'
February 15
- Vaccine denial sets Americans up for more chronic illness
- Snakes keep evolving into cannibals — here's what scientists think is going on
- 'The brain consistently moved upward and backward': Astronauts' brains physically shift in their heads during spaceflight
- Lucky few to see 'ring of fire' solar eclipse over Antarctica on Feb. 17
- Deepest views from James Webb and Chandra telescopes reveal a monster object that defies theory — Space photo of the week
- How long do most planets last?
February 14
- Ancient rock art depicting hunters and geometric shapes discovered in Egypt's Sinai Desert — and it spans a period of 10,000 years
- In a first, study links maternal genes to risk of pregnancy loss
- 'Runaway' black hole detected by the James Webb telescope adds a strange new chapter to our universe's story
- AI griefbots could change how we mourn — but there are serious risks ahead
- 'Impossible' mantle earthquakes actually occur all over the world, study finds
- There's 13 Great Lakes' worth of water hidden beneath the contiguous US, new map reveals
- Science news this week: China turns a desert into a carbon sink, a Viking Age grave holds a giant who had brain surgery, real-life inception, and a last-minute Valentine's gift idea from nature
- What are ghost lineages, remnants of the past that still exist in our DNA today?
February 13
- Trump is bringing car pollution and other greenhouse gases back to America's skies. Here are the health risks we all face from climate change.
- MIT designs computing component that uses waste heat 'as a form of information'
- Newly visible, city-size 'green comet' will soon be ejected into interstellar space — just like 3I/ATLAS
- Did modern humans wipe out the Neanderthals? New evidence may finally provide answers.
- 'It's telling us there's something big going on': Unprecedented spike in atmospheric methane during the COVID-19 pandemic has a troubling explanation
- Record-breaking gravitational wave puts Einstein's relativity to its toughest test yet — and proves him right again
- Canada could remove 5 times its annual carbon emissions by planting trees on edge of boreal forest, study finds
- Archaeopteryx, one of the world's first proto birds, has a set of weird, never-before-seen features, new study reveals
February 12
- NASA telescope spots the building blocks for life spewing out of comet 3I/ATLAS
- Subterranean tunnel, possibly used for medieval cult rituals, discovered in Stone Age tomb in Germany
- China banned all fishing to save the Yangtze River. This 'nuclear' option appears to be working.
- The earliest black holes in the universe may still be with us, surprising study claims
- Astronomers discover 'unique inside-out system' with a rocky planet far from where it belongs
- Capture 2026's space and astronomy highlights with one of our favorite astrophotography cameras — the Sony Alpha 7 IV has 20% off at Amazon
- Risk of death from pregnancy in the US is 44 times higher than that from abortion, new analysis reveals
- China's emissions are flatlining — and may be falling — in critical turning point for biggest emitter, report says
- Antarctica 'ghost particle' observatory gets major upgrade that could 'pave the way' to physics breakthroughs
- 'DNA origami' could be key for making an effective HIV vaccine, early study hints
- Medieval gold ring with dazzling blue gemstone discovered in Norway is a 'fantastically beautiful and rare specimen'
February 11
- Radio signal discovered at the center of our galaxy could put Einstein's relativity to the test
- Cancer vaccine shows promise against HPV-related throat tumors in early study
- Our leading theory of dark matter may be wrong, huge new gravity study hints
- Permafrost thaw and 'shrubification' have tipped Alaska's North Slope into a wildfire regime not seen for 3,000 years
- World's oldest known sewn clothing may be stitched pieces of ice age hide unearthed in Oregon cave
- Are you a night owl or an early bird?
- Save $102 on our fitness experts' recommended choice as the best walking treadmill, now at one of its lowest-ever prices
- Needle-free insulin? Scientists invent gel that delivers insulin through the skin in animal studies
- We used AI as our photography assistant for a week — what worked and what did not
- China has planted so many trees around the Taklamakan Desert that it's turned this 'biological void' into a carbon sink
- Diagnostic dilemma: Teenager contracts rare 'welder's anthrax,' marking the ninth known case ever reported
February 10
- Western Europe's earliest known mule died 2,700 years ago — and it was buried with a partially cremated woman
- Something supercharged Uranus with radiation during Voyager flyby 40 years ago. Scientists now know what.
- Only certain types of brain-training exercises reduce dementia risk, large trial reveals
- Scientists infiltrated volunteers' dreams to boost their creative thinking
- CT scans reveal the last moments of Inca children sacrificed as 'messengers to the gods'
- The largest reservoir of hydrogen on Earth may be hiding in its core
- Should you buy a new or used camera for astrophotography?
- Astronaut snaps salty, pink Valentine's Day 'heart' shining in Argentina — Earth from space
February 9
- Viking Age mass grave holds mysterious mix of dismembered human remains and complete skeletons, including a 'giant' who'd had brain surgery
- New 'sungrazing' comet could become visible to the naked eye during the day — if the sun doesn't destroy it
- Impossibly powerful 'ghost particle' that slammed into Earth may have come from an exploding black hole — and it could upend both particle physics and cosmology
- The best toddler-friendly air purifier we have tested is now at its lowest-ever price
- Live Science crossword puzzle #29: The 'middle' period of the dinosaurs — 13 across
- Sandals of Tutankhamun: 3,300-year-old footwear that let King Tut walk all over his enemies
- Paleo-Inuit people braved icy seas to reach remote Greenland islands 4,500 years ago, archaeologists discover
February 8
- 'Night owls' may have worse heart health — but why?
- Microbes in Iceland are hoarding nitrogen, and that's mucking up the nutrient cycle
- Physicists push quantum boundaries by turning a superfluid into a supersolid — and back — for the first time
- Dramatic death of Comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) caught on camera — Space photo of the week
- Did ancient Greeks let women compete in the Olympics?
- 'Maybe they're waiting for something that only happens thousands of years later': The hidden life 'sleeping' deep beneath Earth for millions of years
- Science history: 'Father of modern genetics' describes his experiments with pea plants — and proves that heredity is transmitted in discrete units — Feb. 8, 1865
February 7
- Anglo-Saxon children discovered buried with warrior gear in UK — perhaps as a nod to 'the men these children might have become'
- 'A second set of eyes': AI-supported breast cancer screening spots more cancers earlier, landmark trial finds
- 'There's no reason to ban us from playing': Analysis debunks notion that transgender women have inherent physical advantages in sports
- Clean energy is surging — with or without Trump
- Science news this week: Anomalies inside Earth, leak on Artemis II, and how psychedelics may help treat PTSD
- Top 5 tips for buying an electric toothbrush for kids, according to experts
- Why do kids eat their boogers?
February 6
- 'Invisible scaffolding of the universe' revealed in ambitious new James Webb telescope images
- Extraordinary photo captures first appearance of Siberian peregrine falcon in Australia's arid center
- Scientist accidentally stumbles across bizarre ancient ‘wrinkle structures’ in Morocco that shouldn't be there
- Psychedelic drug ayahuasca could treat PTSD, early studies hint. But exactly how it works isn't clear.
- Psychedelics may rewire the brain to treat PTSD. Scientists are finally beginning to understand how.
- Bandera Volcano Ice Cave: The weird lava tube in New Mexico whose temperature is always below freezing
- Every major galaxy is speeding away from the Milky Way, except one — and we finally know why
February 5
- The 'mono' virus raises the risk of MS and cancer in some. 22 genes hint at why.
- Spotted lanternflies are invading the US. They may have gotten their evolutionary superpowers in China's cities.
- Kanzi the bonobo could play pretend — a trait thought unique to humans
- Black hole outburst named 'Jetty McJetface' is one of the most energetic objects in the universe
- Martian meteorite that fell to Earth is full of ancient water, new scans reveal
- 7,500-year-old deer skull headdress discovered in Germany indicates hunter-gatherers shared sacred items and ideas with region's first farmers
- How well can AI and humans work together? Scientists are turning to Dungeons & Dragons to find out
- Amazfit Active Max review: The best budget smartwatch of 2026?
- Saltwater crocodiles crossed the Indian Ocean to reach the Seychelles — before humans arrived and wiped them out
- The US will see a rare 'blood moon' eclipse before sunrise this March: Where and when to look
- Daily sudoku: Take a break with this classic numbers puzzle
February 4
- Remote region in Greece has one of the most genetically distinct populations in Europe
- Life-friendly molecules are leaking out of Jupiter's giant moon Europa, Galileo images hint
- 'Behemoth star,' previously thought to be dying, is 'rising from the ashes' like a phoenix
- New map shows weird magnetic anomaly lurking beneath Australia's Northern Territory
- 'Nitrogen fixing' trees could help tropical forests bounce back, research suggests
- Swarovski NL Pure 8x32 binoculars review
- Diagnostic dilemma: Man's autopsy reveals unexpected 'boomerang-shaped' structure in his heart
- 'Textbooks will need to be updated': Jupiter is smaller and flatter than we thought, Juno spacecraft reveals
- A deer carrying the rotting head of its vanquished foe and a playful lynx shortlisted for Wildlife Photographer of the Year Nuveen People's Choice Award
- Grim photo captures polar bear mom and cubs resting in mud in summer heat
February 3
- Asteroid 2024 YR4's collision with the moon could create a flash visible from Earth, study finds
- Men develop cardiovascular disease 7 years before women, study suggests. But why?
- Hydrogen leak derails Artemis II wet rehearsal, pushing launch date back by weeks
- 'Landmark' elephant bone finding in Spain may be from time of Hannibal's war against Rome
- Mokoqi Star Projector Night Light review
- 'System in flux': Scientists reveal what happened when wolves and cougars returned to Yellowstone
- In the search for bees, Mozambique honey hunters and birds share a language with distinct, regional dialects
- LaView Galaxy Projector review
- Physicists push thousands of atoms to a 'Schrödinger's cat' state — bringing the quantum world closer to reality than ever before
- Trippy 'biomass' snap reveals first detailed look at our planet's carbon stores — Earth from space
February 2
- Preserved hair reveals just how bad lead exposure was in the 20th century
- Auroras likely as most active sunspot in years turns toward Earth
- What is Moltbook? A social network for AI threatens a 'total purge' of humanity — but some experts say it's a hoax
- Enormous 'mega-blob' under Hawaii is solid rock and iron, not gooey — and it may fuel a hotspot
- Canon 15x50 IS All Weather binocular review
- The Colorado River's largest tributary flows 'uphill' for over 100 miles — and geologists may finally have an explanation for it
- Artemis II simulated launch window opens tonight as NASA delays mission due to 'rare Arctic outbreak'
- What to buy as a beginner runner: Must-haves vs non-essentials
- Jiawen Galaxy Projector Light review
- Live Science crossword puzzle #28: Largest desert in Asia — 6 across
- Ribchester Helmet: A rare 'face mask' helmet worn by a Roman cavalry officer 1,900 years ago
February 1
- '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
- 'Nose-in-a-dish' reveals why the common cold hits some people hard, while others recover easily
- Earth is 'missing' lighter elements. They may be hiding in its solid inner core.
- Rare medieval seal discovered in UK is inscribed with 'Richard's secret' and bears a Roman-period gemstone
- Oneisall Pet Air Purifier (PP02) review: Great value pick for dog and cat lovers
- Stellar nursery bursts with newborn stars in hauntingly beautiful Hubble telescope image — Space photo of the week
- When were boats invented?