Features

The nuclei of atoms are often portrayed as round in textbooks, but it turns out they're rarely spherical.

Science news this week May 31, 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.

Invisible radiation leaking out of private satellites, like SpaceX's Starlink spacecraft, is disrupting radio astronomers' ability to detect important signals from across the universe. If left unchecked, we could reach an "inflection point" beyond which we can no longer properly study the cosmos, researchers warn.

The number of satellites orbiting Earth is rising fast, thanks to private companies such as SpaceX. But just how big will these "megaconstellations" become? And what problems might they cause?

Giant groundsels are rare plants that grow up to 30 feet (9 meters) tall. They are endemic to the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, a dormant volcano in Tanzania and Africa's tallest mountain.

Moebius syndrome is a rare condition that affects several cranial nerves, impairing the muscles that control facial expressions and eye movements.

Earth from space A 2024 satellite photo shows four end-to-end volcanoes perfectly spaced out along the Russian island of Simushir. One of these peaks was the site of a surprise eruption that temporarily cooled the Northern Hemisphere in 1831.

A woman developed prominent bumps inside her sinuses, similar to a condition seen in "surfer's ear."

This statue covered in gold leaf and semiprecious stones may have been used in ancient Mesopotamian sunrise rituals.

Parrots are prolific vocal learners. But do they actually understand the words they say?