Science News - Latest Scientific Discoveries

4 die from drinking tainted hand sanitizer, CDC reports

By Rachael Rettner

The hand sanitizer products contained methanol, a toxic substance.

Mystery ancestor mated with ancient humans. And its 'nested' DNA was just found.

By Stephanie Pappas

Today's humans carry the genes of an ancient, unknown ancestor, left there by hominin species intermingling perhaps a million years ago.

Launch of a Long March 2D from Jiuquan carrying Gaofen 9 (04) and Q-SAT on Aug. 6, 2020.

China launches 2 satellites from Gobi Desert

By Andrew Jones

China is continuing its rapid rate of space launches with its 22nd mission of 2020.

Photomicrograph from top view of the hell ant, Ceratomyrmex ellenbergeri, restraining its prey, an extinct cockroach relative called Caputoraptor elegans, preserved in amber.

Scythelike jaws of Cretaceous 'hell ant' clutch a baby cockroach in an amber tomb

By Mindy Weisberger

The death strike of a Cretaceous "hell ant" from 99 million years ago is preserved in amber, revealing how these demonic-looking ants hunted.

A satellite image of Isaias on Aug. 4 shows the storm moving north over the East Coast of the U.S. It made landfall in North Carolina on Aug. 3 as a Category 1 hurricane, but within hours had weakened to a tropical storm.

'Busy' hurricane season is about to get a whole lot busier, NOAA says

By Mindy Weisberger

NOAA experts predict an "extremely active" hurricane season, with as many as 25 named storms.

President Donald Trump speaks inside the Vehicle Assembly Building following the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft on NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 mission with NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley onboard, Saturday, May 30, 2020, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Trump says 'NASA was Closed & Dead' before he took charge. That's not true.

By Chelsea Gohd

President Donald Trump took to Twitter Wednesday (Aug. 5) to announce that he brought NASA back from being "Closed & Dead."

The Triassic period beast Tanystropheus hydroides had a neck that was three times the length of its torso.

Weird 'broomstick' necked Triassic reptile named after mythical Greek sea monster

By Laura Geggel

These strange, long-necked Triassic beasts were able to coexist because they chowed down on different prey.

Equipment at the ISOLDE proton-blasting laboratory where astatine was isolated and studied. ISOLDE is part of CERN, the European particle physics research collaboration.

Heavy atom spills its guts in decade-long experiment

By Rafi Letzter

A new experiment on ultra-rare astatine could open the door to cancer treatments and new research into super-heavy atoms.

Common colds train the immune system to recognize COVID-19

By Rachael Rettner

T cells that recognize common cold coronaviruses also recognize specific sites on SARS-CoV-2.

Emperor penguins photographed here on the Brunt ice shelf near the British Antarctic Survey Halley Research Station.

Poop stains visible from space reveal hidden colonies of Antarctic penguins

By Yasemin Saplakoglu

There might be nearly 20% more emperor penguin colonies in Antarctica than previously thought.

Convalescent plasma could reduce death from COVID-19, early data suggests

By Nicoletta Lanese

But few "gold standard" trials have been completed on the therapy, so take the results with a grain of salt.

3D image of coronavirus particles attacking the lungs.

Does coronavirus linger in the body?

By William Petri

If the coronavirus "hides out" in seemingly recovered individuals, it could explain lingering symptoms of COVID-19 or pose a risk for transmission of infection to others even after recovery.

A large explosion rocked the Lebanese capital of Beirut on Aug. 4, 2020. The blast, which rattled entire buildings and broke glass, was felt in several parts of the city.

Beirut blast: How does ammonium nitrate create such devastating explosions?

By Live Science Staff

Fertilizer is behind many of the worst accidents and terrorist attacks in history.

This lidar image shows the site at Navan Fort where the archaeologists did their survey work.

Massive ancient temple complex may lurk beneath famous Northern Ireland fort

By Laura Geggel

Archaeologists have found Iron Age temples and medieval structures in Northern Ireland.

Here is the best place on Earth to see stars, according to science

By Brandon Specktor

Scientists confirm that ‘Dome A’ in Antarctica is the best place on Earth to see stars.

Fall could bring rare, paralyzing illness in children, CDC warns

By Rachael Rettner

Whether social distancing measures to prevent COVID-19 will also reduced AFM cases is unknown.

'Mono' virus turns on cancer-related genes. Here's how.

By Nicoletta Lanese

A new cell study hints at how the Epstein-Barr virus drives cancer.

A humpback whale comes uncomfortably close

Humpback whale charges swimmers in Australia, sends two to hospital

By Brandon Specktor

A humpback whale attacked two swimmers with its fins and sent them to the hospital

Light curves around a black hole's event horizon in this illustration.

Thousands of Earthlike 'blanets' might circle the Milky Way's central black hole

By Rafi Letzter

Tens of thousands of planets like Earth and Neptune might orbit the giant black hole at the center of the Milky Way.

The Live Science merch store is back with more science-y gear

By Jeanna Bryner

If you're a science geek like us, you'll love the new and improved Live Science merch store, where you can get all of your science-y gear, from t-shirts and mugs to tote bags and stickers.