Latest news
Astronomers unsure what caused 'weird explosion' seen by Einstein Probe's X-ray eye
Was a powerful cosmic explosion seen by the Einstein Probe launched by a supermassive black hole snacking on a star, by a gamma-ray burst, or by something entirely new?
Scientists discover black holes spinning unexpectedly fast: 'You’re essentially looking at its fossil record'
A new form of black hole archeology, linking spin to gas and dust, has revealed that these cosmic titans spin faster than expected.
Watch bipedal robots running in a more human-like way than ever thanks to major vision upgrade
Bipedal robots have found navigating uneven terrain a steep challenge but a new hardware upgrade means they can detect their environment and respond quicker than ever before.
Mount Kaputar pink slug: The giant hot-pink mollusk found only on a single, extinct volcano
The 8-inch, bright pink slug has been isolated in a "sky island" for millions of years.
Why are flies attracted to humans?
Flies are attracted to our pungent "cloud of effervescence," experts say.
'Impossible' black holes, Antarctica's hidden 'plumbing' and more.
Science news this week Feb. 8, 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.
'City-killer' asteroid has a 1-in-43 chance of smashing into Earth in 2032, NASA says
A space rock dubbed 2024 YR4 has a roughly 2.3% chance of smashing into our planet, NASA scientists announced.
Astronomers discover 'Quipu', the single largest structure in the known universe
Newly discovered Quipu, a superstructure in which galaxies group together in clusters and clusters of clusters, is the largest known structure in the universe in terms of length, scientists claim.
In a 1st, ancient proteins reveal sex of human relative from 3.5 million years ago
Researchers have extracted ancient proteins from australopithecine fossils and determined whether they were male or female — a first for human evolution studies.
'Wandering' contraceptive implant travels to woman's lung in rare case
A woman's contraceptive implant ended up in her lung; doctors believe the device migrated because it wasn't inserted in her upper arm properly.
January 2025 hottest on record despite US cold and La Niña
La Niña and record cold temperatures in the U.S. should have made Earth cooler, but January 2025 was still the hottest on record, with an average global warming of 3.15 F (1.75 C) above pre-industrial levels.
Red 'star' rising with the moon on Sunday is really Mars — and you may be able to see it 'disappear'
Mars will appear to make an ultraclose approach to the moon on Sunday, after Jupiter had a turn earlier this week. Here's how to get the best view of the rare conjunction.
Stunning, rainbow-colored object spotted by James Webb telescope could be an alien solar system in the making
The James Webb Space Telescope has captured a belching protostar in its infancy. By studying the dust grains whirling around it, astronomers hope to better understand how solar systems like our own take shape.
Orcas off Antarctica filmed teaching calves to hunt in incredible new footage
The adult orcas swam around the ice demonstrating how to pull a seal off by its tail.
Alaska's ice is melting in front of our eyes, staggering satellite shots show
Unusual weather patterns and climate change have been driving stark changes in the northwestern state. Now, new satellite images show the extent of this transformation.
11,000-year-old settlement in Canada could rewrite history of Indigenous civilizations in North America
The discovery of an 11,000-year-old village in Saskatchewan could rewrite Indigenous history in central Canada.
Coldest-ever qubits could lead to faster quantum computers
Scientists have cooled qubits to record low temperatures using a quantum refrigerator powered by "hot thermal baths."
Romania's trovants: The bulbous 'living' rocks that inspired folkloric tales of dinosaur eggs and aliens
Trovants are rocks that grow by absorbing minerals from rainwater. Romania is home to a cluster of trovants that inspired folklore of dinosaur eggs, plant fossils and alien creations.
