Science News: Recent scientific discoveries and expert analysis
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43,000-year-old human fingerprint is world's oldest — and made by a Neanderthal
By Tom Metcalfe published
The discovery of a 43,000-year-old fingerprint in Spain is challenging the idea that Neanderthals were not capable of symbolic art.

Watch mesmerizing 1,000-foot-tall lava fountains: Kilauea volcano erupting in ways not seen for 40 years
By Patrick Pester published
The USGS has announced that Kilauea volcano is ejecting fountains of lava in a manner not seen since the Pu'u'ō'ō eruption in the 1980s. But while the lava is mesmerizing, officials warn that the volcano is also producing toxic gases and other hazards.

James Webb telescope breaks own record, discovering farthest known galaxy in the universe
By Skyler Ware published
The James Webb Space Telescope has broken its own record once again, spotting the most distant, early galaxy in the known universe. The new contender is MoM-z14, a galaxy visible just 280 million years after the Big Bang.

Genomes from ancient Maya people reveal collapse of population and civilization 1,200 years ago
By Kristina Killgrove published
Ancient DNA from people buried up to 1,600 years ago in Honduras have revealed clues to the rise and fall of the Maya.

Earth's core is 'leaking' gold, study finds
By Patrick Pester published
Our planet's core is rich in gold that can leak out into the mantle, and in some cases, end up in volcanos on the surface, according to a new study.

3 ancient Egyptian tombs dating to the New Kingdom discovered near Luxor
By Owen Jarus published
Three ancient Egyptians were buried in remarkable tombs with courtyards in a necropolis reserved for important people.

Strange new object fires radio signals at Earth every 44 minutes
By Ben Turner published
ASKAP J1832-0911, which is periodically throwing out pulses of radio waves and X-rays, could be a brand-new cosmic object.

There's a humongous boulder on a cliff in Tonga. Now we know how it got there.
By Jess Thomson published
A massive boulder named Maka Lahi was recently found about 650 feet from the edge of a cliff in Tonga, and researchers believe that it may have been deposited by a tsunami around 7,000 years ago.

Your moral compass is tied to how in tune you are with your body, study hints
By Skyler Ware published
A recent study draws a connection between people's bodily awareness and how they find solutions to moral dilemmas.

Tropical storm Alvin will form in next 48 hours, forecasters say — kicking off this year's Pacific hurricane season
By Sascha Pare published
A tropical storm is brewing over the Eastern Pacific south of Acapulco. Clouds and thunderstorms that have been gathering for days will organize in the next 48 hours and could develop into a hurricane.

Giant 85 million-year-old mystery sea monster fossil finally identified
By Jess Thomson published
A brand new species of elasmosaur named Traskasaura sandrae has been identified from three specimens found on Vancouver Island.

World's first color images of black holes are on their way
By Brian Koberlein published
Astronomers with the Event Horizon Telescope have developed a new way to observe the radio sky at multiple frequencies, and it means we will soon be able to capture color images of supermassive black holes.

New evidence for gigantic superplume tearing Africa apart
By Patrick Pester published
Researchers have found fresh evidence that Africa is breaking apart because of a deep mantle superplume of hot rock beneath the East African Rift System.

Infant twins buried together in Roman Croatia may have died from lead poisoning
By Soumya Sagar published
Around 2,000 years ago, fraternal twin infants were buried facing each other in a cemetery. But it's still unknown why they died.

Tomb built for Alexander the Great's best friend is aligned with winter solstice, study suggests
By Owen Jarus published
A tomb that may have been built for a close friend of Alexander the Great may be aligned with the winter solstice.

Golden Dome: Everything to know about Trump's $25 billion missile defense plan
By Iain Boyd published
President Trump has set aggressive goals for Golden Dome, but many parts of the system already exist.

'Trash' found deep inside a Mexican cave turns out to be 500-year-old artifacts from a little-known culture
By Kristina Killgrove published
When two spelunkers investigated what they thought was trash in a cave in Mexico, they discovered more than a dozen artifacts dating back centuries.
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