Science News: Recent scientific discoveries and expert analysis
Latest news

Scientists propose new plan to 'catch' comet 3I/ATLAS — but we have to act fast
By Matthew Williams published
A new study explores the challenges of catching interstellar comets like comet 3I/ATLAS

Emerging embryo-selection technologies are currently 'little more than snake oil.' But someday, they could widen social inequities.
By Daphne O. Martschenko, Sam Trejo published
Book In the book "What We Inherit," experts unpack long-standing myths about genes and how those myths could shape public opinion around emerging embryo-selection technologies.

China's kung fu robots, physicists' re-creation of the Big Bang soup, a teenager buried with her father's bones on her chest, and mathmeticians puzzle over AI taking their jobs.
By Ben Turner published
Science news this week Feb. 21, 2026: Our weekly roundup of the latest science in the news, as well as a few fascinating articles to keep you entertained over the weekend.

2,000-year-old skulls reveal people in ancient Vietnam permanently blackened their teeth — a stylish practice that persists today
By Kristina Killgrove published
In a study of 2,000-year-old skulls from Vietnam, archaeologists discovered that iron was the primary component that dyed teeth black.

Ancient 'Asgard' microbe may have used oxygen long before it was plentiful on Earth, offering new clue to origins of complex life
By Kenna Hughes-Castleberry published
A new study suggests that ancient microbes once cast as oxygen haters may have actually learned to use the gas, offering a clue to how the first complex cells — and, eventually, all plants and animals — evolved.

'Universal' nasal-spray vaccine protects against viruses, bacteria and allergens in mice
By Nicoletta Lanese published
In an early animal test, a new nasal-spray vaccine has shown promise against a variety of germs and a common allergen, scientists report.

Artemis II update: NASA targets March 6 for launch of historic moon mission following successful 'wet dress rehearsal'
By Brandon Specktor, Ben Turner published
NASA is targeting March 6 as the earliest possible launch date for the Artemis II mission to the moon following a successful 'wet dress rehearsal' on Thursday.

Your own voice could be your biggest privacy threat. How can we stop AI technologies exploiting it?
By Drew Turney published
Voices contain countless cues about their owners, and new research suggests that computers might use them to facilitate a range of bad behaviors.

A coffin holding a dead 'princess' fell from an eroded cliff over 100 years ago — archaeologists just solved a major mystery about her
By Kristina Killgrove published
Dendrochronological analysis of a mysterious log coffin that tumbled from a cliff a century ago reveals clues to life in Roman-era Poland.

'Proof by intimidation': AI is confidently solving 'impossible' math problems. But can it convince the world's top mathematicians?
By Kit Yates published
AI could soon spew out hundreds of mathematical proofs that look "right" but contain hidden flaws, or proofs so complex we can't verify them. How will we know if they're right?

Bungled Boeing Starliner mission was the highest order of mishap that put stranded astronauts at risk, report says
By Ben Turner published
The 2024 Starliner mission, which left astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams stranded in space for nine months, has received NASA's worst mishap classification in a damning report.

In a 'race against time,' archaeologists uncovered Roman-era footprints from a Scottish beach before the tide washed them away
By Kristina Killgrove published
Archaeologists raced against the tide to record a unique set of footprints made 2,000 years ago on a Scottish beach.

95 million-year-old Spinosaurus had a scimitar-shaped head crest and waded through the Sahara's rivers like a 'hell heron'
By Kenna Hughes-Castleberry published
Researchers have identified a new Spinosaurus species with a blade-like crest in Niger, changing our understanding of dinosaur evolution and behavior.

Solar flares may be triggering earthquakes, controversial study claims
By Kenna Hughes-Castleberry published
Researchers have proposed that changes in Earth's ionosphere could trigger electrical forces that nudge fragile areas of the crust into creating an earthquake.

Saturn's largest moon may actually be 2 moons in 1 — and helped birth the planet's iconic rings
By Harry Baker published
A new study hints that Saturn's largest moon, Titan, was created around 400 million years ago, when two massive moons smashed into each other. This hypothesis could also help to solve several other mysteries surrounding other moons and the planet's iconic rings.

China launches world first 'megawatt-class wind power airship'
By Rory Bathgate published
A pioneering energy-generating device utilizes reliable wind speeds at an altitude of 6,500 feet (2,000 meters).

2,500-year-old 'primitive prosthetic' found on jaw of mummified Scythian woman who survived complex jaw surgery
By Kristina Killgrove published
Researchers used CT scans to peer inside a partially mummified skull and discovered the woman survived jaw surgery 2,500 years ago.

Physicists recreated the first millisecond after the Big Bang — and found it was surprisingly soupy
By Andrey Feldman published
Scientists saw a quark plowing through primordial plasma for the first time, offering a rare look at the first moments after the Big Bang

'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
By Sophie Berdugo published
A new date for Homo erectus skulls found in central China provides new insight into how and when ancient human relatives reached eastern Asia.

City-size, cold-volcano comet transforms into a glowing 'snail shell' after major explosive outburst
By Harry Baker published
Following a massive cryovolcanic eruption, the mysterious Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann has been morphed into a giant spiral and is now shining 100 times brighter than normal.
Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox.
