Latest news
OpenAI's 'smartest' AI model was explicitly told to shut down — and it refused
An artificial intelligence safety firm has found that OpenAI's o3 and o4-mini models sometimes refuse to shut down, and will sabotage computer scripts in order to keep working on tasks.
Ancient cave burial of 'Jesus' midwife' may actually hold a princess
The site's architecture may indicate the Judaean princess was buried there.
Giant 'senior citizen' sunspot on 3rd trip around the sun could break a century-old record
A large sunspot has just reappeared on the sun's Earth-facing surface, almost two months after it first emerged. The unusually old dark patch remains stable and could be on course to become the longest-lived sunspot on record, experts claim.
Physicists capture 'second sound' for the first time — after nearly 100 years of searching
First theorized in 1938, heat's wave-like flow through superfluids, known as "second sound", has proven difficult to directly observe. Now, a new technique has finally done it, and could be used to study neutron stars and high-temperature superconductors.
NASA plans to build a giant radio telescope on the 'dark side' of the moon. Here's why.
A NASA-funded plan to build a large radio telescope on the moon's far side is nearing final approval and could become a reality by the 2030s, researchers say. The ambitious project will help safeguard astronomy from satellite "megaconstellations" — and help scientists unravel more of the radio spectrum.
Cats may have been domesticated much later than we thought — with earlier felines being eaten or made into clothes
Two studies of ancient felines find that cats were likely domesticated in Egypt or other regions in North Africa — and moved into Europe with humans much later than previously believed.
Newly discovered 'ghost' lineage linked to ancient mystery population in Tibet, DNA study finds
A study of more than 100 genomes from people who lived in ancient China has unmasked a "ghost" in their midst.
Combo of cancer therapy drugs increases mice lifespan by 30%
A cocktail of FDA-approved cancer drugs, trametinib and rapamycin, boosts the lifespan of lab mice by 30% and might help humans age better, new study finds.
James Webb telescope uncovers new, 'hidden' type of black hole never seen before
By combining data from the Subaru Telescope and James Webb Space Telescope, researchers have discovered distant quasars that are obscured by dust but which may shed light on Little Red Dots.
2.2 million-year-old teeth reveal secrets of human relatives found in a South African cave
A cutting-edge technique for analyzing fossil tooth enamel is revealing remarkable new information about 2 million-year-old human relatives.
Single gene may help explain the plague's persistence throughout human history
Alterations to a single gene in the plague bacterium's genome have shed light on a method the germ has used to survive and spread through the ages.
Birds have been nesting in the Arctic Circle for almost 73 million years, newly discovered fossils reveal
A major collection of more than 50 bird fossils found in northern Alaska suggest some ancient ancestors of modern birds learned to either adapt to the harsh Arctic winter, or migrate south during the Mesozoic — the age of dinosaurs.
China has developed the largest drone carrier in the world — and it's getting ready for takeoff
The world’s largest drone "mothership" is getting ready for deployment in June. It’s designed to carry and launch up to 100 drones in a swarm, including kamikaze drones.
The land under South Africa is rising every year. We finally know why.
The land under South Africa steadily rose between 2012 and 2020, a new GPS-based study finds, and drought may be the main driver.
Almost 2 billion people could see a change in rain patterns if the planet continues to warm
Higher global temperatures mean the intertropical convergence zone could shift south — throwing off precipitation trends for a major swath of humanity, according to new research.
Hold the syrup: Weirdly perfect 'pancakes' on Venus may prove the planet is buckling
A study suggests that Venus' volcanic "pancake domes" push the planet's crust down, forming bulges toward the surface. This could explain a decades-old mystery.
Scientists build 3D 'audio dome' with such high-fidelity speakers it tricks your ears that you're at the source
New research has revealed that a domed array of loudspeakers can create virtual soundscapes capable of blurring human perception.
43,000-year-old human fingerprint is world's oldest — and made by a Neanderthal
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
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
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.
