Science News: Recent scientific discoveries and expert analysis
Read the latest science news and recent scientific discoveries on Live Science, where we've been reporting on groundbreaking advances for over 20 years. Our expert editors, writers and contributors are ready to guide you through today's most important breakthroughs in science with expert analysis, in-depth explainers and interesting articles, covering everything from space, technology, health, animals, planet Earth, and much more.
Explainers | Everything you need to know about the science news that matters.
Science Spotlight | Shining a light on new science transforming our world.
Latest news

Gigantic, glow-in-the-dark cloud near Earth surprises astronomers
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
The discovery of Eos, the closest known molecular cloud to Earth and one of the largest structures in the night sky, hints at the presence of many previously unseen clouds throughout the galaxy.

2,300-year-old sword with swastikas unearthed at necropolis in France
By Sahas Mehra published
A Celtic burial site from the Second Iron Age in France contains two rare, well-preserved swords.

Humans heal much more slowly than chimps do. Researchers are still trying to figure out why.
By Jess Thomson published
Researchers have found that wounds heal three times more slowly in humans than in other primates and rodents, suggesting we may have evolved slower healing at some point in our ancestry.

Scientists may finally know where the oldest gold in the universe came from
By Sascha Pare published
Dead stars may have started churning out vast amounts of gold much earlier in the universe than previously thought, a new study hints. Powerful magnetar flares may be the reason.

Doomed Soviet satellite from 1972 will tumble uncontrollably to Earth next week — and it could land almost anywhere
By Ben Turner published
The lander section of the Kosmos 482 probe was launched in 1972 and designed to survive on Venus. Now it's due a fiery reentry to Earth.

In rare evolutionary event, weird platypus cousin evolved from living in water to living on land
By Chris Simms published
We may have gotten the evolutionary origins of the echidna backward, as new research suggests its ancestors probably lived in the water, not on land.

How related are dire wolves and gray wolves? The answer might surprise you.
By Sascha Pare published
Recent findings indicate that dire wolves and gray wolves are distantly related, having diverged about 5.7 million years ago and, as far as scientists can tell, never interbred since then.

Researchers react to T. rex 'leather' announcement
By Patrick Pester published
Companies claim that Tyrannosaurus rex leather could soon be entering the luxury fashion market, but dinosaur researchers say you can't make genuine T. rex skin.

China's '2D' chip could soon be used to make silicon-free chips
By Alan Bradley published
Advances in materials and architecture could lead to silicon-free chip manufacturing thanks to a new type of transistor.

Catquistadors: Oldest known domestic cats in the US died off Florida coast in a 1559 Spanish shipwreck
By Margherita Bassi published
The 466-year-old remains of an adult and a juvenile cat are the oldest known in the modern-day United States, a new study finds.

Astronomers discover giant 'bridge' in space that could finally solve a violent galactic mystery
By Jonathan Gilbert published
Scientists have found evidence for a cosmic collision in the Perseus cluster, a group of thousands of galaxies not far from our own.

James Webb Space Telescope finds a wild black hole growth spurt in galaxies at 'cosmic noon'
By Robert Lea published
Using the James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers have peered into galaxies that existed at cosmic noon to hunt ravenously feeding black holes and bursts of starbirth.

Chinese scientists makes nuclear power breakthrough using abandoned US research
By Jane McCallion published
Scientists in China have refuelled a thorium reactor on the fly for the first time. The breakthrough is paving the way for working reactors that are significantly safer than conventional alternatives.

What is 'induced atmospheric vibration' and did it really cause power outages across Spain and Portugal?
By Jess Thomson published
Power blackouts that left millions of people across Spain and Portugal without electricity may have been caused by a bizarre atmospheric phenomenon, though the true cause is yet to be determined.

Yellowstone holds potentially untapped cache of 'carbon-free' helium for rockets, reactors and superconductors
By Sascha Pare published
Conventional helium production comes with enormous carbon emissions, so scientists are looking for alternatives in places like Yellowstone, Tanzania's Rukwa Rift and India's Bakreswar-Tantloi province.

Do sharks make noises? An accidental discovery might just answer that question
By Jacklin Kwan published
Scientists noticed the clicking sound after handling the rig sharks during routine behavioral experiments.

China saves 2 doomed satellites with novel 'gravitational slingshot'
By Matthew Williams published
Chinese engineers have rescued two satellites that were stuck in the wrong orbit using a novel 'gravitational slingshot' method.

Scientists spot 'dark nebula' being torn apart by rowdy infant stars
By Brandon Specktor published
The National Science Foundation's Dark Energy Camera reveals a stunning glimpse into the 'dark nebula' known as the Circinus West molecular cloud, a region of space that's so dense with gas that light can't escape it.
Sign up for the Live Science daily newsletter now
Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox.