Voyager missed it, but now we know Uranus has a fiery secret

A new study led by University of Houston researchers, in collaboration with planetary scientists worldwide, suggests Uranus does have its own internal heat — an advance that not only informs NASA’s future missions but also deepens scientists’ understanding of planetary systems, including processes that influence Earth’s climate and atmospheric evolution.…

What if dark matter came from a mirror universe?

One theory proposes a hidden physical realm with its own versions of particles and forces that gave birth to tiny, stable black hole-like objects that would account for all the dark matter observed today. The other theory explores whether dark matter could be a product of the universe’s own expansion,…

Tiny “talking” robots form shape-shifting swarms that heal themselves

Animals like bats, whales and insects have long used acoustic signals for communication and navigation. Now, an international team of scientists have taken a page from nature’s playbook to model micro-sized robots that use sound waves to coordinate into large swarms that exhibit intelligent-like behavior. The robot groups could one…

Tiny ancient whale with a killer bite found in Australia

With large eyes, razor sharp teeth and a compact body built for hunting, Janjucetus dullardi is nothing like the gentle giants we know today, but this newly discovered ancient whale is one of their earliest cousins. Scientists at Museums Victoria’s Research Institute have described a new species of ancient whale…

Scientists warn ocean could soon reach Rapa Nui’s sacred moai

Rising sea levels could cause seasonal waves to reach Ahu Tongariki, the iconic ceremonial platform that is part of the Rapa Nui National Park, a UNESCO world heritage site by 2080, according to a study published recently in the Journal of Cultural Heritage by a team of researchers from the…

Global study reveals the surprising habit behind tough decisions

An international study surveying people in a dozen countries found that when it comes to making complex decisions, people all over the world tend to reflect on their own, rather than seek advice. Researchers from the University of Waterloo led the new study that surveyed more than 3,500 people from…

Scientists turn grapevine waste into clear, strong films that vanish in days

The need for biodegradable packaging material has never been higher. Currently, most packaging is “single use” and is made with plastic materials, derived from nonrenewable sources like crude oil that take hundreds of years to decompose in the environment. On top of this, only 9% of plastic is recycled. This…

The hidden mental health danger in today’s high-THC cannabis

Science News from research organizations Date: August 12, 2025 Source: Canadian Medical Association Journal Summary: THC levels in cannabis have soared in recent years, raising the risk of psychosis—especially in young, frequent users. Studies reveal a strong connection between cannabis-induced psychosis and schizophrenia, making early cessation and treatment essential. Share:…

Scientists detect virus traces in blood that may unlock long COVID’s mystery

Researchers from the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), part of City of Hope, and the Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center have identified a potential biomarker for long COVID. If the findings of their study are confirmed by other research centers, the biomarker could be the first…

Scientists discover the pancake secret that makes vegan eggs irresistible

As the demand for plant-based meat and dairy options grows, vegan burgers, nuggets, and beverages have been in the spotlight for sustainable protein alternatives. But unlike their meatless burger counterparts, plant-based eggs haven’t received the same attention from researchers — until now. Enter Da Eun Kim, a doctoral student at…

Cutting sugar won’t curb your sweet tooth, scientists say

Turns out, your sweet tooth may not be shaped by your diet. Findings from a new randomized controlled trial suggest that eating more sweet-tasting foods doesn’t increase someone’s preference for sweet tastes. The researchers found that after six months on diets with varying amounts of sweet foods, study participants’ preference…

Scientists discover brain layers that get stronger with age

The human brain ages less than thought and in layers – at least in the area of the cerebral cortex responsible for the sense of touch. Researchers at DZNE, the University of Magdeburg, and the Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research at the University of Tübingen come to this conclusion…

Scientists reversed memory loss by powering the brain’s tiny engines

Mitochondria, the tiny organelles without which our bodies would be deprived of energy, are gradually revealing their mysteries. In a new study published in Nature Neuroscience, researchers from Inserm and the University of Bordeaux at the NeuroCentre Magendie, in collaboration with researchers from the Université de Moncton in Canada, have…

Why AI emails can quietly destroy trust at work

With over 75% of professionals using AI in their daily work, writing and editing messages with tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot or Claude has become a commonplace practice. While generative AI tools are seen to make writing easier, are they effective for communicating between managers and employees? A new study…

The parasite that turns off your body’s pain alarm and sneaks in

New research, published in The Journal of Immunology, discovered that a parasitic worm suppresses neurons in the skin to evade detection. The researchers suggest that the worm likely evolved this mechanism to enhance its own survival, and that the discovery of the molecules responsible for the suppression could aid in…

Trapped in guilt and shame? Science explains why you can’t let go

A new study from Flinders University has revealed why forgiving ourselves can be so difficult for some – even when we know it might benefit our mental health. The research, published in the journal Self and Identity, looked at the real-life experiences of people who feel stuck in guilt and…

What scientists discovered about french fries and diabetes

Eating three servings of French fries a week is associated with a 20% increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, but eating similar amounts of potatoes cooked in other ways — boiled, baked or mashed — does not substantially increase the risk, finds a study published by The BMJ on…

Hubble captures a wild star-birthing storm 160,000 light-years away

A scene from a star-forming factory shines in this NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope Picture of the Week. This Hubble picture captures incredible details in the dusty clouds in a star-forming region called the Tarantula Nebula. What’s possibly the most amazing aspect of this detailed image is that this nebula isn’t…

How NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer was lost before reaching the Moon

The small satellite was to map lunar water, but operators lost contact with the spacecraft the day after launch and were unable to recover the mission. NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer ended its mission to the Moon on July 31. Despite extensive efforts, mission operators were unable to establish two-way communications after…

Accidental lab discovery reveals gold’s secret chemistry

Serendipitously and for the first time, an international research team led by scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory formed solid binary gold hydride, a compound made exclusively of gold and hydrogen atoms. The researchers were studying how long it takes hydrocarbons, compounds made of carbon…

From lead to gold in a flash at the Large Hadron Collider

Nuclear physicists working at the Large Hadron Collider recently made headlines by achieving the centuries-old dream of alchemists (and nightmare of precious-metals investors): They transformed lead into gold. At least for a fraction of a second. The scientists reported their results in Physical Reviews. The accomplishment at the Large Hadron…

Gold survives impossible heat, defying physics limits

Scientists have simultaneously broken a temperature record, overturned a long-held theory and utilized a new laser spectroscopy method for dense plasmas in a groundbreaking article published on July 23 in the journal Nature. In their research article, “Superheating gold beyond the predicted entropy catastrophe threshold,” physicists revealed they were able to…

Tiny gold “super atoms” could spark a quantum revolution

The efficiency of quantum computers, sensors and other applications often relies on the properties of electrons, including how they are spinning. One of the most accurate systems for high performance quantum applications relies on tapping into the spin properties of electrons of atoms trapped in a gas, but these systems…

Scientists capture the secret quantum dance of atoms for the first time

Most of us find it difficult to grasp the quantum world: According to Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, it’s like observing a dance without being able to see simultaneously exactly where someone is dancing and how fast they’re moving – you always must choose to focus on one. And yet, this quantum…

Scientists freeze quantum motion without cooling

What are the limits of quantum physics? This is a question that has been researched around the world for decades. If we want to make the properties of the quantum world technically usable, we need to understand whether objects that are significantly larger than atoms and molecules can also exhibit…

Giant Einstein ring reveals one of the Universe’s biggest black holes

Astronomers have discovered potentially the most massive black hole ever detected. The cosmic behemoth is close to the theoretical upper limit of what is possible in the universe and is 10,000 times heavier than the black hole at the center of our own Milky Way galaxy. It exists in one…

How much damage are ultraprocessed foods really doing to your health?

Most ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) are characterized by poor nutritional quality, contributing to excessive calories, and are typically high in saturated fats, added sugars and sodium (salt), the combination of which is often abbreviated as HFSS, which contribute to adverse cardiometabolic health outcomes, including heart attack, stroke, obesity, inflammation, Type 2…