Science News Today — Latest Discoveries
The latest science news today — research, discoveries and breakthroughs, explained simply and updated continuously on Plax.
Hidden feeding grounds that fuel one of the ocean's most iconic sportfish identified
Atlantic tarpon are famous for their long-distance migrations, traveling hundreds or even thousands of miles (hundreds to thousands of kilometers) along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts. But where they feed along those journeys has remained lar…
Phys.org · 15 Jul, 09:40 pmRethinking urban nature as technonature
A new Comment article by Simon Marvin, Sophia Maalsen and Robyn Dowling published in the journal Nature Cities argues that urban nature is entering a new phase in which ecological processes are increasingly sensed, modeled and continuously…
Phys.org · 15 Jul, 09:20 pmMicroplastics reach even 2,000 meters below the ocean surface, study finds
Plastic pollution has become a global environmental crisis, with an estimated 11 million tons of plastic entering the oceans each year. As larger plastic debris breaks down into microplastics, these tiny particles are transported throughout…
Phys.org · 15 Jul, 09:00 pmWhat does it mean to be 'quantum?' A physicist explains the basics behind Einstein's spooky actions at a distance
Imagine shining a flashlight across a dark room. You can predict exactly what the light will do: travel in a straight line from one point to another. That seems obvious because, in the world we see around us, light appears to follow a singl…
Phys.org · 15 Jul, 09:00 pmHelpful microbes could battle pathogens in our hospitals and schools—with the help of AI to make it work
Helpful microbes that combat harmful pathogens could be the answer to rising antimicrobial resistance—particularly within built environments such as hospitals, homes and schools.
Phys.org · 15 Jul, 08:40 pmEpigenetic mechanism explains how some plants cope with salt stress
Due to artificial irrigation and rising temperatures, the concentration of salts (including sodium chloride, or "table salt") is increasing in soils worldwide. This is not only an environmental problem but also a challenge for agriculture.…
Phys.org · 15 Jul, 08:40 pmBacteria form 'herds' to survive predators, offering fresh insight into Earth's carbon cycle
Researchers at Queen Mary University of London have discovered that tiny photosynthetic bacteria band together into protective "herds" when attacked by predators—a survival strategy that could also influence how carbon is stored in the worl…
Phys.org · 15 Jul, 08:20 pmAfter traveling a billion kilometers, China's asteroid hunter finally arrives
What does it take to catch up with a small, tumbling rock hundreds of thousands of kilometers from Earth? For China's Tianwen-2 mission, the answer was a 400-day chase covering roughly 1 billion kilometers (621 million miles) of deep space—…
Phys.org · 15 Jul, 08:20 pmMarsupial newborns get early arms as embryos bypass usual limb-building sequence
Scientists have discovered that marsupial forelimbs (arms) develop much earlier before birth than previously thought, providing new insights into evolutionary innovation and biology.
Phys.org · 15 Jul, 08:10 pmTiny water droplets convert stubborn plastic waste into valuable acids, study finds
A new way of converting stubborn plastic waste into high-value chemicals using only water and oxygen has been developed by an international team of scientists.
Phys.org · 15 Jul, 08:00 pmNew algorithm improves gene expression marker identification across diverse biological systems
Researchers have developed a new computational approach that enables more accurate selection of genes that characterize different cellular states from mRNA-seq data, offering a more interpretable way to analyze complex biological data. The…
Phys.org · 15 Jul, 08:00 pmA new class of root-dwelling fungi named after the King of Sweden
Researchers at Uppsala University have discovered a completely new fungal species, which they named after the king of Sweden. The species has been given the Latin name Semicentenialea rex, which means the king's 50th anniversary. It is the…
Phys.org · 15 Jul, 07:40 pmThis pet gecko could help scientists unlock the secrets of cancer
An unusual leopard gecko that naturally develops aggressive tumors may become an important new model for cancer research. Scientists found its tumors share key genetic changes with human cancers, offering a rare opportunity to study the dis…
Science Daily · 15 Jul, 01:47 pmArchaeologists found Homer's Iliad inside a 1,600-year-old Egyptian mummy
A 1,600-year-old mummy discovered in Egypt has revealed something archaeologists had never seen before: a fragment of Homer’s Iliad used during embalming. The papyrus was identified as part of the famous "Catalogue of Ships," one of the bes…
Science Daily · 15 Jul, 12:21 pmAre humans really the ultimate super-predator?
Humans are often described as the planet's ultimate "super-predator," but wild animals do not fear every human the same way. After analyzing three decades of research, scientists found that animals become much more alert and spend less time…
Science Daily · 15 Jul, 11:04 amAstronomers just found four hidden white dwarf stars near Earth
Four nearby white dwarf stars have been discovered hiding in plain sight beside brighter red dwarf companions. Hubble's ultraviolet observations finally revealed the long-hidden stellar remnants, including one just 25 light-years away that…
Science Daily · 15 Jul, 06:30 amScientists finally solved why some frogs survive a deadly fungus
A deadly fungus has wiped out amphibian populations around the globe, yet some mysteriously recover. Researchers discovered that survivors develop powerful immune defenses while they are still tadpoles, giving them a head start before the f…
Science Daily · 15 Jul, 03:39 amWhy have humans collected crystals for 780,000 years? Chimpanzees may hold the answer
Chimpanzees showed a remarkable attraction to crystals, choosing them over ordinary stones and studying them with intense curiosity. The results suggest that the same unusual features may have fascinated early humans long before crystals ha…
Science Daily · 15 Jul, 02:56 amPopular weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy may slow biological aging
Researchers found that semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, slowed biological aging markers in adults with HIV, marking the first clinical evidence that the drug may influence human aging. Although the findings are enco…
Science Daily · 14 Jul, 09:47 amThis dinosaur fossil captures the final moments of a T. rex attack
A fossilized Edmontosaurus skull with a Tyrannosaurus tooth still embedded in its face has given scientists rare evidence of a dramatic predator-prey encounter. The discovery suggests the giant carnivore delivered an incredibly powerful fac…
Science Daily · 14 Jul, 06:48 amNASA's Perseverance just completed a marathon on Mars
NASA's Perseverance rover has reached an impressive new milestone on Mars, completing the equivalent of a full marathon by driving 26.2 miles (42.195 kilometers) across the Red Planet. It accomplished the feat in just five years and four mo…
Science Daily · 14 Jul, 05:32 amNASA selects four new Moon missions to build a permanent lunar base
NASA is ramping up its lunar ambitions by awarding nearly $600 million for four commercial Moon landings planned for late 2028. Each mission will carry the same trio of science instruments to improve lunar navigation, study dangerous dust k…
Science Daily · 14 Jul, 04:40 amYale scientists found a hidden network inside the eye
Researchers have discovered that the retina uses an unexpected communication network that lets separate visual pathways cooperate instead of working alone. A newly identified "commander" cell appears to coordinate this system, helping the e…
Science Daily · 14 Jul, 01:15 amPhysicists say quantum mechanics may not need imaginary numbers after all
Physicists from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) have examined a fundamental property of quantum mechanics in collaboration with the German Aerospace Center (DLR). In the scientific journal Physical Review Letters, they show that…
Science Daily · 13 Jul, 07:22 am