Neanderthals made fire, orcas and dolphins team up, and the 'Star of Bethlehem' explored - Tia Ghose, Alexander McNamara - published - 13 December 25 - Science news this week - Dec. 13, 2025: Our weekly roundup of the latest science in the news, as well as a few fascinating articles to keep you entertained over the weekend.

1 hour ago

Comet 3I/ATLAS is getting greener and brighter as it approaches Earth -- Brandon Specktor -- New images taken with the Gemini North telescope in Hawaii confirm that the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS has gotten brighter and greener since its close flyby of the sun in October.

8 hours ago

'Unprecedented': Woman delivers full-term abdominal pregnancy while also having 22-pound cyst removed -- Nicoletta Lanese -- A California woman was scheduled to have a large cyst removed but, in the lead-up to the procedure, learned she had a rare ectopic pregnancy.

9 hours ago

James Webb telescope uncovers a new mystery: A broiling 'hell planet' with an atmosphere that shouldn't exist -- Tia Ghose -- James Webb finds a hot planet that is tidally locked with its parent star, is coated with a thick atmosphere of volatile chemicals.

10 hours ago

16th-century gallows and dozens of skeletons discovered in France -- Kristina Killgrove -- Archaeologists have identified a 16th-century gallows structure and nearly a dozen mass burial pits in Grenoble, France.

10 hours ago

'Necessary for the future of humankind': Who was honored at the first-ever Global Space Awards? -- Harry Baker -- The winners of the inaugural Global Space Awards were recently announced at a star-studded ceremony at London's Natural History Museum. The event championed innovation and sustainability, while also celebrating the life of a late NASA astronaut.

10 hours ago

Giant structure discovered deep beneath Bermuda is unlike anything else on Earth -- A thick layer of more than 12 miles of rock may explain why Bermuda seems to float above the surrounding ocean.

6 hours ago

'They had not been seen ever before': Romans made liquid gypsum paste and smeared it over the dead before burial, leaving fingerprints behind, new research finds -- Fingerprints on a Roman burial hold new clues to an unusual liquid gypsum funeral ritual.

11 hours ago

'A scale almost too big to imagine': Scientists spot monster black hole roaring with winds at more than 130 million mph -- A black hole 30 million times the mass of the sun has produced winds one-fifth the speed of light, stunning scientists.

11 hours ago

'Very novel and very puzzling': Unknown species of squid spotted burying itself upside down, pretending to be a plant -- A new study reveals an unknown species of whiplash squid burying itself upside down in the deep sea - a first-of-its-kind behavior for cephalopods.

6 hours ago

Geminids 2025: The year's best meteor shower peaks this week, with a second shower hot on its tail -- The Geminid meteor shower peaks this week! The Geminids peak overnight on Dec. 13 and 14, when up to 150 "shooting stars" per hour will rain down on Earth in a moonless night sky.

19 hours ago

Killer whales are teaming up with dolphins on salmon hunts, study finds - but not everyone agrees -- There are eye-opening claims that orcas and dolphins are working together on salmon hunts and sharing food - but not everyone is convinced.

11 hours ago

When does winter start? Your guide to the 2025 winter solstice. -- Astronomical winter begins Sunday, Dec. 21 in the Northern Hemisphere. Here's how the solstice works.

1 day ago

China's Great Green Wall: The giant artificial forest designed to slow the expansion of 2 deserts - By - Sascha Pare - published - 12 December 25 - Since 1978, China has planted more than 66 billion trees along its 2,800-mile-long northern border, and it wants to plant 34 billion more over the next 25 years to complete its "Great Green Wall."

13 hours ago

Amazon rainforest is transitioning to a 'hypertropical' climate - and trees won't survive that for long - By - Sascha Pare - published - 10 December 25 - The Amazon rainforest currently has a few days or weeks of hot drought conditions per year, but researchers say this could increase to 150 days per year by 2100.

9 hours ago

Stunningly preserved Roman-era mosaic in UK depicts Trojan War stories - but not the ones told by Homer - By - Skyler Ware - published - 10 December 25 - A newfound mosaic draws inspiration from "Phrygians," a play by the Athenian playwright Aeschylus that survives only in bits and pieces.

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'It is the most exciting discovery in my 40-year career': Archaeologists uncover evidence that Neanderthals made fire 400,000 years ago in England - By - Kristina Killgrove - published - 10 December 25 - Archaeologists have found the earliest evidence yet of fire technology - and it was created by Neanderthals in England more than 400,000 years ago.

12 hours ago

Science Spotlight -- Discover the research changing our understanding of the world

8 months ago

Space photo of the week -- Extraordinary images of our sublime universe

8 months ago

Life's Little Mysteries -- Science questions, answered

8 months ago

Live Science crossword puzzle -- Test your knowledge on all things science with our weekly, free crossword puzzle!

5 months ago

Science quizzes -- Test your knowledge of everything from space to nature

8 months ago

Amazing animals -- A look at the weird and wonderful species that live on our planet

8 months ago

Diagnostic dilemma -- Unusual case reports from the medical literature

8 months ago

Incredible places -- A window onto extraordinary landscapes on Earth

8 months ago

Astonishing artifacts -- A glimpse into how people lived in the past

8 months ago

Earth from space -- Incredible images of our planet from above

8 months ago

The 21 best fitness gifts to buy for gym lovers, hand-picked by a personal trainer - By - Anna Gora - last updated - 12 December 25 - Buying guides - Need some last-minute gift ideas for a fitness enthusiast? We have your back.

15 hours ago

Man caught rabies from organ transplant after donor was scratched by skunk - By - Nicoletta Lanese - published - 10 December 25 - A Michigan man died of rabies despite having no recent exposure to a potentially infected animal.

2 days ago

Viruses, Infections & Disease

3 months ago

18,000 dinosaur tracks discovered along ancient Bolivian coastline - and they set a new record - By - Sascha Pare - published - 4 December 25 - Researchers have counted 16,600 fossilized dinosaur footprints and 1,378 swim tracks at a site in Bolivia that showcase a variety of behaviors and different theropods from the Cretaceous period.

4 days ago

Anacondas became massive 12 million years ago - and it worked so well, they haven't changed size since - By - Skyler Ware - published - 2 December 25 - The snakes stayed large and thrived even when cooling temperatures and shrinking habitats killed off other giant reptiles millions of years ago.

7 days ago

Time may be a psychological projection, philosopher argues - By - Adrian Bardon - published - 30 November 25 - Is time real, or an illusion? The best answer may be neither: Both physics and philosophy suggest that time is a projection of the mind onto a timeless reality.

11 days ago

There is such a thing as 'settled science' - anyone who says otherwise is trying to manipulate you -- Kit Yates -- published -- 27 October 25 -- Opinion -- How bad-faith arguments sow doubt by weaponizing scientific humility.

1 month ago

Historic search for 'huge missing piece' of the universe reveals new secrets of particle physics - By - Elizabeth Howell - published - 8 December 25 - Scientists hunted dark matter and solar neutrinos with one of the largest experiments yet. While the neutrinos likely appeared, dark matter results couldn't be confirmed.

1 day ago

What was the loudest sound ever recorded? By - Clarissa Brincat - published - 7 December 25 - Determining the "loudest recorded sound" depends on how you define sound and on which measurements you choose to include.

4 days ago

Physics & Mathematics

11 months ago

Law of 'maximal randomness' explains how broken objects shatter in the most annoying way possible - By - Skyler Ware - published - 2 December 25 - A new mathematical equation describes the distribution of different fragment sizes when an object breaks. Remarkably, the distribution is the same for everything from bubbles to spaghetti.

7 days ago

Glue strong enough to tow a car made from used cooking oil - By - Mason Wakley - published - 8 December 25 - Chemists used waste cooking oil to create a sustainable, super-sticky adhesive that's strong enough to hold up hundreds of pounds of weight.

1 day ago

Scientists invent way to use E. coli to create and dye rainbow-colored fabric in the lab - By - Mason Wakley - published - 15 November 25 - Scientists have used a novel method to create sustainable, rainbow-colored fibers using bacteria in the lab.

24 days ago

Science history: Chemists discover buckyballs - the most perfect molecules in existence - Nov. 14, 1985 - By - Tia Ghose - published - 14 November 25 - Over a feverish 10-day period, scientists synthesized and described a new class of carbon molecules, called buckminster fullerenes, after the iconic 20th-century inventor.

27 days ago

Best sleep headphones 2025: From tiny earbuds and snuggly headbands to pillow speakers - By - Anna Gora - last updated - 12 December 25 - Buying guides - These are the best sleep headphones you can buy in every category, from Ozlo Sleepbuds and AcousticSheep SleepPhones V8 to Soundcore Sleep A30.

13 hours ago

The 22 best gifts for nature lovers and outdoor explorers, according to our experts - By - Anna Gora, Kimberley Lane - published - 11 December 25 - Buying guides - Our curated list of Christmas gifts for seasoned hikers, backpackers, dedicated birdwatchers and other outdoor enthusiasts.

1 day ago