'We are not giving up yet': Private mission to rescue NASA's Swift telescope is spinning out of control - Katalyst Space's LINK spacecraft is recovering from an unexpected spin in orbit, and will need a little more time to rescue NASA's falling Swift observatory. space-exploration

8 hours ago

Astronomers accidentally discover 2 supernovas that exploded from a single star system -- Astronomers have identified a supernova remnant beside the well-known Jellyfish Nebula (IC 443), and evidence suggests both are the wreckage of two stars that once orbited each other before exploding separately. -- Olivia Maule -- Last updated

8 hours ago

IBM scientists claim they've achieved 'quantum advantage' - and they've dared others to prove them wrong -- Using IBM's quantum computer, scientists say they have shown in three different experiments that quantum computers can outpace classical machines in useful computations. -- Tristan Greene -- Published

10 hours ago

Alzheimer's blood tests are transforming how patients get diagnosed - here's what to know - Explainer - New tests for Alzheimer's are helping people who are at risk of dementia get clarity on their condition, Live Science reports from the Alzheimer's Association International Conference in London. By - RJ Mackenzie - Published - 31 July 26

13 hours ago

Scientists discover 2 new 'ghost' lineages that contributed DNA to modern humans -- A new method of analyzing modern humans' DNA is revealing secrets about our extinct ancestors. -- Charles Q. Choi -- Published

1 day ago

Scientists put cameras on whale sharks for the first time and saw something they'd never seen before -- Animal-borne cameras have revealed that the world's largest fish spends far more time feeding below the surface than scientists realized. -- Olivia Maule -- Published

1 day ago

500-year-old Inca mummies prove that European colonists brought devastating smallpox to the Americas -- Ancient DNA from Chilean mummies is the first ever molecular evidence that European colonizers brought smallpox to the Americas, decimating Indigenous populations. -- Olivia Ferrari -- Published

1 day ago

40,000-year-old bird figurines the size of a thumbnail discovered in German cave -- Two newly discovered bird carvings reveal early humans' keen eye for artistry in the ice age world 40,000 years ago. -- Kristina Killgrove -- Published

1 day ago

A unique antibody system may help explain bats' unusual tolerance of viruses -- Researchers found that vesper bats use two separate sets of genes to build antibodies ‪-‬ a rare evolutionary quirk that may give them different ways to fight infection. -- Kenna Hughes-Castleberry -- Published

1 day ago

Lasers reveal hundreds of geoglyphs made by a mysterious civilization in the Amazon rainforest thousands of years ago -- A new lidar survey of dense Amazonian rainforest has revealed hundreds of earthworks made by a mysterious civilization two millennia ago. -- Kristina Killgrove -- Published

1 day ago

Chinese rocket struck by lightning moments after launch in front of packed crowd (video) -- A Long March 3B rocket was struck by lightning in front of a packed crowd, around 30 seconds after lifting off from a Chinese spaceport. Despite this, the spacecraft survived its ascent and successfully deployed its payload in orbit. -- Harry Baker -- Published

2 days ago

Antarctica just experienced minus 119 F, Earth's coldest temperature since 2012 - here's why -- Too hot? Head to the Concordia research station in Antarctica, where "astronauts of ice" just experienced near-record-breaking cold. -- Patrick Pester -- Published

2 days ago

After 100-year hunt, scientists get their best look yet at Betelgeuse's secret sidekick -- A century-old mystery about the night sky's famous "shoulder star" may finally be solved, as astronomers capture the sharpest image yet of a small star tucked close beside the dying Betelgeuse. -- Olivia Maule -- Published

2 days ago

Three galaxies in this cosmic string are missing a crucial component of the universe -- Astronomers have discovered a third galaxy without dark matter in a strange string of a dozen dwarf galaxies. A violent collision is likely to blame. -- Ivan Farkas -- Last updated

2 days ago

Monkeys have a basic intuition for geometry, study suggests -- Baboons and macaques appear to use some of the same mental strategies as humans when matching shapes, suggesting that the foundations of geometry evolved in a common ancestor. -- Kenna Hughes-Castleberry -- Published

2 days ago

Biological 'superspreader' event could be imminent as more than 1,000 ships idle in the Strait of Hormuz, scientists warn -- The prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz may pose significant biosecurity hazards as well as economic impacts, with potentially devastating consequences for global ecosystems and human health. -- Pandora Dewan -- Published

2 days ago

High-powered lasers can wirelessly charge drones mid-flight -- Chinese researchers have successfully charged a drone using just a laser, in a breakthrough that could change how we approach unmanned flight -- Rory Bathgate -- Published

2 days ago

'Demon cavefish' discovered under WWII chemical weapons facility in Alabama -- Introducing demon cavefish ( Demogorgonichthys arcanus); the rare eyeless predators that have been hiding in plain sight below a military base for decades. -- Patrick Pester -- Published

2 days ago

Catch an orange 'Buck Moon' rise tonight before a month of solar and lunar eclipses -- July's full moon will be at its best on the night of July 29. It's the last regular full moon before a total solar eclipse and partial lunar eclipse in August. -- Jamie Carter -- Published

2 days ago

Magnitude 6.8 earthquake traps shoppers as mall collapses in Japan -‬ here's why the seismic event was unusual -- A strong inland earthquake in southwestern Japan trapped people inside a shopping center and damaged infrastructure. Here's what made this quake unusual and why aftershocks remain a concern. -- Olivia Maule -- Published

2 days ago