DOE announces first Genesis Mission projects for AI-driven scientific discovery
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'I can't work in the farce of climate change cruise tourism anymore': Why Antarctic guides quit their dream jobs
In the words of a former Antarctic tour guide we interviewed: "You'd see massive glacier calvings, and you'd just want to cry. But all the guests would be cheering. And you'd be like … 'can you not put two and two together?
New research shows how language experience shapes human communication
A Taiwan–led study of Mandarin-speaking learners shows that the sounds we hear and produce are deeply shaped by our prior language experience, offering new insights into how humans learn and use language.
'I get caught up in the numbers game': Why useful social media content gets lost online
When Amy posts a photograph of herself on Instagram, she knows what will attract attention. A picture of her in a bikini may receive thousands of views. A post explaining the realities of living with a stoma (an opening in her abdomen that directs waste to a bag attached to it) may reach far fe...
Unwritten social rules, not government oversight, help keep forest land sustainable
Swidden agriculture—often called "slash-and-burn"—has been practiced on every inhabited continent throughout human history, and for decades it has been blamed for the destruction of the world's rainforests. However, a new study of more than 18,000 forest patches around the world found that the e...
Syria's ancient sites face widespread looting and systematic bulldozing, satellite images reveal
Dozens of archaeological sites were destroyed by looting during Syria's civil war, which began in 2011 and lasted until 2024. Because the last comprehensive analysis was published in 2017, the extent of more recent damage to cultural heritage sites since 2016—including at UNESCO World Heritage s...
New model maps how social media users repeatedly spread misinformation
People who receive information on social media play a greater role in the spread of misinformation than research has acknowledged, according to research published in the International Journal of Enterprise Network Management. The researchers argue that efforts to tackle "fake news" should focus ...
Cameras attached to whale sharks capture krill chases never witnessed before
Whale sharks (Rhincodon typus)—the world's biggest fish—are one of the most charismatic marine species. They connect with the hearts of anyone lucky enough to encounter them, making people deeply curious about their lives and invested in their conservation.
China evacuates 340,000 people as Typhoon Noul approaches
Authorities have evacuated more than 340,000 people and suspended work and rail services as Typhoon Noul approaches southern China, with flight cancellations announced in Hong Kong.
Spain fights to 'save lives' as wildfire evacuees shelter in Madrid
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Saturday firefighters were working to "save lives" in the blazes raging west of Madrid, as authorities said a separate fire in the east killed one person.
SpaceX launches Starship on another test flight, this time with the most advanced Starlinks
SpaceX's mammoth Starship rocket blasted off Friday on another test flight stretching halfway around the world, this time releasing 20 of the most advanced Starlinks.
This free AI music detector will scan through your playlists for audio slop
Make sure you're only listening to music crafted by flesh and blood humans. The post This free AI music detector will scan through your playlists for audio slop appeared first on Popular Science .
Guy Tudor, Whose Art Brought Obscure Birds to Life, Dies at 91
A self-taught ornithologist, he won a MacArthur fellowship for his precise, resplendent illustrations that appeared in definitive field guides to tropical songbirds.
Wildfires Overrun NASA Deep Space Communications Complex in Spain
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The hunt for a natural molecule that can release cellular energy
All cells in the human body—and the motions they enable, from our beating hearts to our wiggling toes—use energy generated by a molecule called ATP. Its energy is thought to be released to fuel cellular processes in only one way: when ATP's decomposition is initiated by an enzyme, a specific typ...
We talk with astronaut Michael Foale about the 1997 Space Station Mir crisis: 'He took all the blame of the collision on his shoulders'
'I believe that we, as a crew, saved space station Mir that day'
A Space Mission to Earth's Nearest Black Hole: Reality or Science Fiction?
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Ancient bones from smaller Maya communities reveal heavy reliance on maize and local subsistence patterns
Historians and archaeologists know that maize was a central food source and cultural symbol across the ancient Maya world, but much of what is known has come from studies focused on large Maya cities and elite burials.
This Week In Space podcast: Episode 220 — First on Mars
On Episode 220 of This Week In Space, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik are joined by Dr. Pascal Lee and astrobiologist Dr. Penny Boston to mark the 50th anniversary of Viking 1's landing on Mars.
A single dose reversed autism-like symptoms in adult mice within hours
Even mild inflammation during pregnancy led mouse offspring to develop persistent brain overactivity, sensory sensitivity, repetitive behaviors, and increased seizure risk. Remarkably, one dose of rapamycin improved nearly all of these problems within about two hours. The benefits were temporar...
Bon voyage, Papyrus! 5 rescued sea turtles named after fonts released in Cape Cod
The endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtles were found in December 2025. The post Bon voyage, Papyrus! 5 rescued sea turtles named after fonts released in Cape Cod appeared first on Popular Science .
Herbivore species dynamics is key to grassland food web stability
Ecologists have long understood that biodiversity is paramount to ecosystem stability. Until now, however, most ecological research has focused on a single layer of ecological life at a time—for example, plant or animal communities. In reality, ecological systems have multiple layers that inter...
Superagers keep youthful memories but their DNA does not explain why
Scientists expected SuperAgers might simply inherit fewer Alzheimer’s-related risks, but their genes looked much like those of typical older adults. Their extraordinary memories may instead come from still-unknown protective forces involving the brain, body, lifestyle, and environment.
‘OnlyMarms’: Marmots Are on OnlyFans to Raise Money for Research
A team of scientists uploaded videos of the squirrel-like rodents in the wild on the adult-content site OnlyFans to raise money amid government budget cuts.