Polar bears in southern Greenland are ‘using jump genes to rapidly rewrite their DNA’ to survive melting sea ice
Temperature stress may be causing genetic mutations in southern Greenland’s polar bears, a new study reports. This species is struggling in the face of global climate change. Global sea ice levels fell to record lows in February, with sea levels rising due to global warming. These changes threaten polar bears, which live and hunt on […]
City-sized ‘cosmic butterflies’ carved into Mars’ surface contain traces of ancient water
A giant city-sized butterfly carved into the surface of Mars millions of years ago has been photographed in a new photo thanks to European Space Agency scientists. Experts say this beautiful Martian insect with smooth, rock-like wings is a striking reminder of Mars’ violent, watery past. The so-called Butterfly is an asymmetrical impact crater created […]
Record-breaking feat means information lasts 15 times longer in a new type of quantum processor than those used by Google and IBM
Scientists have developed a new manufacturing method to create superconducting quantum bits (qubits) that can remain coherent three times longer than current state-of-the-art systems in the lab. This makes it possible to perform more powerful quantum computing operations. The new technology, described in a study published Nov. 5 in the journal Nature, relies on the […]
Deep snow turns Yellowstone Lake into a vast white void — Earth seen from space
simple facts Where is it? Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming [44.46284445, -110.3628428] What is in the photo? A blanket of white snow covers Yellowstone Lake Who took the photo? An unknown astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) When was it taken? January 26, 2022 This eye-catching astronaut photo shows Yellowstone’s eponymous lake covered in thick […]
Final data from groundbreaking cosmology telescope reveals 30 models of the universe were wrong
After a decades-long mission to understand the nature of the universe, the telescope on a mountain plateau in northern Chile will say goodbye in 2022. Now, the release of final data reveals a field in tension that is the telescope’s legacy. In October 2007, the Atacama Space Telescope (ACT) observed its first light. But it […]
A 5,000-year-old dog skeleton and dagger buried together in a Swedish swamp, hinting at mysterious Stone Age rituals
Archaeologists have discovered a dog skeleton alongside a bone dagger at the bottom of a Swedish swamp. The ruins are thought to be 5,000 years old and may be from mysterious Stone Age rituals. This unique dog burial was discovered during construction of a high-speed railway in the village of Gerstaberg, about 35 kilometers southwest […]
Ancient maritime raider’s fingerprints found on Scandinavia’s oldest plank ship
A sea raider ship that sank off the coast of Denmark 2,400 years ago contained fingerprints and several chemical clues that are helping researchers figure out where these raiders came from thousands of years ago, a new study has found. Known as the Yotspring Boat, it is the oldest known wooden plank boat in Scandinavia […]
Five genetic “traits” that support various mental illnesses
The largest genetic analysis of mental disorders to date shows that most relevant genetic variants are associated with multiple mental health conditions, not just one. The study found that 14 psychiatric disorders can be classified into five major groups depending on the genetic variations associated with them. For example, the findings group anorexia nervosa, obsessive-compulsive […]
Today’s biggest science news: Possibility of unknown human ancestor ‘Littlefoot’ | Geminid meteor shower peak | Comet 3I/ATLAS closest approach
refresh 2025-12-15T18:28:24.161Z Large genetic research group on mental disorders One study found that 14 mental illnesses can be categorized into five genetic profiles. (Image credit: TEK IMAGE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY, via Getty Images) Live Science contributor Clarissa Brincat covers the largest genetic analysis of mental illness ever. The study included data from more than 1 million […]
Magdalene: Jerusalem’s 2,000-year-old carving is the world’s oldest known menorah carving
simple facts Name: Magdalene What is it: carved stone block Birthplace: Magdalene Synagogue, Israel Created: Before 70 AD In 2009, Israeli archaeologists discovered a giant stone in an ancient synagogue near the Sea of Galilee. There was an ancient menorah carved into it. Only a few depictions of menorahs exist from the Second Temple period, […]