Shark attacks in Hawaii spiked in October, and scientists think they know why.
“Sharktober,” the autumn spike in shark bites off the west coast of North America, is a reality, and in Hawaii, new research suggests the phenomenon appears to occur when tiger sharks give birth in the waters around the islands. Carl Meyer, a marine biologist at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology at the University of […]
In vitro fertilization hormones could one day be administered via painless ‘microneedle’ patches, early research suggests
Patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) must take daily hormone injections for several weeks until their eggs are collected for surgery. Now, the research team has developed a so-called painless, automated method to deliver these hormones using a light-activated microneedle patch. Preliminary studies conducted in rats have shown that administration of leuprolide hormone through a […]
AI may accelerate scientific progress, but here’s why it can’t replace human scientists
Consistent with the general trend of incorporating artificial intelligence into almost every field, researchers and politicians are increasingly using AI models trained on scientific data to infer answers to scientific questions. But can AI ultimately replace scientists? The Trump administration signed an executive order on November 24, 2025, announcing the Genesis Mission, an effort to […]
A 1,400-year-old Zapotec tomb discovered in Mexico has a giant owl sculpture symbolizing death
Archaeologists in Mexico have uncovered a 1,400-year-old tomb of the Zapotec culture that features well-preserved details, including a carving of a wide-eyed owl holding a human in its beak, colorful wall paintings and carvings of a calendar. Authorities discovered the grave after following up on anonymous reports of looting at the site. Mexican President Claudia […]
Britain loses measles-free status again
The UK has officially lost its measles-free status. This means that this highly contagious disease has been circulating continuously in the region for at least a year. The UK has gained, lost and regained measles-free status over the past decade, according to an update posted by the UK Health and Safety Agency (UKHSA) on 26 […]
Warming beige fat may lower blood pressure, mouse study suggests
Not all fats are created equal. Studies using mice suggest that some types of fat in the body raise blood pressure, while other types of fat suppress the rise in blood pressure. Excess body fat in humans has long been linked to high blood pressure and many other cardiovascular problems. However, there are two types […]
Microsoft announces its latest AI chip Maia 200 is three times more powerful than Google’s TPU and Amazon’s Trainium processor
Microsoft has announced a new Maia 200 accelerator chip for artificial intelligence (AI) that is three times more powerful than hardware from rivals such as Google and Amazon, company representatives said. This modern chip is used for AI inference rather than training, powering systems and agents used to make predictions, provide answers to queries, and […]
Varna Gold: Humanity’s first gold jewelry was discovered in a graveyard along with a gold “penis sheath”
simple facts Name: Varna Gold What is it: A collection of gold artifacts Birthplace: Varna, Bulgaria Created: Around 4600 BC In the fall of 1972, workers in the Bulgarian coastal city of Varna stumble upon an ancient cemetery filled with treasure. The burial site contains more than 3,000 gold artifacts dating from 4,600 to 4,300 […]
Antibiotic resistance is a ‘silent pandemic’ — here are four steps to stop it
Imagine going to the hospital with a bacterial ear infection and the doctor saying, “There are no other options.” It may sound dramatic, but antibiotic resistance is bringing that scenario closer to reality for more and more people. In 2016, a Nevada woman died from a bacterial infection that was resistant to all 26 antibiotics […]
How to see two total solar eclipses in the next two years, including the “eclipse of the century”
Although no total solar eclipse has occurred since the Great American Eclipse on April 8, 2024, there will be two total solar eclipses in the next two years. The first total solar eclipse will grace parts of Greenland, Iceland, and Spain on August 12, 2026. The second solar eclipse will occur on August 2, 2027, […]