Science News

Audacious mission to rescue NASA's falling telescope has launched

NASA’s Swift space telescope is reaching the end of its two-decade run in orbit – unless a satellite launched on 3 July…

Rocket Report: Indian startup nears first launch; SpaceX's millenary milestone

NASA awarded Rocket Lab deals for three dedicated launches using the company's Electron rocket.

The Fall and Rise of Screwworm

# Summary A flesh-eating parasite called the screwworm has been detected in Texas and New Mexico for the first time…

Orangutan mothers seem to plan playdates for their offspring

Female orangutans are generally solitary, but they travel more and eat less in an apparent effort to ensure their…

Nasa launches mission to save falling space telescope

A Nasa-funded robot has blasted off to catch a falling telescope in mid-orbit and blast it back to safety before it…

These 12-Sided Roman Bronze Objects Have Kept Their Secret Since 1739

First discovered in 1739, more than 100 Gallo-Roman dodecahedrons have since turned up, largely across the northwestern…

Evocative photos of Canadian Arctic win New Scientist Editors Award

Natalya Saprunova's photo series exploring coastal erosion and permafrost thaw across Inuvialuit territories in Canada…

Private space pilots are flying orbital missions for the US Space Force

True Anomaly and Rocket Lab are performing Top Gun-style satellite fly-bys for the U.S. military.

Mystery identity of 'Green Boots' climber is finally solved after DNA test

# Summary A DNA test has identified the mystery climber known as "Green Boots," a famous frozen body found on Mount…

Ebola treatments trial begins in the Democratic Republic of Congo

According to WHO data, there have been 1,406 confirmed cases of the disease in DRC, with 301 suspected cases and 438…

Great Salt Lake Tracker – Grow the Flow

A New Catalog of Stellar Rotation Periods for over a Million Stars

Astronomers have created TARS (TESS All-Sky Rotation Survey), the largest catalog of stellar rotation periods to date,…

June heatwave may have killed around 20,000 people in Europe

It will be some months before the true toll of Europe's worst-ever heatwave is confirmed, but researchers can estimate a…

Ars Live recap: When are the big rockets NASA desperately needs going to be ready?

I have not seen anyone put out a date for a new rocket, and actually hit it.

Africa CDC confirms Marburg case in Uganda as Ebola outbreak rages

Early reports indicate there may be another case, but spread is thought to be localized.

Artificial cell manages a few rounds of cell division

It only works for a few divisions thanks to a lot of added materials.

Random wobbles in time could finally solve gravity’s greatest mystery

The question of how gravity interacts with the quantum world has long perplexed physicists, but a non-quantum theory of…

Synthetic biology may finally be ready to solve life's biggest mystery

What makes something alive?

Geoengineering could expose plane passengers to sulphuric acid

A proposed technique to counter global warming by spraying sun-reflecting particles near the poles would cause…

The best new popular science books of July 2026

From friendship in a world of chatbots to what it means to be alive, this month’s new popular science books are asking…

Woman's puzzling decline turns out to be cobalt poisoning from hip replacement

Doctors find grey fluid and dead, metallic flesh inside poisoned woman's hip.

Editorial: It's time to step up and have your say for science

Your comments on a dangerous rule putting politicals in charge of science can matter.

Canadian boy, 11, dies of rabies after waking to bat on his face

Rabies infections are rare in Canada. There have been 28 human deaths due to rabies in the country since 1924.

Global review confirms mRNA vaccines are safe, effective and full of promise 

A comprehensive global review published in The Lancet confirms that mRNA vaccines are safe and highly effective at…

Healthy but Sedentary People Show Early Decline in Cellular Energy Production

Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz found that sedentary but otherwise healthy individuals experience…

What is 'SpudCell'? Arguably the greatest bioengineering feat yet

A prototype cell partly capable of replicating itself has been created using 36 existing bacterial genes, but it's not…

Have scientists really made a living cell from scratch? Not quite

A prototype cell partly capable of replicating itself has been created using 36 existing bacterial genes, but it's not…

Superworms could replace beetles for cleaning skeletal remains

An optimal ratio of 10-15 grams of larvae per gram of specimen minimized cleaning time with no bone damage.

Stunning photos reveal the intricate beauty of fungi

The vibrant colours and delicate details of New Zealand's fungi and slime moulds are documented in these images, taken…