🔎

Science News

Latest science news, discoveries and scientific developments.

The James Webb telescope is watching one of the earliest supernovas in the universe unfold
Science News

The James Webb telescope is watching one of the earliest supernovas in the universe unfold

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have found what may be one of the most distant supernovas ever observed. And in a stroke of cosmic luck, the team thinks they're seeing what the explosion looked like just days after it ignited.The supernova, named AT 2026abck, dates to around 1.15 billion years after the Big Bang, when the universe was less than one-tenth of its current age and bursting with massive stars flickering into life. The massive exploding star violently released its light over 12.5 billion years ago, according to the researchers — so long ago that the distance between us has effectively ballooned sixfold due to the expansion of the universe. The discovery was...

📅 2026-10-20 16:45:34    •    Live Science
Eighteen years of whale call research reveals key habitat of mysterious species
Science News

Eighteen years of whale call research reveals key habitat of mysterious species

In a boost for the conservation of one of the world's most elusive and least-understood whale species, researchers analyzing more than 18 years of underwater acoustic recordings collected off northwest Australia have discovered that Omura's whales are most likely to be found in warm, food-rich waters.

📅 2026-10-20 16:40:06    •    Phys.org
Hot plasma may explain how rapidly feeding black holes launch powerful jets
Science News

Hot plasma may explain how rapidly feeding black holes launch powerful jets

Some supermassive black holes rapidly consume surrounding matter while simultaneously firing powerful streams of plasma into space at nearly the speed of light. However, this creates a physical puzzle: rapid feeding is expected to form a cold, flat accretion disk around the black hole, which prevents powerful jets from forming.

📅 2026-10-20 16:40:01    •    Phys.org
Largest collection of Roman cave inscriptions discovered in Spain
Science News

Largest collection of Roman cave inscriptions discovered in Spain

Archaeologists have uncovered the largest collection of Latin cave inscriptions anywhere in the Roman Empire. Early analysis of the inscriptions discovered at Cova Dones reveals that a female deity was worshipped at the site and that women had a prominent role in rituals there—highly unusual in Roman society.

📅 2026-10-20 16:20:15    •    Phys.org
The road to discovery: DNA in the air maps biodiversity
Science News

The road to discovery: DNA in the air maps biodiversity

Curtin University researchers have detected traces of hundreds of plants and animals by collecting DNA from the air as they drove more than 1,100km (684 miles) across Western Australia.

📅 2026-10-20 16:20:01    •    Phys.org
Employees with autism report hidden labor of workplace camouflaging in new study
Science News

Employees with autism report hidden labor of workplace camouflaging in new study

Employees with autism may expend considerable time and effort modifying their behavior to meet workplace expectations, from rehearsing conversations and monitoring facial expressions to concealing sensory discomfort, according to a new study led by a Penn State researcher.

📅 2026-10-20 16:00:12    •    Phys.org
Collecting phones during college lessons raises grades, large randomized trial finds
Science News

Collecting phones during college lessons raises grades, large randomized trial finds

Your phone vibrates, a notification pops up, or you just take a quick glance at the screen. Even minor interruptions can affect your concentration—not least when you're in class. Now, a large randomized trial involving more than 16,000 students in India shows that teaching without access to mobile phones can improve students' academic performance. The researchers also found that students who experience phone-free teaching firsthand become more supportive of the restrictions. The research is published in Science.

📅 2026-10-20 16:00:01    •    Phys.org
Quantum probability can't be derived without assuming it first
Science News

Quantum probability can't be derived without assuming it first

For nearly a century, physicists have relied on the Born rule to calculate the chances of different outcomes when they measure a quantum system. Yet despite decades of effort, nobody has managed to derive the rule from more basic mathematical principles without making assumptions about probability along the way.

📅 2026-10-20 15:50:01    •    Phys.org
Scientists discover a promising blood sugar–regulating compound in red alga
Science News

Scientists discover a promising blood sugar–regulating compound in red alga

It is a dietary staple found in sushi, rice wraps and ramen toppings. Commonly known as nori in Japan and gim in Korea, red seaweed is especially popular across Asia. Yet, despite its widespread consumption, many of its nutritional benefits remain poorly understood. Now, research led by Hokkaido University scientists has discovered that digestion of a particular red alga releases a peptide, or a small fragment of protein, with potential benefits for blood glucose control and diabetes prevention. The study was published in Food Bioscience.

📅 2026-10-20 15:40:14    •    Phys.org
Undeciphered Voynich manuscript may have been bound out of order, study finds
Science News

Undeciphered Voynich manuscript may have been bound out of order, study finds

The mysterious and undeciphered Voynich manuscript has caused consternation among code-breakers, linguists and scholars of medieval literature for more than a century. But now experts think they've worked out why it's so hard to crack: It was bound incorrectly in the 15th century, meaning the pages are out of order. The new linguistic analysis of the document has moved researchers closer to figuring out what the text was all about.The Voynich manuscript is a medieval codex made up of leaves of parchment carbon-dated to the early 15th century. Its 240 pages are covered with about 38,000 words of a unique script called "Voynichese" along with illustrations of people, plants and astrological sy...

📅 2026-10-20 15:34:47    •    Live Science
Ancient wildfire study offers warning for a warming world
Science News

Ancient wildfire study offers warning for a warming world

New research from the University of Aberdeen has revealed that periods of global warming can trigger long-lasting increases in wildfire activity, with ecosystems taking far longer to recover than previously thought. The study, recently published in Scientific Reports, provides the first detailed evidence of how wildfires responded to a major natural warming event around 65 million years ago, the Danian hyperthermal. This work offers important insights into the risks facing today's world as climate change drives more frequent and severe fires.

📅 2026-10-20 15:20:10    •    Phys.org
Surprising pattern emerges in reincarnation reports
Science News

Surprising pattern emerges in reincarnation reports

An analysis of more than 1,600 cases of purported reincarnation has revealed a striking correlation: The time between death and "rebirth" was shorter on average when records indicated that the prior person had died unexpectedly.

📅 2026-10-20 15:00:05    •    Phys.org
A quantum pathway to entropy-free energy transfer
Science News

A quantum pathway to entropy-free energy transfer

For scientists, breakthroughs often stem from unexpected turns. A research team led by Oscar Dahlsten, an associate professor in the Department of Physics at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK), set out to prove a theoretical limitation, only to discover a quantum solution. The finding breaks traditional physical constraints and introduces a strategy for harvesting energy from fluctuating sources.

📅 2026-10-20 15:00:01    •    Phys.org