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Science News

Latest science news, discoveries and scientific developments.

Multicolored 'mosaic' of mini farms surrounds Taiwan's largest river — Earth from space
Science News

Multicolored 'mosaic' of mini farms surrounds Taiwan's largest river — Earth from space

QUICK FACTSWhere is it? Yunlin County, Chianan Plain, Taiwan [23.78563273, 120.44373747]What's in the photo? A multicolored 'mosaic' of small, tightly compacted farmsWhich satellite took the photo? Landsat 9When was it taken? April 24, 2026This recent satellite snap shows off a multicolored "mosaic" of tightly packed mini farms covering part of Taiwan in the western Pacific Ocean. The sea of fields and shade nets demonstrates the scale of the agricultural challenges facing the densely populated island. Taiwan is 14,000 square miles (36,000 square kilometers) — about the same size as Maryland — but has a population around four times as large, with approximately 23 million people living there,...

📅 2026-10-13 10:24:26    •    Live Science
DNA recording system reveals how a single cell becomes a body
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DNA recording system reveals how a single cell becomes a body

Scientists have traced the development of a mouse embryo from its first two cells to the formation of organs, using a remarkable DNA recording system that reveals the family history of individual cells. Their findings uncover how different cell types emerge on their own schedules and could help explain what goes wrong in birth defects, genetic disorders, and cancer.

📅 2026-10-13 10:17:08    •    ScienceDaily
Scientists recreate a bizarre quantum effect that stops a particle cold
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Scientists recreate a bizarre quantum effect that stops a particle cold

Oxford physicists have recreated a bizarre quantum effect in which a particle responds to a magnetic field without ever traveling through it. Using a hybrid quantum computer, they demonstrated how introducing a simulated magnetic flux could completely halt a particle's movement through quantum interference. The experiment brings a decades-old prediction into a new setting where matter and quantum fields influence one another.

📅 2026-10-13 09:47:22    •    ScienceDaily
The secret to handling stress better may start at breakfast
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The secret to handling stress better may start at breakfast

Your daily routine could have a bigger impact on your ability to handle stress than you realize. A Binghamton University study of approximately 400 college students found that eating breakfast regularly, exercising, sleeping well, and taking fish oil were associated with greater psychological flexibility, which helps people adapt to stressful situations. Poor sleep and unhealthy eating habits, meanwhile, were linked to lower flexibility and resilience.

📅 2026-10-13 09:19:27    •    ScienceDaily
'The back of her head had been removed by a single blow from a sharp blade': Archaeological clues are revealing the horrific lives and deaths of the people enslaved by Vikings
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'The back of her head had been removed by a single blow from a sharp blade': Archaeological clues are revealing the horrific lives and deaths of the people enslaved by Vikings

Slavery has existed for thousands of years, permeating ancient and modern societies across the world. The Vikings were no different. Enslaved people were valuable commodities, being captured and then traded across the Vikings' vast networks. Legal texts and written sources show how enslaved people were sold at trading centers in the same vein as cattle. In this excerpt from "The Sea-King and the Sorceress: Life and Death in the Viking Age" (Basic Books, 2026), author and archaeologist Neil Price looks at the horrific lives of the "thralls" — the Viking term for the enslaved. In it, he highlights the inhumane treatment of enslaved people, from the raids to kidnap people into the slave trade t...

📅 2026-10-13 09:00:00    •    Live Science
'It gives us a glimpse of a different kind of Viking life': Archaeologist Neil Price on the sea-kings, sorcerers and Sámi who lived during the Viking Age
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'It gives us a glimpse of a different kind of Viking life': Archaeologist Neil Price on the sea-kings, sorcerers and Sámi who lived during the Viking Age

In the early medieval period, the Vikings were just one part of a vast tapestry of Scandinavians who ruled, sailed, traded and fought around the world, from North America to Asia. In his new book, "The Sea-King and the Sorceress: Life and Death in the Viking Age" (Basic Books, 2026), author Neil Price, professor and chair of archaeology at Uppsala University in Sweden, reveals the true diversity and complexity of people who lived during the Viking Age (often dating from A.D. 793 to 1066). Price investigates more than 20 burials from the Viking Age, lingering on details that can tell us about these individuals and their world. He also shines a light on frequently overlooked groups, including ...

📅 2026-10-13 09:00:00    •    Live Science
Scientists uncover a hidden map of the brain with 539 distinct regions
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Scientists uncover a hidden map of the brain with 539 distinct regions

Scientists have uncovered a hidden layer of organization in the brain by creating the first detailed 3D map of its lipids, the fatty molecules essential for brain structure and communication. By analyzing millions of measurements from mouse brains, researchers identified 539 distinct chemical zones, revealing patterns and boundaries that traditional brain maps have missed. Surprisingly, even white matter, once thought to be relatively uniform, contains a complex patchwork of chemically distinct regions.

📅 2026-10-13 05:00:55    •    ScienceDaily
Physicists discover “astonishing” property of light that defies expectations
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Physicists discover “astonishing” property of light that defies expectations

Scientists have uncovered a surprising hidden ability of light that allows it to develop spinning, twisting behavior as it travels through empty space, without special lenses, mirrors, or materials. Researchers discovered that light’s internal geometry can naturally produce left- and right-handed patterns, challenging long-standing assumptions about how light behaves. By carefully arranging a beam’s structure, scientists can control where and how these spinning patterns emerge, unlocking a new way to manipulate light.

📅 2026-10-13 04:19:32    •    ScienceDaily
Scientists just gave the powerhouses of our cells a high-tech upgrade
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Scientists just gave the powerhouses of our cells a high-tech upgrade

Scientists have created a new coating for mitochondria that preserves their ability to produce energy, potentially opening the door to new treatments for diseases involving these tiny cellular powerhouses. The technology could one day help transfer healthy mitochondria into damaged cells, although its effectiveness in transplantation remains unproven.

📅 2026-10-13 01:33:58    •    ScienceDaily
After 30 years, scientists finally have a drug for a deadly brain disease
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After 30 years, scientists finally have a drug for a deadly brain disease

The FDA has approved the first drug that directly targets Alexander disease, a devastating neurological disorder affecting fewer than one in a million people. Developed through decades of research, Zanvastro showed promising results in clinical trials, stabilizing motor function and even improving movement in some patients.

📅 2026-10-13 00:43:43    •    ScienceDaily
Europe's new Sentinel-3C satellite just sent back spectacular images of Earth
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Europe's new Sentinel-3C satellite just sent back spectacular images of Earth

Europe's Sentinel-3C satellite has returned breathtaking images of Earth just two weeks after launch, revealing the snowy Alps, frozen Arctic islands, and brilliant turquoise Caribbean waters. Its first measurements also show promising results for tracking rising seas, melting ice sheets, and other changes reshaping our planet.

📅 2026-10-12 23:48:22    •    ScienceDaily
Stabilizing a simple amino acid opens a path to biodegradable sensors
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Stabilizing a simple amino acid opens a path to biodegradable sensors

The humble amino acid glycine—the simplest of all amino acids—is everywhere. The human body produces it, and it helps make up our skin, bones and ligaments. It's found in meats like beef and has even been discovered in comets returned from outer space.

📅 2026-10-12 23:40:01    •    Phys.org
New research traces the origins and human impact of Britain's largest medieval lead industry through ancient teeth
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New research traces the origins and human impact of Britain's largest medieval lead industry through ancient teeth

The first definitive evidence of when post-Roman lead production began in one of Europe's largest medieval lead-producing regions, the Derbyshire Peak District in central England, has been uncovered by archaeologists after centuries of mining had erased much of the archaeological evidence. The work has been published in Antiquity.

📅 2026-10-12 23:00:08    •    Phys.org
Magnetic sculpting transforms single-source fields into predetermined shapes with mathematical precision
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Magnetic sculpting transforms single-source fields into predetermined shapes with mathematical precision

Magnetic fields are invisible yet essential components in technologies ranging from MRI scanners and particle accelerators to atomic clocks and future quantum computers. Each of these applications requires magnetic fields with specific shapes and properties. Today, creating such tailored magnetic fields requires researchers and engineers to design specialized, carefully optimized magnets or large systems of coils for each individual application—a complex and resource-intensive process.

📅 2026-10-12 22:40:01    •    Phys.org