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Science News

Latest science news, discoveries and scientific developments.

New light-emitting organic materials could enable deep-tissue bioimaging
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New light-emitting organic materials could enable deep-tissue bioimaging

Researchers at the University of St Andrews have identified the first examples of a new class of advanced organic semiconductor materials that could one day be used as bioimaging agents, opening up new possibilities for deep-tissue imaging. The study, published in Nature Communications, was led by the Zysman-Colman group in the School of Chemistry at the University of St Andrews in collaboration with the Pal group at Durham University.

📅 2026-10-12 20:00:07    •    Phys.org
Tiny fossils reveal a missing chapter of ocean life after Snowball Earth
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Tiny fossils reveal a missing chapter of ocean life after Snowball Earth

A rare assemblage of micro- and macro-fossils found in a roadside outcrop in South China, featuring thin ribbons, branching shapes and a tiny balloon on a stalk, offers a glimpse of marine life after one of Earth's most extreme ice ages.

📅 2026-10-12 19:40:10    •    Phys.org
New study finds the staffing structure of an audit office improves outcomes
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New study finds the staffing structure of an audit office improves outcomes

Audit firms rely on partners to oversee audits and client relationships; managers to supervise teams and projects; and staff to perform much of the day-to-day work. The more audit partners and managers are involved in supervising and reviewing audit engagements, the better the audits tend to be, according to new research from the University at Buffalo School of Management.

📅 2026-10-12 19:40:06    •    Phys.org
What 2024's record-breaking rainfall says about the next El Niño
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What 2024's record-breaking rainfall says about the next El Niño

Though strong El Niños have occurred only four times in as many decades, 2024's intense El Niño is already getting a sequel. New UCLA research shows that 2024 broke the record for extreme rainfall, with 40% of that increase tied to global warming—and conditions are ripe for a repeat.

📅 2026-10-12 19:20:17    •    Phys.org
Primordial helium further confirms our understanding of the Big Bang
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Primordial helium further confirms our understanding of the Big Bang

In the early moments of the big bang, two elements were forged: hydrogen and helium. Technically, the tiniest traces of light elements such as lithium were produced as well, but nothing of consequence. The early universe was about three parts hydrogen to one part helium. All the heavier elements, from the oxygen in your lungs to the iron in your blood, were created through astrophysical processes—fused in stars, formed in supernovae or scattered by the collisions of neutron stars. Even in the present cosmos, heavier elements are so cosmically rare that astronomers group them all as metals.

📅 2026-10-12 19:20:07    •    Phys.org
Elephants continue to shape the savanna even after death
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Elephants continue to shape the savanna even after death

Elephants shape the African savanna. They consume huge amounts of forage, dig for water, topple trees and affect all the animals around them. So, what happens to their outsized presence after these iconic animals pass away?

📅 2026-10-12 19:00:11    •    Phys.org
'Autonomy always begins with something a human hands it': Who's responsible when an AI agent goes rogue?
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'Autonomy always begins with something a human hands it': Who's responsible when an AI agent goes rogue?

An OpenAI agent was supposed to be researching public healthcare spending, but it broke into an Australian government website instead. The June 18 hack, which saw the bot gain authorized entry into Australia's Medicare Statistics Reporting Service and access three other government systems, occurred after the AI agent encountered blocks while looking for information but "didn't accept 'no' for an answer," Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said during a September 24 news conference in New York.The incident has ignited a media firestorm around OpenAI and the launch of an intensifying parliamentary inquiry. The portal contains aggregate Medicare and pharmaceutical statistics and is sepa...

📅 2026-10-12 17:08:26    •    Live Science
1,200-year-old burial in Latvia holds people who died of 'sharp force' injuries, possibly from a Viking raid
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1,200-year-old burial in Latvia holds people who died of 'sharp force' injuries, possibly from a Viking raid

Six people buried in a single grave in Latvia more than 1,000 years ago may have been killed in a bloody Viking raid, a new study suggests.Genetic research into the deceased — four men, a boy and a girl — reveals family connections: The boy was the son of one of the men, while another man was a third-degree relative, perhaps a first cousin or great uncle, the researchers found.The father, the relative, and one other man died from "sharp force" injuries — maybe wounds from an ax or a sword; but it's unknown how the other three individuals died, the researchers reported in the study, which was published in the September issue of the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports. One possibility i...

📅 2026-10-12 14:00:00    •    Live Science
New sensor uses slowed light to detect gravitational pull of tiny objects
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New sensor uses slowed light to detect gravitational pull of tiny objects

Gravity, the attraction between objects with mass, is the weakest of the four fundamental forces governing physical processes. Detecting the tiny gravitational pull of objects that are just a few millimeters in size and have a very small mass is extremely challenging.

📅 2026-10-12 12:00:14    •    Phys.org
AI system could transform rabies testing around the world
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AI system could transform rabies testing around the world

Rabies virus detection in cell cultures could soon become faster and more accessible, thanks to the world's first AI system for this purpose, developed by researchers at the University of Surrey's Institute for People-Centered AI (PAI) in collaboration with the Rabies and Viral Zoonoses team at the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).

📅 2026-10-12 12:00:08    •    Phys.org
Model links course design, psychological safety and guided AI use
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Model links course design, psychological safety and guided AI use

University of Phoenix researchers have published a new peer-reviewed study examining how stress, self-regulation, resilience, belonging, psychological safety and generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) interact in the experiences of nontraditional online students. The article, "Designing for Persistence in Online Higher Education: A Trauma-Informed, GenAI-Integrated Model for Non-Traditional Learners," was published in Innovative Higher Education.

📅 2026-10-12 11:20:01    •    Phys.org
AI platforms offer promise in limiting the illegal wildlife trade
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AI platforms offer promise in limiting the illegal wildlife trade

New University of Kent research has found promising signs that AI platforms have the potential to limit the illegal wildlife trade. The research paper titled "Assessing safeguards against the illegal wildlife trade on AI platforms" is published in Conservation Biology.

📅 2026-10-12 11:00:09    •    Phys.org