Science
Scientific discoveries and research
A smashing success: Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider wraps up final collisions
Just after 9 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 6, 2026, final beams of oxygen ions—oxygen atoms stripped of their electrons—circulated through the twin 2.4-mile-circumferenc...
In Antarctica, balloon lands after 23-day search for particles from outer space
After years of work building an exquisitely sensitive instrument, University of Chicago scientists stood and watched as it flew up and out of sight into the fie...
Why city ants seem less picky: Urban stress may dilute their usual food supply
A new study published in the journal Urban Ecosystems has revealed that the common black garden ant (Lasius niger) behaves differently depending on whether it l...
5,300-year-old 'bow drill' rewrites story of ancient Egyptian tools
A new study reveals that Egyptians were using a mechanically sophisticated drilling tool far earlier than previously suggested. Researchers at Newcastle Univers...
Why elite chess ratings get stuck: A new model treats draws as data
Here's a statistical challenge worthy of a grandmaster: How do you create an accurate ranking system when the best players usually don't win? This is the conund...
The North American wild mountain sheep could face extinction unless habitat gets protection, say experts
The charismatic, robust, and impressive North American mountain sheep is losing its habitat to industrial mining, the changing climate, and human activity. And...
Reparations research highlights roots of African inequality
Historical injustices such as slavery and colonialism are not just matters of the past but active forces shaping present-day inequality and development, accordi...
Physicists clarify key mechanism behind energy release in molybdenum-93
A team of physicists from the Institute of Modern Physics (IMP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, together with collaborators, has identified the dominant phy...
When Valentine's Day forces a relationship reckoning
For people who have been quietly struggling with doubts about their relationship, the weeks leading up to Valentine's Day can feel fraught. As Feb. 14 approache...
Why walking in a national park in the dark prompts people to turn off lights at home
As soon as you drive over the top of the Peak District and down into Sheffield you can see the light pollution—and it's horrible, said a participant in a resear...
The brilliant and bizarre ways birds use their sense of smell—from natural cologne to pest control
When we think about birds, we often picture their colorful plumage: the iridescence of a peacock's tail or the electric blue flash of a kingfisher. Or we might...
Why do disasters still happen, despite early warnings? Because systems are built to wait for certainty
After major disasters, public debate often treats them as unexpected or unprecedented. This reaction is not necessarily about the absence of warnings. It reflec...