DNA evidence indicates that a skull unearthed in Harbin, China, belonged to a Denisovan Hebei GEO University One of the biggest mysteries in human evolution has just been solved. In 2010, a groundbreaking genetic analysis revealed that east Asia was once home to a previously unknown group of enigmatic ancient humans. We knew them as…
One reason fewer calories are reaching people’s plates is the use of palm oil for biodiesel Augustine Bin Jumat/Shutterstock The world produced enough calories in 2020 to feed 15 billion people – but only 50 per cent of those calories ended up reaching people’s plates. This proportion is now very likely to have fallen even…
Some Archaea microorganisms can survive in extreme conditions STEVE GSCHMEISSNER/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY Microbes isolated from Siberian permafrost appear to have remained alive for more than 100,000 years, based on an analysis of their DNA. Their genetic overlap with other species suggests such astonishingly long lifespans may be widespread among the closest living relatives of all…
August 25, 2025 4 min read RFK, Jr., Demanded a Vaccine Study Be Retracted—The Journal Said No In a rare move for a U.S. public official, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., called for a paper that found no link between aluminum in vaccines and disease to be retracted. The journal…
Solar panels for sale in Niamey, Niger, a country where solar energy is booming BOUREIMA HAMA/AFP via Getty Images A record surge of solar panels flowing from China to countries in Africa over the past year is a sign the continent is seeing a rapid build-out of renewable energy. That could help expand access to…
August 25, 2025 4 min read Human Case of Flesh-Eating Screwworms Detected In U.S. This gruesome parasite is more of a threat to your burger than to you By Madhusree Mukerjee edited by Dean Visser Screw-worm fly (Cochliomyia hominivorax) larvae use their sharp mandibles to dig into and eat away the living tissue of warm-blooded…
Prototype electronics can be made from a polymer that dissolves in water when it is time for recycling Zeyu Yan/University of Maryland Electronics such as Bluetooth speakers can be 3D-printed from a material that dissolves in water within hours. That allows designers to rapidly create prototypes, enables easier recycling of the resulting electronic waste –…
Air conditioners may help prevent heatwaves from causing accelerated ageing Sajjad HUSSAIN/AFP via Getty Images Sweltering heatwaves can have lasting health impacts – accumulated exposure to hot-weather days appears to accelerate people’s biological ageing. “We now have at least two prominent studies showing an impact of heatwave exposure on ageing, with these examining populations from…
Could the bottlenose dolphin be the first non-human species to have its language decoded? tephen Frink/Getty Images; Shutterstock Sophie Cohen-Bodénès knew she was onto something when she saw the cuttlefish extend two arms upwards while twisting its six others together. It was making what she calls the “up” sign – and, intriguingly, it was throwing…
Scientists have, for the first time, transplanted a genetically engineered pig lung into a human. The lung tissue remained alive for nine days after the transplant despite early signs of inflammation, researchers report August 25 in Nature Medicine. The procedure was performed on a person who had been declared brain-dead, and it isn’t ready for…
