Comet MAPS Breaks Apart Near the Sun, Becoming a Rare Headless Wonder

Learn how Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS) disintegrated during its close solar pass, forming a “headless wonder,” and what this reveals about sungrazing comet breakups.

The First Asian Elephant Calf Is Born After a 25-Year Wait at the Smithsonian National Zoo

Learn how Linh Mai, the first Asian elephant calf born at the Smithsonian in 25 years, is strengthening genetic diversity in an endangered species.

Painkillers Change How Lobsters React to Shock, Raising Questions About Humane Killing for Food

Learn how lobsters treated with aspirin and lidocaine better withstand electric shocks, raising questions about more humane ways to kill them for consumption.

Artemis II Crew Returned to Earth Safely — What's Next for NASA's Moon Exploration Program?

Learn about the future of NASA's Artemis program after Artemis II, including plans to land on the Moon and begin building a lunar base in 2028. 

Medieval Japanese Diary Helped Scientists Trace a Historic Solar Storm

Learn how scientists are combining Medieval literature and modern scientific techniques to study space weather.

New Spider Species Appears to Mimic a Deadly Fungus to Fool Prey and Predators

First thought to be a fungus, this recently identified spider species takes camouflage to a whole new level. Learn more about Taczanowskia waska.

Quantum Computing Is Beginning to Take Shape — Here Are Three Recent Breakthroughs 

Quantum computing breaktrhroughs including new hardware, smarter algorithms, and clearer signs of “quantum advantage,” bring once-theoretical machines closer to real-world use

Modern Humans Made Seal Tooth Pendants Around 15,000 Years Ago, Hinting at Complex Culture

Learn more about a long-ago excavated artifact that holds clues into the art, travel, and trade of Homo sapiens in ancient Britain.

The “Hat Wars” of 17th-Century England — When Keeping Your Hat On Signaled Political Rebellion

Learn how hats became symbols of power and protest in early modern England’s “hat wars,” and why refusing to remove one could defy authority.

Artemis II Crew Gears Up for Return to Earth — Why Is Re-entry into Earth's Atmosphere so Risky?

Find out when Artemis II will return to Earth, and learn how the crew is getting ready to endure an intense splashdown.

Giant Otter Gives Birth to Triplets at Chester Zoo — A Rare Success for the Endangered Species

Learn how the birth of three giant otter pups at Chester Zoo could support conservation efforts for one of the world’s most endangered freshwater predators, with fewer than 5,000 left in the wild.

Psychedelics Like LSD, Psilocybin, and DMT May Rewire the Brain in the Same Two Ways — With Implications for Mental Health

Learn how psychedelics like LSD, psilocybin, and DMT reshape brain networks by weakening internal connections and increasing communication across regions tied to perception, emotion, and thought.

Close, Social Contact Can Shape a Gut Microbiome, Sometimes Making it More Alike

Learn how an isolated but collaborative bird species shows that close social contact can shape our gut microbes in surprising ways.

Eggs and Cholesterol Have a Complicated Health Relationship — What Have We Gotten Wrong?

Do eggs really impact cholesterol levels? Learn more about the new research claiming that eggs may actually help improve cholesterol.

Neanderthals in Prehistoric Germany Hunted Pond Turtles, Likely Turning Their Shells Into Convenient Tools 

Learn how Neanderthals in central Europe hunted pond turtles and likely reused their shells as containers or scooping tools.

Emperor Penguins Added to IUCN Red List — Their Population Could Drop 50 Percent by 2080

Learn how the IUCN added emperor penguins to the Red List as climate change drives sea ice loss and could cut their population in half by 2080.

A Rare Split of the World’s Largest Known Chimpanzee Group Turned Former Allies Into Enemies

Learn how the world’s largest known chimpanzee group split in Kibale National Park, Uganda, and why the divide led to deadly violence between former allies in a rare chimpanzee “civil war.”

First Fossilized Egg From a Mammal Ancestor Confirmed After 250 Million Years

Learn how X-ray imaging revealed the first fossilized egg from a mammal ancestor, showing how Lystrosaurus reproduced 250 million years ago.

Low-Oxygen Levels Boost Wound Healing and Reveal Hidden Regeneration Potential in Mammals

Learn how testing different environmental conditions may unlock mammals’ potential to regrow limbs and what it means for wound healing now.

Dark Matter May Exist in Two States, Explaining Missing Signals in Dwarf Galaxies

Learn how a two-state model of dark matter could explain why gamma-ray signals appear in some galaxies but not others.