Science

A new five-year research project aims to determine exactly where the Dead Sea Scrolls were written, one of the enduring mysteries of biblical archaeology. Scholars hope the effort will shed fresh light on the ancient communities behind the sacred texts.

Researchers have offered blind patients new hope after lab-grown cells restored retinal function in mice, regenerating damaged blood vessels and even reversing some vision loss. The special retinal cells integrated into diseased tissue, pointing toward a potential future therapy for degenerative eye disease.

Detailed observations of 3I/Atlas, the interstellar comet that swept through our solar system last year, are giving astronomers a rare window into distant galaxies and the era known as 'cosmic noon.' Once speculated to be an alien craft, the object is now offering fresh insight into how the early universe formed stars.

Australia's space agency says it has identified the 'likely source' of mysterious charred spheres that washed up and fell across the country. Officials believe the objects are debris from space hardware rather than anything of natural or extraterrestrial origin.

New research suggests that exposure to air pollution may contribute to childhood obesity by impairing impulse control in developing brains. The findings add to evidence linking environmental factors to long-term health outcomes in children.

A new study finds that adults in their 80s who walk at a brisk pace cut their risk of cognitive decline by roughly half compared with slower walkers. Researchers say gait speed may serve as an early, measurable marker of brain health.

A new study suggests intense cosmic bombardment melted Earth's earliest crust, helping explain a 500-million-year gap in the geologic record. The findings reshape understanding of the young planet.

Chemical accidents are rising even as the Trump administration proposes weakening federal safety rules, according to a new analysis. Critics warn the rollback could endanger communities near industrial sites.

The world's oceans registered their hottest June on record, and a building El Niño is set to push temperatures even higher. Scientists warn of cascading effects on weather and marine life.

Scientists say they have created synthetic cells that can feed, grow and reproduce, a step closer to building life from scratch. The advance could reshape understanding of the origins of life.

Astronomers are using a nearby black hole as a window into the conditions of the early universe. The observations offer clues about how the first galaxies and black holes formed.

Scientists produced the first complete map of the vast underground network of mycorrhizal fungi that connects plants across the globe. The map could reshape understanding of ecosystems and efforts to protect them.

A Japanese space probe skimmed past an asteroid in a test designed to advance planetary defense capabilities. The mission aims to help scientists understand how to deflect potentially hazardous space rocks in the future.

A rock examined on Mars has been found to contain unusually high levels of carbon, a key building block of life, and scientists say the origin of the carbon is not yet clear. The finding adds to ongoing questions about the red planet's chemistry and potential for past habitability.

A new study warns that plans by commercial operators to launch as many as 1.7 million satellites into low Earth orbit would be 'devastating' for ground-based astronomy. Researchers say the resulting light pollution, radio interference, and collision risk could severely hamper observations and threaten the long-term sustainability of orbital space.

Researchers found that subtle voice changes measured through a phone can predict asthma flare-ups up to three days in advance. The approach could give patients an early warning to adjust treatment and avoid serious attacks.

Archaeologists in Egypt uncovered the remains of a lost Byzantine-era city in the country's western desert. The find sheds new light on settlement and religious life in the region during late antiquity.

The latest Rocket Report covers an Indian startup approaching its first orbital launch and a notable milestone for SpaceX. The roundup surveys the fast-moving global launch industry. It highlights emerging players challenging established providers.

Scientists have demonstrated a plug-and-play single-photon source that works at room temperature, a step toward practical quantum technologies. Eliminating the need for extreme cooling could make quantum communication and computing components far more accessible. The advance addresses a key engineering hurdle in the field.

Researchers are combining generative AI with physics-based modeling to accelerate the design of new antibiotics, a critical need amid rising antimicrobial resistance. The approach aims to predict effective molecular structures far faster than traditional lab methods. Scientists say the hybrid technique could help refill a dangerously thin drug-discovery pipeline.

Researchers report that adding water to diesel fuel can cut engine pollution by 67% without sacrificing efficiency. The technique could offer a low-cost path to cleaner combustion. Further testing is needed before broad adoption.

Scientists have developed small-molecule switches that let therapeutic CRISPR editing be turned on and off on demand in living tissue. The advance could improve the safety and precision of gene therapies. Researchers say it addresses a key hurdle in the field.

A rediscovered fossil is offering new insight into the life of the megalodon, the giant prehistoric shark. Researchers say the find sheds light on the predator's biology and behavior. The work adds to a growing understanding of ancient ocean ecosystems.

NASA has launched a mission aimed at rescuing a space telescope whose orbit has been decaying. The operation seeks to extend the observatory's life and preserve its scientific value. Engineers face a narrow window to reach and stabilize the spacecraft.

Three nuclear energy startups have hit a significant technical milestone, drawing attention to a possible new wave of advanced reactors. Analysts debate how much the achievement will actually accelerate deployment given regulatory and cost hurdles. The news underscores growing investor interest in next-generation nuclear power.

Researchers using artificial intelligence have decoded additional passages from scrolls carbonized by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, surfacing insights attributed to a previously unknown Stoic philosopher. The breakthrough continues a wave of discoveries from the Herculaneum library. Scholars say the texts could reshape understanding of ancient philosophy.

Scientists have found climate-resistant coral reefs around the world totaling an area the size of Wisconsin. The reefs offer hope as a refuge for marine life amid warming oceans.

Southeast Asia is closing in on eliminating malaria, with cases down roughly two-thirds since 2010. The progress reflects sustained investment in prevention and treatment across the region.

A new solar-powered technology can desalinate seawater more cheaply than producing bottled water, researchers say. The breakthrough could expand access to fresh water in arid and coastal regions.

Researchers used 3D printing to give new life to an ancient game board discovered at a Roman fort near Hadrian's Wall in England. The reconstruction lets people play a game enjoyed nearly two millennia ago.

NASA's administrator praised Blue Origin's continued progress despite a recent launch failure, signaling confidence in the company's role in future missions.

A backup of Skylab, America's first space station that proved humans could live and work in orbit for months, returns to public display for the first time in eight years.

Astronomers have switched on the world's largest digital camera to begin a ten-year survey of the night sky, promising the most detailed cosmic movie ever made.

For the first time, researchers have assembled a synthetic cell from scratch that can grow and divide on its own, a landmark in the quest to understand and engineer life.

A Mars rover detected complex carbon molecules on the Red Planet, marking yet another find of a building block of life. The discovery adds to mounting evidence that Mars once hosted conditions potentially favorable to life.

RFK Jr. filled an FDA advisory panel with proponents of peptide therapies he favors, even as agency scientists flagged safety concerns and opposed expanding access to the trendy molecules. The clash highlights tensions between the health secretary's agenda and FDA career staff.

Conservators have uncovered an original biblical composition begun by Rembrandt and later finished 'rather crudely' by another artist, with painstaking restoration revealing the master's long-lost hand beneath. The discovery sheds new light on the painting's history and Rembrandt's working process.

The oldest known evidence of mourning rituals suggests Paleolithic communities grieved their dead in ways strikingly similar to how people do today, researchers say. The findings push back the timeline for symbolic human behavior and shared emotional life.

Long-lost megalodon vertebrae have resurfaced and allowed scientists to confirm estimates that the prehistoric shark reached roughly 80 feet in length, cementing its status as one of the largest predators to ever live. The rediscovered fossils settle a longstanding debate over the giant's true size.

Researchers have discovered two 'super-puff' exoplanets so low in density they are lighter than cotton candy, a class of worlds that challenges models of how planets form. The find adds to a growing catalog of bizarre planets reshaping astronomers' understanding of solar systems.

Doctors report a medical first in which focused sound waves were used to disrupt opioid addiction, pointing to a potential noninvasive treatment for substance use disorder. Researchers caution the approach is early but say the results are striking.

Make America Healthy Again activists say they feel betrayed after a Supreme Court ruling that shields Monsanto on glyphosate liability, exposing a rift inside the movement over the Trump administration's health agenda. The decision limits a key avenue for lawsuits tying the weedkiller to cancer claims.

A scientific journal has retracted two papers published in the 1940s by Nobel laureate Max Planck, Ars Technica reports. The unusual move raises questions about how the historical scientific record is corrected.

A prototype high-tech jacket can pull drinking water from the air, producing up to 1.5 pints per day, researchers say. The wearable could offer a lifeline in arid regions and emergencies.

Astronomers say a newly studied interstellar comet is roughly 12 billion years old, making it older than our own solar system. The ancient visitor offers a rare window into the early galaxy.

Researchers report an injectable hydrogel made from silk and kudzu that achieved complete wound closure in laboratory tests. The material could point toward new approaches for treating difficult wounds.

NASA has launched a rescue mission to keep its Swift observatory from falling back to Earth as its orbit decays. The effort aims to preserve the long-running telescope's gamma-ray and transient astronomy work.

Scientists have identified a peptide-based alternative to antibiotics that could help combat the growing antimicrobial resistance crisis, offering a new line of defense against drug-resistant infections.

Fossils long stored in a museum drawer and labeled merely 'feline' turn out to belong to an ancient, enigmatic saber-toothed cat that lived in North America more than 5 million years ago. A UC Berkeley paleontologist says the nearly complete skull clarifies how these large-fanged predators evolved before going extinct.

The world's most powerful particle accelerator shuts down Monday for four years of renovations meant to dramatically boost its collision capacity. Scientists hope the upgrade will improve the hunt for dark matter, one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of the universe.