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Recent Discoveries Stories

A view of the solar system traces the orbit of dwarf planet candidate 2026 ED138. The distant object was discovered in data from the NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s Simonyi Survey Telescope.
A large icy world beyond Pluto could join the dwarf planet roster. Rubin observations and older images traced its orbit, but its size still needs confirmation.
Joseph Shavitupda
Seismic evidence reveals widespread partial melt beneath tectonic plates, but it appears to do little to weaken the mantle.
DiscoveriesScientists discover a hidden layer of molten rock beneath Earth’s surface
Coral-independent Red Sea fish may be the next Mediterranean invaders, according to a model built from underwater observations.
Green ImpactNew model flags Red Sea fish that could invade the MediterraneanJoshua Shavit
Jawdat Al-Bassam (left), associate professor of molecular and cellular biology, and postdoctoral researcher Md Ashaduzzaman helped discover how cells control a crucial "walking protein."
Health‘Enchanted Broomstick’ protein walks on two tiny legs to protect the brain’s nerve cellsRebecca Shavit
A Lumina simulation reveals 650 million light-years of the cosmic web, with dark matter filaments connecting galaxy clusters and orange-yellow regions highlighting the fastest-moving gas.
SpaceNew cosmic simulation recreates the Universe’s earliest moments in unprecedented detailJoseph Shavit
An illustrated rendering of Gerrothoroax maritumus, informed by newly discovered fossil evidence of the creature, which is the first fully marine amphibian on record. The rendering was partially created with AI assistance, which was used to adjust lighting, brightness, fish skin and amphibian skin.
DiscoveriesScientists discover the world’s first fully marine amphibian living 237 million years agoJoshua Shavit
This artist’s concept shows what a thick atmosphere above a vast magma ocean on exoplanet TOI-561 b could look like. Measurements of light captured from the planet’s dayside by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope suggest that in spite of the intense radiation it receives from its star, TOI-561 b is not a bare rock.
SpaceVenus or volcanic Io? Lava planet TOI-561 b’s reflective mineral clouds puzzle astronomersJoseph Shavit
Portia fimbriata jumping spider resting beneath a silk platform. Researchers found regulated sleep with REM-like episodes in this species, though whether spiders dream remains unknown.
DiscoveriesJumping spiders show REM-like sleep, but do they dream?Hannah Shavit-Weiner
Researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center have identified SP5 and SP8 as master genetic switches that trigger primary cilia formation, solving a major mystery in developmental biology and opening new avenues for studying ciliopathies.
DiscoveriesMajor breakthrough reveals how cells create their ciliaRebecca Shavit
A study of 104,688 quasars found a dust-and-motion pattern consistent with recoiling supermassive black holes, but proof remains elusive.
SpaceAstronomers find evidence of supermassive black holes ejected from the centers of galaxiesJoseph Shavit
Eight Myotis genomes connect unusual immune adaptations with DNA repair, cell death and dramatic differences in lifespan.
HealthThe secret to living longer may be hidden in bat DNAHannah Shavit-Weiner
Ancient DNA from human remains and cave sediment reveals distant ancestry connections and population continuity in Ice Age Europe.
Discoveries30,000-year-old woman’s DNA links ancestry between eastern and western EuropeJoseph Shavit
An artist’s reconstruction of a Denisovan highlights the ancient human relative’s broad, robust facial features.
DiscoveriesAncient proteins offer new clues to what Denisovans looked likeJoshua Shavit
A Lund study links noncoding DNA to gene regulation and developmental timing in human brain organoids compared with chimpanzee cells.
HealthThe secret to being human may be hidden in our DNAJoseph Shavit
The purple cosmic web of gas feeds intense star formation in the first galaxies. As stars live and die, they produce oxygen (yellow) and photons (white), all self-consistently evolved and tracked together by the new Megatron simulations.
SpaceMEGATRON simulations connect the first stars with the universe’s smallest galaxiesJoseph Shavit
Potato and fava bean proteins form strong gluten-free meat-alternative structures, but taste sensors reveal bitterness and astringency.
HealthPotatoes may be the secret to better gluten-free, plant-based meatRebecca Shavit
Ancient viral DNA silences LINC00662 in chimpanzee cells. Human organoid tests link the gene to early nerve-cell maturation.
HealthAncient viral DNA offers clues to why human and chimpanzee brains evolved differentlyHannah Shavit-Weiner