Brighter Side of News
HomeGood NewsDiscoveriesInnovationsGlobal GoodHealthGreen ImpactSpaceAICelebritiesGNISubscribe

Discoveries

Recent Discoveries Stories

Pandora’s Cluster (Abell 2744), a massive galaxy cluster whose gravitational pull magnifies light from distant objects, including Abell2744-QSO1, an unusually compact and distant source from the early universe.
The black hole inside QSO1 grew to about 50 million solar masses in the early universe. A new model tests whether it could have started before the first stars.
Joseph Shavitupda
A conceptual visualization shows laser-controlled vibrations in a nitrogen molecular ion beside its calcium-ion partner, which enables nondestructive quantum-state readout. Colors and scale are illustrative.
DiscoveriesGlobal first: Scientists identify and trigger ‘forbidden’ vibrations in single moleculesJoshua Shavit
An illustration shows how the unusual skull and neck anatomy of Scaphokogia huachafo, an extinct relative of modern pygmy sperm whales, positioned its snout toward the seafloor, suggesting an adaptation for feeding near the ocean bottom.
DiscoveriesSix-million-year-old whale fossil reveals an extraordinarily lopsided faceHannah Shavit-Weiner
An illustration depicts a black hole pulling matter from a nearby companion star into a swirling accretion disk, a process that can sometimes produce powerful jets of material whose triggering mechanisms remain poorly understood.
SpaceX-ray warning signs offer advance notice of black hole jet ejectionsJoseph Shavit
An artistic view of Earth uses subtle axis lines to illustrate polar motion linked to groundwater depletion. The lines are conceptual and not to scale.
Green ImpactClimate change is literally changing the way Earth spins, scientists warnJoseph Shavit
Strangers help an older shopper gather dropped groceries, illustrating how a brief exchange of kindness and appreciation may foster human connection and belonging.
DiscoveriesThe kindness of strangers inspires a new theory of human connectionJoshua Shavit
An artistic reconstruction shows an early human examining a colorful pebble beside collected stones and flint tools. Researchers propose that such keepsakes may have helped people recall personal experiences and supported the evolution of autobiographical memory.
DiscoveriesAncient keepsakes may have helped shape human memory and identityRebecca Shavit
A young chimpanzee watches an adult grooming another in this illustrative scene. Research suggests adult role models help shape when chimpanzees use raspberry-like calls.
DiscoveriesChimpanzees learn vocal communication much like humans learn wordsHannah Shavit-Weiner
An artist’s impression depicts TOI-2535 b and a possible planetary companion. Gravitational interactions appear to have tilted the hot Jupiter’s orbit until its transits disappeared from Earth’s view.
SpaceA hidden giant planet may explain TOI-2535 b’s strange disappearing actJoseph Shavit
A pregnant woman considers an Ozempic pen at home in this illustrative scene accompanying research into semaglutide exposure during pregnancy.
HealthOzempic and Wegovy use during pregnancy: What scientists are discoveringJoseph Shavit
An artistic reconstruction depicts a young Australopithecus africanus in a wooded southern African landscape, inspired by research placing the Taung Child around 3 million years ago. Its appearance and surroundings are approximate.
DiscoveriesThree-million-year-old Taung child adds a new twist to human originsJoshua Shavit
A slow dopamine pathway helps mice link flavors with gut nutrients, while human brain scans reveal related activity in the left amygdala.
HealthUCSF study reveals how digestion helps the brain learn to love coffee, chocolate, fat, and sugarJoseph Shavit
Illustration of a hypothetical giant primordial black hole surrounded by glowing gas. New research constrains such objects as a significant source of dark matter based on their predicted imprint on ancient cosmic light.
SpaceBig Bang afterglow rules out giant black holes as a major dark matter sourceJoseph Shavit
A spontaneous collapse model explores how a simplified quantum universe could acquire a definite geometry without an outside observer.
DiscoveriesA new twist on Schrödinger’s Cat could finally unite quantum mechanics and Einstein’s relativityJoseph Shavit
Men and women with varied body sizes share a conversation in this illustrative scene. New mouse research explores how sex differences in fat-tissue immunity may influence obesity-related inflammation.
HealthResearchers discover why obesity impacts males and females differentlyRebecca Shavit
An octopus grips a rocky opening as it pulls its flexible body through in this AI-generated illustration, inspired by research into the coordinated movements behind octopus escapes.
DiscoveriesResearchers reveal how octopuses squeeze and escape through tiny holesHannah Shavit-Weiner
Bees, butterflies and other insects fill the air above California wildflowers as researchers collect specimens in the distance. AI-generated illustration inspired by the statewide insect diversity survey.
DiscoveriesMassive DNA study discovers far more insects in California than scientists previously thoughtRebecca Shavit