Discoveries

Recent Discoveries Stories

Artistic reconstructions by M. Hattori illustrating oblique views of the dorsal (top) and ventral (bottom) morphologies. The sanctacaridid-like morphology of the posteriormost body region is speculative.

Discoveries

Spider and horseshoe crab relatives emerged 20 million years earlier than scientists thought

A Utah fossil with the oldest known chelicera shows spider relatives emerged 20 million years earlier than scientists knew.

Hannah Shavit-WeinerupdaPublished May 3, 2026 1:07 PM PDT

Ancient Amazonian dark earth boosted young tree growth and reshaped root microbes in a Brazil field study.

Green Impact Amazonian dark earth increases tree diameter by up to 88%Rebecca Shavit

Human evolution is still unfolding through disease, diet, technology, genetic editing, and even the pressures of life in space.

Health The next phase of human evolution is already underway Joseph Shavit

Astronomers studying the interstellar comet found that its water is packed with an unusually heavy form of hydrogen called deuterium.

Space 3I/ATLAS had a far colder birthplace than our Solar System Joseph Shavit

$Vivek Shenoy, Eduardo D. Glandt President’s Distinguished Professor in Materials Science and Engineering (MSE), at left, walks through some of the mathematics behind mollifier layers, with doctoral candidate Vinayak Vinayak, at right.$

AI Penn engineers use AI to solve some of science’s most difficult math problems Shy Cohen

Harvard researchers mapped smell receptors in mice, showing the nose is far more organized than scientists believed.

Health Harvard researchers discover how the human nose decodes smells Hannah Shavit-Weiner

Study finds butterflies and moths reused the same wing-pattern genes for 120 million years, pointing to predictable evolution.

Discoveries Evolution has used the same genetic ‘cheat sheet’ for over 120 million years Hannah Shavit-Weiner

A handful of roasted coffee beans highlights the natural compounds researchers are studying to better understand coffee’s potential health benefits.

Health Drinking coffee linked to slower aging and better health Mac Oliveau

Ancient platypus fossils from South Australia reveal a toothed species with a body plan close to today’s platypus.

Discoveries Ancient platypus had teeth 25 million years ago, fossils reveal Hannah Shavit-Weiner

PFAS found in newborn blood were linked to higher odds of childhood leukemia in a UC Irvine study.

Health ‘Forever chemicals’ in newborn blood linked to childhood leukemia Mac Oliveau

Cascadia’s Seafloor Is Tearing Apart, Offering a Rare Glimpse of How Subduction Zones End

Green Impact The Earth is tearing itself apart near Vancouver Island in the Pacific Northwest Rebecca Shavit

Earth’s chemistry may have stabilized within 3 million years, with water and volatiles arriving later in a giant impact.

Space Ancient impact with Theia may have brought water and life to Earth Joseph Shavit

A new study shows light can generate chirality in empty space, without special materials or tight focusing.

Discoveries Researchers discover a new way to control light in empty space Shy Cohen

For grape breeding and crop improvement, the study highlights a possible molecular target for sweetness.

Green Impact Scientists discover the genetic cause of sweeter grapes Rebecca Shavit

New research suggests T. rex moved on tiptoes, using a bird-like gait that may have boosted speed and stability.

Discoveries Tyrannosaurus rex walked like a bird on its tiptoes Hannah Shavit-Weiner

Study finds vivid dreams reflect personal traits, sleep quality, and shared events like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Health The dreaming mind doesn’t replay life, it rebuilds it Mac Oliveau

In this underground image, seismic waves from southern hemisphere earthquakes pass through the ULVZ along Earth’s core–mantle boundary before being captured by sensors in Antarctica.

Discoveries Antarctic seismic data points to an ancient structure circling Earth’s core Joseph Shavit