Top science news headlines for the week 51

Monday, Dec 16
Astronomy
282

JWST uncovers massive grand-design spiral galaxy in early universe

Earth Sciences
212

Model suggests Earth's subsurface may hold up to 5.6 × 10⁶ million metric tons of natural hydrogen

Environment
200

Scientists struggle to explain record surge in global heat

Earth Sciences
148

What 92 years of data say about ice cover

Evolution
144

Twins were the norm for our ancient primate ancestors—one baby at a time had evolutionary advantages

Education
135

Plagiarism detection software sparks widespread student concern

Evolution
132

Rapid evolution: African clawed frog sex determination challenges prevailing theory

Tuesday, Dec 17
General Physics
374

Study claims all observables in nature can be measured with a single constant: The second

Paleontology & Fossils
370

World's oldest mammalian ancestor discovered in Mallorca

Astronomy
265

First-ever binary star found near our galaxy's supermassive black hole

Nanophysics
227

Tiny particle, huge potential: Scientists discover new type of quasiparticle present in all magnetic materials

Evolution
209

Were Neanderthals cold-adapted or were they just ready for anything? Ribcage reconstruction may hold the answer

Cell & Microbiology
181

Patients whose allergies cause the sniffles have different fungi living in their noses, scientists discover

General Physics
170

Explaining physical reality: Physicists 'bootstrap' validity of string theory

Wednesday, Dec 18
Planetary Sciences
2929

Old moon, young crust: Violent volcanism may mean the moon is much older than previously thought

Archaeology
374

More than 1,300 prehistoric burial mounds in western Azerbaijan systematically surveyed for the first time

Plants & Animals
309

Carnivorous squirrels documented in California

Earth Sciences
219

Massive volcanic eruptions did not cause the extinction of dinosaurs, say climate scientists

Earth Sciences
160

Clouds obscure link between extreme rainfall and rising temperatures

Condensed Matter
159

Pioneering approach expands possibilities for measuring quantum geometry in solids

Plants & Animals
150

Researchers identify 35 new lizard species on Caribbean islands

Thursday, Dec 19
Earth Sciences
446

Arctic Siberia summers were up to 10°C warmer than today during the Last Interglacial, study finds

Cell & Microbiology
195

CO₂-eating bacteria can recycle carbon from chimney smoke directly into new products

Bio & Medicine
147

Prototype sunscreen uses TiO₂ nanoparticles to cool skin while blocking UV rays

Astronomy
144

Webb offers best glimpse ever into icy planetesimals of early solar system

Evolution
136

Extended chart of life shows ancient species may have evolved slower and lasted longer

Earth Sciences
135

Denali Fault found to have torn apart ancient joining of two landmasses

Analytical Chemistry
129

Algorithms can determine whether a whiskey is of American or Scotch origin

Friday, Dec 20
Astronomy
727

Dark energy 'doesn't exist' so can't be pushing 'lumpy' universe apart, physicists say

Paleontology & Fossils
330

Giant sloths and mastodons lived with humans for millennia in the Americas, new discoveries suggest

Optics & Photonics
197

Team presents first demonstration of quantum teleportation over busy internet cables

Condensed Matter
197

New electron microscopy technique reveals complex spin structures at femtosecond timescales

Cell & Microbiology
193

Cyanobacteria research unlocks potential for renewable plastics from carbon dioxide

Archaeology
185

Water and gruel—not bread: Discovering the diet of early Neolithic farmers in Scandinavia

General Physics
159

Researchers take 'significant leap forward' with quantum simulation of molecular electron transfer

Saturday, Dec 21
General Physics
1492

Scientists observe 'negative time' in quantum experiments

Evolution
374

The genomic journey of modern and archaic humans may be older than we thought

Biotechnology
106

Introducing perceptein, a protein-based artificial neural network in living cells

Other
104

Saturday Citations: Chicxulub meteorite found guilty; Good news and bad news for LLMs

Planetary Sciences
94

Lab work digs into gullies seen on giant asteroid Vesta by NASA's Dawn

Archaeology
64

Archaeological study documents rare Christian tattoo in medieval Nubia

Planetary Sciences
42

The moon might be older than scientists previously thought; a new study shines light on its history

Sunday, Dec 22
Condensed Matter
335

Physicists measure quantum geometry for first time

Space Exploration
107

NASA's Parker Solar Probe aims to fly closer to the sun like never before

Nanomaterials
76

New superionic conducting electrolyte could enhance stability of all-solid-state lithium metal batteries

Environment
27

Large earthquake hits battered Vanuatu

Environment
17

Cyclone Chido death toll rises to 94 in Mozambique

Social Sciences
7

Climate anger can lead to action—or curdle into despair: Researchers find out why

Environment
2

Carbon offsets can bring energy efficiency to low-income Americans—Nashville data is promising