Top science news headlines for the week 21

Monday, May 18
Analytical Chemistry
1303

Debunking a core chemistry concept taught in classrooms everywhere

Education
114

AI-generated fake citations are flooding scientific literature across publications, scientists warn

Earth Sciences
1710

White hydrogen discovered in billion-year-old Canadian Shield rock points to potential new energy source

Earth Sciences
382

Sea level rise is swallowing US Mid-Atlantic farmland faster than expected, study finds

Earth Sciences
354

Sea levels rising dramatically in some areas due to land subsidence

Cell & Microbiology
28

A smelly dog breath breakthrough: Plant-based spray tackles odor and harmful oral microbes

General Physics
127

Behold the neuron, a complicated cell with a simple mission

Tuesday, May 19
Astronomy
189

Consistency check casts doubt on evolving dark energy

Evolution
1917

Why meat-eating dinosaurs like T. rex evolved tiny arms

Cell & Microbiology
9

Decoding the balance between life-and-death proteins

Other
13

We asked US researchers how the Trump administration's science policies have affected them

Astronomy
24

Indigenous Australians were the world's first astronomers. But their knowledge is now at risk

Plants & Animals
10

Non-native diet makes Fischer's Blue butterflies less attractive to mates, influencing reproduction

Social Sciences
8

'Gender criteria gap' places women leaders at disadvantage in the workplace

Wednesday, May 20
Evolution
362

New insights into how the human hand evolved from our ape-like ancestors

Earth Sciences
523

Scientists improve knowledge on sea level rise—and confirm it has been accelerating since 1960

Evolution
217

Discovery of new fossils in Northwest Canada changes view of early animal evolution

Astronomy
70

An explanation for the massive black holes the JWST found in the early universe

Archaeology
44

Friend or foul? Exploring the ancient bond between pigeons and people

Quantum Physics
49

Quantum sensors use atoms, electrons and light as ultra‑steady rulers

Biotechnology
32

Glowing fungi expose final enzyme that could make bioluminescent tools more efficient

Thursday, May 21
Quantum Physics
883

Quantum supremacy just ran into an unexpected rival: An ordinary laptop armed with new math

Paleontology & Fossils
519

Ancient seas get a new T. rex as massive mosasaur emerges from Texas fossils

Evolution
166

Overpopulation can impair fertility. A new study explains why

Quantum Physics
74

Molecule-in-a-crystal system could boost quantum computing via chemically engineered qubits

General Physics
150

Crystals of space and time: A structural phenomenon that may collapse into tiny black holes

Education
41

Is listening to music while studying a helpful habit or hidden distraction?

Planetary Sciences
36

NASA's AWE instrument completes mission to study Earth's effect on space weather

Friday, May 22
Plants & Animals
3336

Lost elephant calf reunites with family after researchers track herd across Samburu reserve

Planetary Sciences
456

Earth's outer core beneath Pacific reversed direction in 2010, satellite data reveal

Superconductivity
143

'Designer' superconducting diamond: Researchers uncover path to multi-modality quantum chips

Social Sciences
130

Why we live alone—and what it means for the climate and our sense of community

Polymers
40

Student talent drives simpler method for programming artificial muscles in soft robots

Mathematics
313

AI makes a major breakthrough in a math problem that had stumped experts for decades

Molecular & Computational biology
59

Key switch controlling soil fungi symbiosis could solve a longstanding agricultural problem

Saturday, May 23
Plants & Animals
219

Honeybees reveal Weber's law in flight when choosing paths

Environment
23

After the flames, wildfires pollute drinking water for years

Evolution
279

Tiny fossils found in 1.7-billion‑year‑old mud yield clues to the evolution of complex life

Ecology
20

Early locust warning systems are key to minimizing natural disasters, returning up to 680 times investment

Other
55

Saturday citations: Two T. rexes and new exercise guidance that scientists are not calling 'easy'

Environment
161

Atlantic seaweed blooms may be predictable, opening path to carbon removal and biofuels

Space Exploration
74

SpaceX launches its biggest, most beefed-up Starship yet on a test flight

Sunday, May 24
Mathematics
895

Mathematicians solve decades-old mystery about the hidden order in high-dimensional randomness

Plants & Animals
1258

This tiny blue octopus from the Galápagos could curl up in your hand and shows how much deep ocean remains unexplored

Bio & Medicine
145

Graphene quantum dots show promise in targeting Parkinson's-related protein clumping

Earth Sciences
42

Expedition to Hess Rise in the Northwest Pacific begins

Environment
72

Cooling poverty is making extreme heat more dangerous for millions

Environment
36

The impact of microplastics on ocean carbon uptake

Social Sciences
126

Not just a fun hobby: Board games can help build connections and reduce stress