Top science news headlines for the week 17

Monday, Apr 20
Mathematics
2105

World's largest collection of Olympiad-level math problems now available to everyone

General Physics
597

Could the mathematical 'shape' of the universe solve the cosmological constant problem?

Archaeology
1317

New genetic evidence from Stajnia Cave reveals the oldest Neanderthal group reconstructed in Central-Eastern Europe

General Physics
785

LHC decay anomaly reveals possible crack in the Standard Model

Ecology
85

Connected habitats help frogs keep protective microbes and curb deadly fungus

Ecology
19

Large mammal declines reshape nutrient flows in African savannas—with consequences for tadpoles

Ecology
26

Mediterranean mussel farming could collapse by 2050

Tuesday, Apr 21
Veterinary medicine
19

A few extra minutes of daily play can strengthen your bond with your dog in four weeks

Political science
27

Half of America sits in democratic limbo—and that silent middle may decide what breaks next

Environment
28

Toxins from Great Salt Lake dust are absorbed by plants, soils and human bodies

Environment
162

US climate sees decline in both hot and cold extreme temperatures since 1899, researchers claim

Social Sciences
8

Sex bias against women skews government violence statistics

Plants & Animals
327

Uganda's Python Cave reveals how a Marburg virus outbreak could begin

Archaeology
58

Collagen analysis finds wider prey use by Neanderthals and modern humans

Wednesday, Apr 22
General Physics
965

Classical physics can explain quantum weirdness, study shows

Evolution
3430

For 74,000 years, one ancient killer quietly dictated where early humans could survive across Africa

General Physics
291

Do decoherence, gravity, dark matter and dark energy all originate from quantum corrections?

Plants & Animals
220

Plants can sense the sound of rain, new study finds

Evolution
323

Ancient amber reveals a true bug equipped with claws, a highly unusual feature

Environment
230

They promised climate action for years, but what these meat and dairy giants were really selling was something else

Biotechnology
433

New technology helps flat-faced dogs breathe easy

Thursday, Apr 23
Social Sciences
123

Why groups slowly stop working well together, even when conditions are good

Evolution
233

Neanderthals may have shared key DNA for complex language, reshaping when human speech began

Earth Sciences
41

How a sinking lithospheric root raised Mongolia's Hangay Mountains

Archaeology
859

Scraped from ancient Roman toilets, these crusted remains expose a pathogen found far earlier than expected

Earth Sciences
66

In Eastern Africa, the cradle of humankind is tearing apart

Nanomaterials
15

From air to tea: New sensor reveals invisible pollution in minutes

Biochemistry
5

Apple byproducts could power vehicles and feed livestock

Friday, Apr 24
Archaeology
1016

42 lost pages of the new testament manuscript discovered

Plants & Animals
20

A third of animal habitats on land could experience multiple extreme events by 2085, new study suggests

Space Exploration
23

Q&A: Apollo astronaut Schmitt talks about getting back to the moon and life in the universe

Social Sciences
23

New study reveals how video games support children's well-being

Nanomaterials
123

Carbon nanotubes are closing the gap on copper conductivity

Environment
63

El Niño season predicted to start as early as next month

Analytical Chemistry
129

Simplifying clean hydrogen production with a new all-in-one photocatalytic cocatalyst

Saturday, Apr 25
Plants & Animals
3317

The platypus is even weirder than thought, scientists discover

Other
173

Studying the emergence of leaders in moving crowds of pedestrians

Earth Sciences
64

Venice is sinking. We analyzed every plan to save it, and none would preserve the city as we know it

Cell & Microbiology
49

This life‑threatening bacterium's hidden motor just gave medicine an unexpected opening to fight back

Ecology
68

Don't just plant trees, plant forests to restore biodiversity for the future

Evolution
137

Inside 18 years of ape minds, a vast record that may upend how human intelligence began

Ecology
28

More shearwaters are washing up dead on Australian beaches. It's not due to 'natural' causes

Sunday, Apr 26
Mathematics
1202

Universal patterns emerge across 22 languages, mapping how vocabularies evolve

Education
309

This new tool makes AI's role in student writing visible

Social Sciences
36

Can warning videos blunt misinformation? What a 12-country test found

Environment
63

Microplastics have been found to interact with the gut microbiome. Here's what health effects they might have

Social Sciences
633

The fake disease that fooled the internet, and what it says about all of us

Astronomy
45

The threat of light pollution puts the world's darkest skies in the Atacama Desert at risk

Plants & Animals
65

Paris has successfully cut noise pollution, but urban birds still can't sing at their natural pitch