Top science news headlines for the week 30

Monday, Jul 20
Ecology
566

Bee brains reveal how colonies divide work without central planning

Earth Sciences
68

Africa's wildfire season is actually getting shorter, scientists think they know why

Cell & Microbiology
721

Shroud of Turin DNA sheds light on its biological history

Ecology
39

Giving bees a probiotic diet could help protect them from extreme temperatures

Paleontology & Fossils
123

New web tool maps fossil locations across ancient continents in seconds

Evolution
13

Wealthier North Carolina neighborhoods may be hotspots for insecticide-resistant tiger mosquitoes

Paleontology & Fossils
53

Japan's first mosasaur premaxilla fossil hints at a new species

Tuesday, Jul 21
Ecology
134

Tapeworm hijacks worker ants, giving them queen-like metabolism and longer lives

Space Exploration
253

When a SpaceX rocket crashes into the moon, scientists will be watching

Ecology
61

Study shows nutrient loss in vineyards can be attributed to factors beyond fruit harvest

Biochemistry
33

Novel antibiotic candidates starve resistant bacteria by blocking vitamin supply

Astronomy
101

Does dark energy really exist? Our work identifies cracks in the foundations of today's cosmological model

Astronomy
103

New technique enables LIGO to peer farther into the distant universe

Agriculture
19

Indigenous knowledge key to building healthier and more sustainable food systems

Wednesday, Jul 22
Environment
181

Removing 'forever chemicals' from farmlands—at a fraction of the cost

Biotechnology
189

Engineered enzyme erases a stubborn mark of aging by up to 70% in human tissue samples

Nanomaterials
74

Reusable magnetic invention removes microplastics plus some PFAS from water

Social Sciences
254

Kindness emerges intuitively in young children before reflection catches up, study finds

General Physics
225

Microscale roughness breakthrough defies 80 years of fluid dynamics

Optics & Photonics
561

Quantum internet leaves the lab with first real-world entanglement over busy telecom fiber

Plants & Animals
28

Ordinary moss generates surprisingly complex electrical activity

Thursday, Jul 23
Cell & Microbiology
12

Zebrafish rebuild damaged 'second brain' networks in nine days, offering clues for nerve repair

Archaeology
46

Exploring the lost golden age of language diversity before expanding empires drove a global decline

Archaeology
47

Modern forensics uncovers new clues about Inca sacrifice victims' last days

Optics & Photonics
24

Universal structure of exceptional points revealed in nonlinear light‑based systems

Evolution
79

Portugal's ancient giant bears shrank over thousands of years and humans may be to blame

Ecology
21

Scuba divers underestimate how much damage they do to coral reefs. We've watched hundreds to find out why

Social Sciences
36

How much should you reveal about yourself on your dating profile? Scientists have found the 'sweet spot'

Friday, Jul 24
Plants & Animals
105

Why and how birdsong differs across the world—and the eight motifs that tie them together

Agriculture
12

Trust among farmers is key to scaling climate-smart innovations

Social Sciences
23

Can a robot tutor give too much help? Why timing matters

Plants & Animals
48

Plumage reflectance framework offers new insight into how birds evolved heat-controlling feathers

Condensed Matter
190

Prize honors discovery of altermagnetism as a third fundamental class of magnetism

Nanophysics
57

Algorithms create foundry-ready photonic circuits

Evolution
103

Scientists turn modern biobanks into a new window on human evolution

Saturday, Jul 25
Biotechnology
89

The hunt for a natural molecule that can release cellular energy

Archaeology
71

Syria's ancient sites face widespread looting and systematic bulldozing, satellite images reveal

Environment
1740

'I can't work in the farce of climate change cruise tourism anymore': Why Antarctic guides quit their dream jobs

Social Sciences
18

New model maps how social media users repeatedly spread misinformation

Environment
91

Unwritten social rules, not government oversight, help keep forest land sustainable

Social Sciences
26

New research shows how language experience shapes human communication

Environment
16

Spain fights to 'save lives' as wildfire evacuees shelter in Madrid

Sunday, Jul 26
Archaeology
168

Angola's oldest burials, including its only known ancient cremation, uncovered at a 15th-century site doomed by a dam

General Physics
514

A quantum heat engine that simultaneously provides work and refrigeration

Ecology
25

DNA vacuum captures animal traces from air to map Danish wildlife

Ecology
29

Trace molecules emerge as chemical 'keystones' that steer life's communities

Social Sciences
65

When a teenager makes the 'stupid choice,' their brain is working exactly as designed

Environment
31

Scotland declares 'major' wildfire in Cairngorms national park

Ecology
49

Tigray's old grapevines have survived against the odds: New research uncovers their genetic and historic value