Top science news headlines for the week 37

Monday, Sep 07
Astrobiology
167

Early Earth's auroral belts may have formed a natural ion-beam reactor for prebiotic chemistry

Evolution
346

'Heel-strike' may have allowed early humans to walk farther—at the cost of high-impact forces

Archaeology
434

Excavations at Prado Vargas now span 140 square meters of a Neanderthal layer

Environment
54

What happens when you flush? Study reveals how toilet aerosols reach the breathing zone

Education
7

We teach students how to argue. But are we teaching them how to listen?

Social Sciences
26

AI governance model inspired by Pope Leo XIV aims to put ethics first

Economics & Business
107

Survey of young researchers raises concerns over future of science in U.S.

Tuesday, Sep 08
General Physics
424

A photon that challenges Einstein: According to current physics, it should never have reached Earth

Space Exploration
28

Martian air could yield methane rocket fuel with fewer unwanted byproducts

Archaeology
87

Beyond the sea walls: Underwater archaeology reveals the hidden scale of ancient Mediterranean ports

Earth Sciences
315

Plants' response to rising CO₂ could put the brakes on dryland expansion

Environment
9

Too hot to learn: How climate change hurts children's chances from birth

Archaeology
29

Did wildfires help spark the invention of pottery?

Biochemistry
30

New screening system flags food-packaging chemicals linked to serious health risks

Wednesday, Sep 09
Plants & Animals
139

How we manage and engage with horses may shape their personality

Paleontology & Fossils
1480

A 66.5-million-year-old trackway captures adult T. rex at walking pace

Environment
23

Heat forces French Champagne makers to stiffen their drink

Astronomy
219

Helium measurements clarify conditions seconds after the Big Bang

Space Exploration
11

As African space race heats up, Senegal pursues homemade satellites

Social Sciences
18

Luck or merit? Not all inequality is equally acceptable

Social Sciences
17

Taxing billionaires and redistributing wealth could save millions of lives amid global aid cuts

Thursday, Sep 10
Evolution
277

A fossil feather preserved inside dinosaur poop could help explain why birds survived the mass extinction

Astronomy
299

Continuous video of black hole radio observations challenges shock wave theory

Environment
9

Bulimba Creek tops Brisbane waterways for hazardous microplastics, risk analysis finds

Plants & Animals
59

A fake spider at the tip of this snake's tail helps it lure birds: Scientists get their first look inside it

Molecular & Computational biology
59

Scientists visualize proteins' hidden water architecture that may help define biological function

Astronomy
20

Ancient Swedish Goths had surprisingly accurate calendars

Education
6

Peer-led computing camps engage children, study finds

Friday, Sep 11
Plants & Animals
229

Brain's ability to hear a musical beat remains distinctly human, study suggests

Cell & Microbiology
1016

As antibiotic resistance grows, researchers turn to copper to fight infections

Environment
49

Nepal flood disaster exposes cascading threats in Himalayas

Education
15

Libraries are a lifeline, new research finds

Biochemistry
122

Blue light breaks long-standing chemistry rule, unlocking 3D drug building blocks

Ecology
53

Fertilizers and extreme heat are damaging coral reefs in the Gulf of Mexico, isotope analyses reveal

Evolution
121

Chihuahua dogs are part coyote—this might help explain their 'small but mighty' reputation

Saturday, Sep 12
Optics & Photonics
120

Physicists turn classical light into a quantum machine for information processing

Earth Sciences
339

Southern Ocean may flip from carbon sink to carbon source under mitigation scenarios

Other
69

A brief history of the hangover and its remedies—from cabbages to cloves and the lungs of a goat

Plants & Animals
24

Sea-level rise could squeeze shorebirds out of critical coastal habitat, researchers find

Social Sciences
26

Six ways people have used magic to protect their homes throughout history—from witch bottles to 'hag stones'

Environment
24

Unexpected Amazon hotspot: Central north faces fastest rise in extreme heat and water stress

Astronomy
178

Why are the stars around our galaxy's black hole missing their companions?

Sunday, Sep 13
Plants & Animals
350

Luminescence dating pushes age of South Dakota's Mammoth Site back by more than 100,000 years

Astronomy
236

Researchers pinpoint key early-universe measurement with record precision

Paleontology & Fossils
159

Ancient armored fish evolved two distinct ways to crush prey 385 million years ago

Space Exploration
65

NASA's next great observatory could spot oceans on distant worlds

Planetary Sciences
39

Masked tectonic structures suggest Mercury contracted 40% more than its visible scars alone indicate

Space Exploration
107

Cataract surgery will be needed in space, surgeon predicts

Astronomy
36

Astronomers unmask a supernova impostor