Top science news headlines for the week 28

Monday, Jul 06
Archaeology
364

Cave finds reveal modern humans and Neanderthals may have shared long-term cultural continuity

Paleontology & Fossils
4835

Paleontologists make 'one in a million' discovery of soft tissue preserved in 450-million-year-old fossil

Evolution
1404

Larger brain, smaller face: Human evolution took a different course than previously thought

Materials Science
47

New approach boosts microplastic removal from wastewater

Social Sciences
19

Childhood trauma may erode adult relationships through daily communication struggles

Biotechnology
73

AI system translates protein sequences into text, helping reveal functions of unknown proteins

Plants & Animals
29

Did elephant energetics decide Hannibal's Alpine crossing route?

Tuesday, Jul 07
Molecular & Computational biology
84

Homegrown catnip lotion proves to be an effective mosquito repellent in rural Uganda

Plants & Animals
1115

New beetle genus named after One Piece's Monkey D. Luffy, encompassing two new species

Condensed Matter
80

Metallic rutile oxides break the rules of cooling

Quantum Physics
120

Quantum computers model nine fusion fuel material configurations for first time

Plants & Animals
15

Mating strategies shape tropical plants' invasive ability

Plants & Animals
9

Researchers install 3D-printed seawall tiles to support coastal protection and marine life

Analytical Chemistry
14

AI framework could speed battery, combustion and materials research by automating simulations

Wednesday, Jul 08
Evolution
97

Tiny Jurassic bird reveals a key step in bird evolution

Ecology
22

This rare British butterfly looks familiar, but its genome tells a very different story

Plants & Animals
7

Robin study suggests fleeing isn't necessarily wildlife's first response to wildfire smoke

Environment
28

Could geoengineering work to tamp down super El Niños?

Analytical Chemistry
27

Measuring what cupping therapy pulls from the skin

Evolution
42

Caddisfly silk gene evolves quickly without losing adhesive power

Ecology
26

Scavenger animals are the missing link in Australia's bird flu response. Three experts explain

Thursday, Jul 09
Archaeology
411

Shackleton's final ship is no longer just a sonar shadow

Quantum Physics
58

Programmable light simulates quantum matter across 300 processes without bigger circuits

Ecology
30

Newly identified 'saprotropism' helps roots avoid decaying plant matter—but not animal decay

Optics & Photonics
29

Quantum optics may turn this rare visual phenomenon into an eye test

Social Sciences
8

AI can predict how you'll respond to a survey—but that's not the same as understanding you

Ecology
38

Heat waves push tropical forests past photosynthesis limits across 57 million hectares

Planetary Sciences
66

Image: Curiosity rover sees Martian sulfur up close

Friday, Jul 10
Plants & Animals
310

Darwin's 150‑year‑old hillside steps mystery may have a new answer from virtual grazing animals

Evolution
147

Physical laws explain why most flies evolved similar flight, with mosquitoes as outliers

Earth Sciences
43

Rising tides, rising tensions: New research calls for rethink of coastal law

Ecology
88

Math reveals how honeybee hives balance the 'daring few, patient many' strategy

Earth Sciences
51

New model maps solar storms across 1 million miles around Earth

Cell & Microbiology
1612

Bacteria turn dissolved uranium into stable compound in 130 days, study finds

Nanomaterials
10

New ligand engineering strategy creates more active nanocluster catalysts

Saturday, Jul 11
Optics & Photonics
163

Synthetic rotation brings black hole energy theory into lab, amplifying waves

Plants & Animals
27

When species are forced to move: Prediction models underestimate climate-related extinction risk

Plants & Animals
46

Grasses provide most of the world's calories—but we're only now starting to learn how they grow

Nanomaterials
30

A robot that reads bacteria by touch, without staining or chemical labels

Ecology
68

Heavy traffic can turn flower-rich verges into bumblebee traps, study finds

Plants & Animals
58

World's largest whale graveyard discovered by Chinese sub

Other
170

Saturday Citations: Blue zone longevity; soft tissue find predates dinosaurs; black hole collisions simplified

Sunday, Jul 12
Environment
10

Machine learning calibration of biosensors for microcystin toxin monitoring in freshwater

Molecular & Computational biology
75

Low-cost genome sequencing approach is powering genetics research on mental illness and many other studies

Earth Sciences
32

Autonomous drones measure volcanic gas clouds, offering clearer eruption warning signs

Environment
21

New heat wave blasts US, could break records

Astronomy
458

Gravitational waves reveal hidden populations within black hole mergers

Earth Sciences
38

Trees for hotter cities: New approach can bolster community input in meeting targets

Earth Sciences
104

In Sicily, drones at work to predict volcanic eruptions