Tropical peatlands, some of the planet’s largest underground carbon stores, are now burning at levels never seen in at least 2,000 years. By analyzing charcoal preserved in peat across multiple continents, scientists discovered that fires had actually been declining for more than a thousand years, largely shaped by natural climate patterns like drought. That long trend suddenly reversed in the 20th century, with a sharp surge in wildfires—especially in Southeast Asia and Australasia.

Scientists recreated a life-size oviraptor nest to understand how these dinosaurs hatched their eggs. Their experiments showed the parent likely couldn’t heat all the eggs directly, meaning sunlight played a key role. This uneven heating could cause eggs in the same nest to hatch at different times. The results suggest oviraptors used a hybrid incubation method unlike modern birds.

Scientists have mapped the genetics of cancer in cats for the first time at scale, uncovering major overlaps with human cancers. Key mutations—like those linked to breast cancer—appear in both species, and some human cancer drugs may also work in cats. Because pets share our environments, these similarities could reveal shared causes of cancer. The research could lead to new treatments that benefit both animals and humans.

Your morning coffee or tea could be quietly supporting your brain health. A long-term study found that moderate consumption of caffeinated coffee or tea was linked to an 18% lower risk of dementia and better cognitive performance over time. The benefits appeared strongest at 2–3 cups of coffee or 1–2 cups of tea daily—and even held true for people genetically predisposed to dementia.

A risky but often lifesaving surgery that removes damaged parts of the small intestine can leave patients facing a new threat: serious liver damage with no available treatment. Now, scientists have developed a promising compound that works directly in the gut to shield the liver and improve how the body absorbs nutrients. In mouse studies, the drug boosted weight gain, reduced harmful liver scarring, and avoided side effects by staying confined to the intestines.

For years, people with prediabetes have been told the same thing: lose weight or risk developing diabetes. But new research flips that idea on its head, showing that blood sugar can return to normal even without shedding pounds. The key isn’t just how much fat you carry—it’s where it’s stored. Harmful fat deep in the abdomen fuels inflammation and disrupts insulin, while fat under the skin can actually support healthier metabolism.

Pink granite boulders sitting mysteriously atop Antarctica’s Hudson Mountains have led scientists to a stunning discovery: a hidden granite mass buried beneath Pine Island Glacier, stretching nearly 100 km wide and 7 km thick. By dating the rocks to the Jurassic period and matching them with gravity signals detected from aircraft, researchers solved a decades-old puzzle about their origin.

Some feathered dinosaurs may have briefly taken to the skies—only to give it up later. By studying rare fossils with preserved feathers, researchers uncovered a surprising clue hidden in molting patterns, revealing that Anchiornis likely couldn’t fly at all. Instead of the neat, symmetrical feather replacement seen in flying birds, these dinosaurs showed a messy, irregular molt—something only flightless animals exhibit.

AI’s growing energy use sounds alarming, but its global climate impact may be far smaller than expected. Researchers found that while AI consumes huge amounts of electricity, it barely moves the needle on overall emissions. The real impact is more localized, especially around data centers. Meanwhile, AI could become a powerful tool for building greener technologies.

Cycling might be one of the simplest ways for older adults to stay healthier, longer. A 10-year study in Japan found that seniors who rode bicycles had lower risks of needing long-term care and dying—especially those who didn’t drive. Continuing or even starting cycling later in life still delivered noticeable benefits. The results highlight biking as a surprisingly powerful tool for maintaining independence and well-being.

A new tomato-picking robot is learning to think before it acts. Instead of simply identifying ripe fruit, it predicts how easy each tomato will be to harvest and adjusts its approach accordingly. This smarter strategy boosted success rates to 81%, with the robot even switching angles when needed. The breakthrough could pave the way for farms where robots and humans work side by side.

MIT physicists have built a powerful new microscope that uses terahertz light to uncover hidden quantum motions inside superconductors. By compressing this normally unwieldy light into a tiny region, they were able to observe electrons moving together in a frictionless, wave-like state for the first time. This discovery opens a new window into how superconductors really work. It could also help drive future breakthroughs in high-speed wireless communication.

A critically ill 33-year-old man survived an almost unimaginable scenario—living for 48 hours without lungs—thanks to a groundbreaking surgical approach. After a severe flu-triggered infection destroyed his lungs and caused multiple organ failure, doctors removed both lungs entirely to stop the spread of infection. In their place, they used a specially engineered “artificial lung” system to oxygenate his blood and keep his body functioning while he stabilized.

Researchers have pushed quantum chip design into a new era by simulating every physical detail before fabrication. Using a supercomputer with nearly 7,000 GPUs, they modeled how signals travel and interact inside an ultra-tiny chip. Unlike earlier “black box” approaches, this method captures real materials, layouts, and qubit behavior. The result is a powerful new way to spot problems early and build better quantum hardware faster.

Kepler-51d is a giant, ultra-light “super-puff” planet wrapped in an unusually thick haze that’s blocking scientists from seeing what it’s made of. Observations from JWST revealed that this haze may be one of the largest ever detected, possibly stretching as wide as Earth itself. The planet’s low density and close orbit don’t match existing models of how gas giants form or survive. Now, researchers are left with more questions than answers about how such a strange world came to be.

Astronomers have identified a strange new kind of exoplanet that challenges how scientists classify worlds beyond our Solar System. The planet, L 98-59 d, appears to contain a vast ocean of molten rock beneath its surface that traps large amounts of sulfur deep inside. Observations from the James Webb Space Telescope revealed unusual sulfur-rich gases in its atmosphere and a surprisingly low density for its size.

A key Alzheimer’s drug has finally revealed its secret. Researchers discovered that lecanemab works by activating the brain’s immune cells—but only through a specific part of the antibody called the Fc fragment. This piece acts like a trigger, prompting microglia to clear harmful amyloid plaques. The finding could reshape how future Alzheimer’s therapies are designed.

A new study put ChatGPT to the test by asking it to judge whether hundreds of scientific hypotheses were true or false—and the results were far from reassuring. While the AI got it right about 80% of the time on the surface, its performance dropped significantly when accounting for random guessing, revealing only modest reasoning ability. Even more concerning, it frequently contradicted itself when asked the exact same question multiple times, sometimes flipping answers back and forth.

Early life stress may set the stage for long-term digestive problems by disrupting the gut-brain connection. Studies in both mice and thousands of children found links to symptoms like pain, constipation, and IBS. Scientists discovered that different biological pathways control different gut issues, hinting at more personalized treatments in the future. The research also highlights how a child’s early environment can have lasting physical effects—not just emotional ones.

A mysterious metal-rich asteroid called Psyche has been baffling scientists for over two centuries, and its true origin remains one of the biggest unanswered questions in planetary science. Is it the exposed core of a failed planet, or a chaotic mix of rock and metal forged through countless violent collisions? To find out, researchers simulated how a massive crater near Psyche’s north pole formed, revealing that the asteroid’s internal “porosity” — how much empty space it contains — may hold the key to its secrets.