Apr 29th, 2026 - New technologies used in archaeological research provide insights into how climate change has long-changed empires and societies One thousand years ago, the population of Pikillaqta in southern Peru abandoned their homes and left the city to ruin. This had been the greatest city of the Wari, a culture that dominated the region before the rise of the Inca. It had taken over 5,000 people more than 12 years to build this carefully planned city, and for nearly four centuries it had stood as a place of ceremony and administration—a symbol of Wari power. Then, it was nothing. Why the Wari ... [Read More]

Apr 29th, 2026 - Anant Ambani revives offer to transport 80 animals, all descendants of Colombian drug kingpin's pets, to India It remains one of the strangest conundrums in modern zoological history – what to do with the descendants of Pablo Escobar's hippos? The animals – herbivores native to sub-Saharan Africa – were originally imported into Colombia by the drug kingpin for his own entertainment. But the beasts and their offspring were left to roam free after his death in 1993. Now, the expanding population of feral hippopotamuses have become such an environmental blight, they are facing ... [Read More]

Apr 28th, 2026 - The Cape Cod catch reveals genetics drawing a line down one animal. A lobster hauled from the cold waters off Cape Cod looked as if nature had pressed a ruler down its body and painted each side separately. On April 16, lobstermen aboard the fishing vessel Timothy Michael found the animal in their catch: bright orange-red on one side, dark brown on the other, the split running cleanly from head to tail. Rather than sending it to market, Wellfleet Shellfish Company donated the three-pound crustacean to the Woods Hole Science Aquarium , where it will become a living exhibit of one of biology's ... [Read More]

Apr 28th, 2026 - Reading time 2 minutes Humanity's desire to explore deep space continues to inspire new ways to reach places far from home. Using conventional rocket propulsion, traveling to our nearest stellar neighbor, Alpha Centauri, would take thousands of years. Instead, researchers are looking to light as a faster, cheaper, and more sustainable form of propulsion that could enable deep space travel. A team of researchers from Texas A&M University has demonstrated the use of laser beams to lift and steer tiny engineered devices without physical contact. The findings from the recent experiment are ... [Read More]

Apr 28th, 2026 - See Astrobotic pull off a major test of its 'ring of fire' rocket engine A new generation of space rockets is inching closer to launch. Private space company Astrobotic recently revealed it carried out a successful test of two of its rotating detonation rocket engines (RDREs), firing the two engines for more than 470 seconds, including a 300-second-long continuous burn that the company believes sets a record for RDRE designs. Like conventional rocket engines, RDREs use liquid fuel, but the difference lies in how the engines employ the liquid to produce thrust. Traditional engines work by ... [Read More]

Apr 28th, 2026 - It's quick and easy to access Live Science Plus, simply enter your email below. We'll send you a confirmation and sign you up for our daily newsletter, keeping you up to date with the latest science news. Want to add more newsletters? Join the club Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards. In this excerpt from "The Story of Birds", author Steve Brusatte explores the moment where paleontologists realized they had critical evidence to show birds came from dinosaurs — a fluffy fossil from China. Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest ... [Read More]

Apr 28th, 2026 - China's agricultural history with cannabis is deeper than previously believed, with a new study placing the staple crop among "the five grains" (alongside rice and barely, for example) that were foundational to the ancient Eurasian economy and "deeply integrated into the daily lives of the inhabitants." For the study, published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, researchers at Shandong University conducted phytolith extraction and analysis of 132 samples found in Beitaishang and Qianzhongzitou settlements dating back to the Late Neolithic era. The results showed that, by that point, ... [Read More]

Apr 28th, 2026 - Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers discovered a paradoxical phenomenon in optical physics that could enable a new bioimaging method that's faster and higher-resolution than existing technology. They discovered that, under the right conditions, a chaotic mess of laser light can spontaneously self-organize into a highly focused "pencil beam." Using this self-organized pencil beam, the researchers captured 3D images of the human blood-brain barrier 25 times faster than the gold-standard method, while maintaining comparable resolution. By showing individual cells absorbing drugs ... [Read More]