Apr 19th, 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. Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Join the conversation Add us as a preferred source on Google Sign up for the Live Science daily newsletter now Get the world's most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox. By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are now subscribed Your newsletter ... [Read More]

Apr 17th, 2026 - In the second phase of its partnership with IBM, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign will develop new algorithms that enable classical and quantum systems to work together to solve complex problems. (TNS) — Chicago may be taking another quantum leap forward in its technology aspirations. The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and IBM announced a renewed research partnership Thursday to advance artificial intelligence and quantum technology, with the city at the center of the ongoing project. The second phase of the 10-year, $200 million IBM-Illinois Discovery Accelerator ... [Read More]

Apr 17th, 2026 - A "Humbling" Research Finding: Sperm Whales Communicate Surprisingly Like Us Their vocalizations have "close parallels in the phonetics and phonology of human languages." Get your news from a source that's not owned and controlled by oligarchs. This story was originally published by the  Guardian   and is reproduced here as part of the  Climate Desk   collaboration. We may appear to have little in common with sperm whales—enormous, ocean-dwelling animals that last shared a common ancestor with humans more than 90 million years ago. But the whales' vocalized ... [Read More]

Apr 17th, 2026 - A supermassive black hole binary system (two black holes orbiting each other) has been directly identified in the final stages of orbital decay in all of astronomy. These two supermassive black holes (each boasting a combined mass ranging from 100 million to 1 billion solar masses, the mass of the Sun) are located at the centre of the galaxy Markarian 501, which is about 450 million light-years away from us. They are locked in a tightly bound binary orbit and could complete their merger within 100 years, as noted in the study on SKYCR. Although we are far away from this massive collision, ... [Read More]

Apr 17th, 2026 - It's speculative, but it's an exciting idea. New research suggests that relic black holes from before the big bang may still shape galaxies today. These black holes could explain dark matter, one of the biggest unsolved questions in cosmology. Generally speaking, black holes are regions of spacetime where matter is compressed into a tiny space. Dark matter , meanwhile, is matter that does not reflect or absorb light. We know it exists because of its gravitational influence on galaxies and other cosmic structures. It can be viewed as the "glue" that holds galaxies together, but we do not know ... [Read More]

Apr 17th, 2026 - An unusually large troop of chimpanzees displayed cooperation and social cohesion for decades, until something shifted and they started to turn on each other. Almost 200 chimps lived in relative peace for decades. Then the killing started Listen to this article Estimated 6 minutes The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results. LISTEN | Why did these chimps turn on each other?: Scientists have documented a violent conflict that broke out among a troop of nearly ... [Read More]

Apr 17th, 2026 - Sky This Week is brought to you in part by Celestron. Friday, April 17 New Moon occurs at 7:52 A.M. EDT. Spring is often called galaxy season and with no Moon in tonight's sky, it's a perfect time to view some distant neighbors. Tonight, we're targeting M104, the famous Sombrero Galaxy, which lies near the border of Virgo and Corvus. It's readily visible in any small scope.  Wait until a few hours after sunset, as the region rises higher in the east. Around 11 P.M. local daylight time, M104 is more than 10° high in the south. You can find it by sliding 11° due west (to the ... [Read More]

Apr 17th, 2026 - CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The Artemis II astronauts who ignited a lunar renaissance gave high marks Thursday to their moonship, especially the heat shield, for its performance during reentry. In their first news conference since returning to Earth , the three Americans and one Canadian said their lunar flyby puts NASA in a much better position for a moon landing by a crew in two years and an eventual moon base. They spoke from NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, their home base. Commander Reid Wiseman later told The Associated Press that he's been so busy since getting back that he ... [Read More]