Mar 20th, 2026 - Reading time 3 minutes As part of NASA's plan to accelerate the Artemis timeline, the agency is considering scaling back the role of its legacy Moon rocket and opting to expand SpaceX's part in landing astronauts on the lunar surface. Under a new proposal, the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket would no longer be used to boost the Orion spacecraft to lunar orbit. Instead, Starship and Orion would dock in Earth orbit, and the SpaceX rocket would then be responsible for propelling the crew capsule to lunar orbit before transporting astronauts to the lunar surface, according to a Bloomberg report ... [Read More]

Mar 20th, 2026 - Follow Earth on Google Birch tar has long appeared at Neanderthal sites as a black, sticky residue – usually explained as a kind of prehistoric glue used to hold tools together. However, that simple picture may be missing something important. A new study from the University of Cologne and the University of Oxford suggests the same substance that helped Neanderthals build their tools may also have helped them treat wounds. When researchers recreated birch tar using ancient methods, they found it could slow the growth of bacteria linked to infection. The findings don't prove Neanderthals ... [Read More]

Mar 19th, 2026 - Your taste in music may feel unique, but there may be something more biologically innate driving your acoustic choices: A new study found that animals and humans tend to prefer many of the same mating calls. The results indicate that humans may be more attuned to animal sounds than scientists once thought—although it's unclear why. The natural world is a cacophony of squawks, screeches, coos, chirps, whinnies , grunts, growls, and more. And while humans can often discern animal distress calls or differentiate dog barks , many animal noises may seem inconsequential to the untrained ... [Read More]

Mar 19th, 2026 - Archaeologists have uncovered more than 43,000 ostraca, aka pottery shards and limestone flakes used for writing, at the Athribis site in Upper Egypt. Collectively, they provide us modern folk with reams of vivid detail of everyday ancient Egyptian life through a variety of notes, including ancient receipts for transactions. They were primarily written in Demotic script, a simplified cursive used in ancient Egypt for everyday writing, but they also included texts in Greek, hieroglyphic, Coptic, Arabic, and Hieratic. As for the subjects of all this writing, it's nothing monumental and ... [Read More]

Mar 19th, 2026 - Reading time 3 minutes In November 2025, a comet began disintegrating into pieces after a heated close encounter with the Sun. In a twist of fate, the Hubble space telescope happened to be observing the comet as it broke apart, capturing its demise in a series of images. "Sometimes the best science happens by accident," John Noonan, a research professor in the Department of Physics at Auburn University in Alabama and co-investigator of the event, said in a statement . "This comet got observed because our original comet was not viewable due to some new technical constraints after we won our ... [Read More]

Mar 19th, 2026 - University of Colorado Boulder researchers have discovered an appetite-suppressing compound in python blood that helps the snakes consume enormous meals and go months without eating yet remain metabolically healthy. The research, a collaboration with scientists at Stanford and Baylor universities, could inform new weight loss therapies that promote satiety without the nausea and muscle loss that can come with existing drugs. The findings appear in the journal Natural Metabolism on March 19. "This is a perfect example of nature-inspired biology," said senior author Leslie Leinwand, a ... [Read More]

Mar 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 Get the Live Science Newsletter 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 sign-up was successful ... [Read More]

Mar 19th, 2026 - Follow Earth on Google A nearby planet is forcing scientists to rethink what small worlds can be. What looked like a familiar type of exoplanet now appears to be something entirely different – a molten world with a deep magma ocean that traps enormous amounts of sulfur. That shift is challenging long-standing categories and hinting that many planets we thought we understood may not be what they seem. Strange chemistry on L 98-59 d On this planet, known as L 98-59 d, the unusually low density aligns with atmospheric sulfur signals that trace back to its interior. By linking those ... [Read More]