Feb 14th, 2026 - Meet the slow worm slithering across the garden like a tiny liquid shadow. A legless lizard, experts say, that somehow manages to fool everyone. Kids scream, gardeners blink, and people step over it thinking it's a harmless snake. It's long, smooth, scaly, and might sniff the air with its little tongue. It eats slugs, worms, and bugs. And, strangely enough, it can shed its tail if trouble comes calling. Found across most of Europe, creeping into western Asia, slow worms prefer damp places. Heathland edges, woodland fringes. Gardens too. Compost heaps are reportedly their favourite hunting ... [Read More]

Feb 13th, 2026 - In a study published on Feb. 2 in Communications: Earth & Environment , an international team of researchers reveals how, in 2023, an atypical storm during Mars' northern summer lifted water into the planet's upper atmosphere, allowing hydrogen to escape. This discovery, a first of its kind, has big implications for understanding the evolution of Mars' climate. "The findings reveal the impact of this type of storm on the planet's climate evolution and opens a new path for understanding how Mars lost much of its water over time," Adrián Brines, study co-author and researcher at the ... [Read More]

Feb 13th, 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. ! , Earn Your First Badge Keep Earning Badges See what you've unlocked. Members Exclusive 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 ... [Read More]

Feb 13th, 2026 - Sustainability: News about the rapidly growing climate tech sector and other areas of innovation to protect our planet. Helion Energy on Friday announced two milestones for the company and commercial fusion sector: reaching a plasma temperature of 150 million degrees Celsius and being the first private venture to test its fusion device with a radioactive fuel called tritium. The Everett, Wash.-based company is part of the global race to solve the physics and engineering challenge of harnessing fusion reactions to generate usable energy. Though its technology has yet to reach that milestone, ... [Read More]

Feb 13th, 2026 - Today the world of Egyptology faces a silent crisis – not of looting, although that plays a part, but of disconnection. Walk into any major museum, from Copenhagen to California, and you see glass cases filled with what could be called orphaned artifacts: remarkable objects, often acquired in the 19th and early 20th century, that have been completely stripped of their histories. You can see what they are – a mummy's painted foot case, a golden mask – but we have no idea where they came from. They are beautiful, but historically they are mute. Many objects entered museum ... [Read More]

Feb 12th, 2026 - The Space Coast's first human spaceflight of the year is on tap for early Friday morning as NASA and SpaceX aim to send up a mission to the International Space Station, and also bring back the rocket's booster that could bring with it a sonic boom across Central Florida. The launch of Crew-12 atop a Falcon 9 rocket is targeting liftoff at 5:15 a.m. Eastern time from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Space Launch Complex 40. Space Launch Delta 45's weather squadron forecasts a 90% chance for good conditions at the launch site, but there remains a moderate risk of poor conditions along the ... [Read More]

Feb 12th, 2026 - Reading time 3 minutes Of the solar system's planets, Saturn piques the human imagination with its signature rings and impressive moon count of 274. But compelling new research reignites theories of an ancient collision shaping Saturn's environment as we know it today—especially Titan, its biggest moon. The study, accepted for publication in the Planetary Science Journal, addresses a well-known mystery surrounding the unusually young age of Saturn's rings as well as the oddity of Titan's orbit. Researchers led by the SETI Institute consider the possibility that Titan was born from a ... [Read More]

Feb 12th, 2026 - Half the world's coral reefs were devastated by extreme ocean heat—and an even worse wave is happening right now. Coral reefs are in far worse shape than previously realised, following years of decline. A new international study found that during the 2014–2017 global marine heatwave, more than half of the world's reefs suffered significant bleaching, and many experienced large-scale coral death. The reefs are estimated to be worth $9.8 trillion a year to humanity. Reefs support fisheries, power tourism industries, protect coastlines from storms, and even help scientists discover ... [Read More]