discoveries

Read the latest news stories about recent scientific discoveries on Newser.com

Stories 1 - 20 |  Next >>

Researchers Discover Oldest Surviving English Poem

Caedmon's Hymn was written in the 7th century after a dream

(Newser) - The researchers in Ireland looked at their computer screen, marveling at a medieval book tracked down in a Roman library. They flipped through its digitized pages and found their sought-after treasure: the oldest surviving English poem. "We were speechless. We couldn't believe our eyes when we first saw...

America's Teens Are Sleeping Less Than Ever
America's Teens Are
Sleeping Less Than Ever
NEW STUDY
May 15, 2026 11:25 AM CDT

America's Teens Are Sleeping Less Than Ever

Screen time, academic and job pressures, inequalities drive record-low rest

(Newser) - Teenagers are turning out the lights later than ever, and a massive new study says the problem is getting worse. Researchers at the University of Minnesota analyzed survey data from more than 400,000 US students in grades 8, 10, and 12 collected between 1991 and 2023 and found sleep...

Instead of Building Own Nests, Some Birds Turn to Thievery

Study finds Hawaiian honeycreepers frequently swipe nesting materials from their neighbors

(Newser) - In a patchwork of Hawaiian forest islands marooned by old lava flows, some native songbirds have turned to larceny. A new study finds that several species of Hawaiian honeycreepers routinely swipe nest-building materials from their neighbors rather than gather their own, reports the New York Times . Researchers tracking 216 nests...

Early Trial Inches Us Closer to 'Functional Cure' for HIV

With one infusion, engineered immune cells kept virus undetectable—close to 2 years for one patient

(Newser) - A decades-old cancer strategy may have just inched HIV research into new territory. In a small study, two people saw their HIV levels plunge to undetectable levels—one for close to two years—after just one infusion of genetically engineered immune cells, without continuing standard daily medication, reports the New ...

Slower Walking Might Signal Hearing Loss
Slower Walking Might
Signal Hearing Loss
new study
May 11, 2026 1:14 PM CDT

Slower Walking Might Signal Hearing Loss

Study links reduced gait to surprising culprit

(Newser) - Regular walkers who notice their speed has slowed might reasonably blame their knees. A new study suggests a different, and perhaps surprising, culprit: their ears. A study out of the University of Michigan of more than 57,000 iPhone users found that people with greater hearing loss tended to walk...

Volunteers Help Double Known Number of Brown Dwarfs

Citizen scientists have detected more than 3K of the enigmatic gas balls

(Newser) - Citizen scientists poring over old NASA images have doubled the known population of a strange class of objects called brown dwarfs. NASA says a decade-long effort under its Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 project has turned up more than 3,000 previously unknown brown dwarfs—gas balls that can be up...

New Wheat Hybrids Slash Devastating Fungus by 70%
This Weed Could
Save Our Wheat Crops
NEW STUDY
May 7, 2026 5:42 PM CDT

This Weed Could Save Our Wheat Crops

Scientists say gene pulled from wild grass helps create wheat hybrid resistant to destructive fungus

(Newser) - A weedy grass that farmers usually curse could help save their wheat. Chinese researchers report that they've pulled a powerful gene from coach grass (Elymus repens) and moved it into wheat, sharply reducing damage from Fusarium head blight, or FHB, a major fungal disease, per Phys.org . In greenhouse...

A Real Heady Trip Could Permanently Change Your Brain

Powerful psilocybin experiences linked to long-term structural shifts in brain wiring: researchers

(Newser) - Researchers may be inching closer to explaining what's happening in the brain during—and after—a psychedelic trip. A small study in Nature Communications found that a single high dose of psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, was linked to subtle structural changes in brain wiring that appeared to...

Turning Phones Off During School Day Has Mixed Results

Research shows restrictions cut in-classroom use sharply but yield few academic gains

(Newser) - Cellphones may now be shoved into pouches during the school day, but test scores aren't exactly soaring as a result. A new working paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research finds that school cellphone bans, now in place in some form in about two-thirds of states, have "...

Wreckage of US' Biggest WWI Naval Loss Found

US Coast Guard Cutter Tampa went down off coast of England, taking all 131 aboard with her

(Newser) - A US Coast Guard cutter that vanished in World War I's deadliest American naval combat loss has finally been found. A British dive team says it located the wreck of the USCGC Tampa roughly 50 miles off Cornwall in more than 300 feet of water, a discovery the Coast...

Fish Oil Ingredient May Slow Brain Recovery After Injury
Fish Oil's Brain-Boosting
Rep Takes a Hit
NEW STUDY
Apr 28, 2026 8:42 AM CDT

Fish Oil's Brain-Boosting Rep Takes a Hit

Mouse study links omega-3 EPA found in fish oil to slower brain recovery after injuries

(Newser) - Fish oil's reputation as a brain booster just took a hit, at least in one very specific circumstance. A new study in Cell Reports found that eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), a key omega-3 found in many fish oil supplements, appeared to slow brain recovery in mice that had repeated traumatic...

17.5M People in US at 'Very High' Risk of Flooding
In These US Cities, the
Risk of Flooding Looms
NEW STUDY
Apr 25, 2026 8:30 AM CDT

In These US Cities, the Risk of Flooding Looms

NYC, New Orleans top the list, with 17.5M people overall most in peril, per new research

(Newser) - More than 17 million people along the US Atlantic and Gulf coasts are at the highest risk of being affected by flooding, with New York and New Orleans standing out, according to one of the most comprehensive studies ever of flood risk. The AP reports that University of Alabama researchers...

'Kraken' May Have Been King of Cretaceous Seas

Fossil beaks suggest ancient octopuses rivalled the era's giant marine reptiles

(Newser) - Creatures that strongly resemble legends of the Kraken may have been the kings of Cretaceous seas. A study in Science finds that ancient octopus species, inferred from massive fossil beaks from 72 to 100 million years old, may have stretched as long as 62 feet, longer than a bowling lane—...

NOAA Finally Cracks Deep-Sea Orb Mystery

'Golden orb' found by submersible in 2023 was base of giant anemone

(Newser) - That shiny " alien egg " pulled from the seafloor in 2023? Turns out it's the leftovers of a very big anemone. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administratio n scientists say they have finally pinned down the identity of the metallic-looking "golden orb" that a remote submersible spotted more...

Scientist on Mars Find: 'Is It Life? We Can't Tell'

Curiosity uncovers rich mix of organic molecules in sample from ancient lakebed

(Newser) - NASA says its Curiosity rover has turned up its richest haul of organic molecules yet, sharpening, though not settling, the question of whether the planet once hosted life. In a study published Tuesday in Nature Communications , researchers say a drilled sample dubbed "Mary Anning 3" from a single...

Traces of Cocaine in Water May Alter Salmon Behavior
This Is What Happens When
Salmon Get All Coked Up
NEW STUDY
Apr 21, 2026 8:50 AM CDT

This Is What Happens When Salmon Get All Coked Up

Fish exposed to drug residue swim farther, researchers say

(Newser) - Cocaine isn't just a human problem—it may be quietly rewiring salmon, too. A new study suggests that traces of the drug and its main by-product, flushed into rivers and lakes, can build up in young Atlantic salmon and alter how they move around. Swedish researchers implanted slow-release doses...

Scientists Pinpoint Culprit in Pregnancy Sickness
Scientists
Pinpoint Culprit
in Pregnancy
Sickness
new study
Apr 20, 2026 1:32 PM CDT

Scientists Pinpoint Culprit in Pregnancy Sickness

Study identifies gene, raising hope for treatments for debilitating condition

(Newser) - Scientists have their most solid lead yet on what drives the most severe form of morning sickness. A sweeping analysis of nearly 11,000 people with hyperemesis gravidarum (HG)—the debilitating nausea and vomiting that can land pregnant patients in the hospital—points to one hormone gene as the main...

In Cave Beneath Castle, a 'Once in a Lifetime Discovery'

Evidence of early humans, possible Neanderthals turn up in Wales

(Newser) - The medieval birthplace of Henry VII may soon be better known for far-more-ancient history. Archaeologists say a vast cave beneath Pembroke Castle in Wales is emerging as one of Britain's most important prehistoric sites, with finds spanning from Ice Age hunter-gatherers back to some of Britain's earliest known...

Ultraprocessed Foods May Be to Blame for That Wonky Knee

Study links overly processed diets to fatty muscles, higher osteoarthritis risk

(Newser) - If your diet leans heavily on chips, soda, and drive-thru dinners, your muscles may be paying a hidden price. A study in the journal Radiology that analyzed 615 participants with an average age of 60 found that people who ate more ultraprocessed foods had more fat threaded through their thigh...

Double-Duty Fruit Wash Strips Pesticides, Slows Spoilage
This Wash Makes Fruit
Safer—and Last Longer
NEW STUDY
Apr 14, 2026 8:25 AM CDT

This Wash Makes Fruit Safer—and Last Longer

Natural solution found to strip pesticides while preventing moisture loss and browning

(Newser) - A Canadian research team says it has cooked up a cheap new way to get pesticides off your fruit while helping it stay fresh longer. Scientists at the University of British Columbia report they've created a natural, biodegradable wash that stripped between 86% and 96% of pesticide residue from...

Stories 1 - 20 |  Next >>
Most Read on Newser