discoveries

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

Stories 1 - 20 |  Next >>

Emerging From the Sands of Oahu, a Glimpse of the Past

Petroglyphs that are hundreds of years old are visible on Hawaiian island for first time in years

(Newser) - Hawaiian petroglyphs dating back at least a half millennium are visible on Oahu for the first time in years, thanks to seasonal ocean swells that have peeled away sand covering a panel of more than two dozen images of mostly human-looking stick figures. The petroglyphs are easy to spot during...

First Video of a Fault Slip Sent Chills Down Researcher's Spine

'It shows something that I think every earthquake scientist has been desperate to see'

(Newser) - A CCTV camera in Myanmar captured incredible footage during the country's March earthquake . A fault slip was caught on video for the first time and researchers say it will do a lot to improve their understanding of earthquakes, the Smithsonian reports. The video shows the ground shaking before it...

Grand Canyon Gives Up New Species From 'Goldilocks Zone'

Site was an evolutionary hotbed 500M years ago, per fossil research on recently found penis worm

(Newser) - A previously unknown species of penis worm navigated what's now the Grand Canyon half a billion years ago—making up part of a fascinating, first-of-its-kind discovery at the iconic US site. By dissolving fist-size rocks discovered along the Colorado River within the canyon, researchers led by the University of...

World's Smallest Known Snake Rediscovered

'After a year of searching, you begin to get a little pessimistic'

(Newser) - For nearly two decades, no one had spotted the world's smallest known snake. Some scientists worried that maybe the Barbados threadsnake had become extinct, but one sunny morning, Connor Blades lifted a rock in a tiny forest in the eastern Caribbean island and held his breath. "After a...

Optimists' Brains Really Do Think Alike
Optimists' Brains
Really Do Think Alike
NEW STUDY
Jul 22, 2025 10:44 AM CDT

Optimists' Brains Really Do Think Alike

Brain scans reveal similar brain activity in the more upbeat among us

(Newser) - If you tend to see the glass as half full, your brain may have more in common with other optimists than you think. A new study from researchers at Japan's Kobe University suggests that people with positive outlooks actually share similar patterns of brain activity when imagining the...

As Ants Took Over, Mammals Evolved 12 Times to Eat Them

That's 12 distinct times, a study has found

(Newser) - The combined weight of all the planet's ants and termites outpaces that of all living wild mammals. That wasn't the case in the Cretaceous, when they accounted for less than 1% of Earth's insects. As their numbers changed, some mammals reinvented themselves in order to eat...

How Much You Move a Better Predictor of Longevity Than Age
For Those Seeking
a Longer Life,
Get a Move on It
NEW STUDY
Jul 19, 2025 5:25 PM CDT

For Those Seeking a Longer Life, Get a Move on It

Wrist trackers show that daily activity beats out metrics like how old you are in predicting longevity

(Newser) - A new study suggests that the best indicator of how long you'll live isn't buried in a complex list of medical tests or hidden among the hundreds of biomarkers that longevity-obsessed tech millionaires track. Instead, it comes down to a much simpler metric: how much you move...

Ancient Chinese Culture Is Oldest Known Matriarchy

DNA links burial sites to women-led family lines

(Newser) - New DNA analysis has uncovered a 4,750-year-old female-led society in ancient China. Researchers say it is the oldest known matrilineal society, reports the South China Morning Post . A study published in Nature centers on the Fujia site in Shandong province—a region often cited as a cradle of...

Science Finds People Want to Date Their Pets (Kind of)

New study reveals nearly a third of pet owners would go out with the AI version of their cats, dogs

(Newser) - Man's best friend = man's artificial-intelligence-created lover? That's the gist of a new study that shows a significant number of pet owners wouldn't mind dating their pets if an AI version of them could be created, reports the New York Post . According to the MetLife survey...

The Fossil in Front of Him Looked Eerily Like Another

Fossil slab split in half a century ago reveals a new species, the oldest known tree-dwelling reptile

(Newser) - A chance encounter in a London museum has led to the identification of a new prehistoric species, thanks to the keen eye of paleontologist Victor Beccari. While examining reptile fossils at the city's Natural History Museum, Beccari noticed a skeleton that looked strikingly familiar. His memory of a...

Pieces From Wonder of the Ancient World Are Recovered
Pieces From One of Seven
Ancient Wonders Are Raised
in case you missed it
Jul 12, 2025 10:00 AM CDT

Pieces From One of Seven Ancient Wonders Are Raised

Stone blocks that were part of Lighthouse of Alexandria are pulled from the sea

(Newser) - Long-lost stone blocks from the legendary Lighthouse of Alexandria, once a beacon to ancient mariners and one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, have been hoisted from the Mediterranean. The blocks, submerged for centuries in Alexandria's harbor, are being digitally scanned as part of an effort...

Museum's Dino Bone Find 'Like Hitting a Hole in One From the Moon'

It was found deep under Denver museum's parking lot

(Newser) - A Denver museum known for its dinosaur displays has made a fossil bone discovery closer to home than anyone ever expected—under its own parking lot. It came from a hole drilled more than 750 feet deep to study geothermal heating potential for the Denver Museum of Nature and Science....

In Belize, a 'Major Find' of Mayan Ruler's Tomb

Te K'ab Chaak was the founder of a long-lasting dynasty

(Newser) - Texas archaeologists have uncovered the first tomb ever found of a Mayan ruler in the ancient city of Caracol, located in modern Belize. The team from the University of Houston discovered the tomb of Te K'ab Chaak beneath another burial chamber that had been found decades ago, reports...

Continent's Oldest Pterosaur Could've 'Sat on Your Shoulder'
North America Was Once
Home to a Flying 'Goddess'
NEW STUDY
Jul 8, 2025 4:15 PM CDT

North America Was Once Home to a Flying 'Goddess'

Continent's oldest pterosaur, dated to 209M years ago, was about the size of a seagull

(Newser) - A delicate jawbone unearthed in Arizona has revealed North America's oldest known pterosaur, a flying reptile no bigger than a small seagull, and provided a rare glimpse into the continent's prehistoric skies. The fossil, initially mistaken for a mammal, was unearthed in Arizona's Petrified Forest National...

New Dog-Sized Dinosaur Had Quite the Tail

Rare, nearly complete skeleton reveals secrets of small Jurassic-era dinosaurs

(Newser) - Hidden among the giants of the Jurassic era, a dog-sized dinosaur has been uncovered as a new species, rewriting what scientists thought they knew about these ancient ecosystems. Enigmacursor mollyborthwickae, meaning "puzzling runner," now on display at London's Natural History Museum (NHM), offers rare insight into...

In Ancient Turkish City, Women Ruled the Day
In Ancient Turkish City,
Women Ruled the Day
new study
Jun 29, 2025 7:06 AM CDT

In Ancient Turkish City, Women Ruled the Day

DNA study points to matriarchal society in Çatalhoyuk

(Newser) - Researchers studying an ancient city in southern Turkey say they've found evidence that women called the shots in a matriarchal society more than 9,000 years ago. The new study in Science focuses on Stone Age remains from the city of Çatalhoyuk, per Phys Org . A team...

Woman Identified as Having World's Rarest Blood Type
She's the Only Known Person
on Earth With This Blood Type
in case you missed it
Jun 28, 2025 5:05 PM CDT

She's the Only Known Person on Earth With This Blood Type

68-year-old woman from Guadeloupe is compatible only with herself

(Newser) - A 68-year-old woman from Guadeloupe has been identified as the sole person on Earth known to have a newly discovered blood type—one so rare that she is only compatible with herself. Scientists will next search to see if anyone else is part of the "Gwada negative" blood...

These Critters Outlasted Dino-Killing Asteroid, Still Thrive

DNA study reveals ancient origins, resilience of the night lizard

(Newser) - A new study sheds light on some unlikely survivors of the asteroid impact that wiped out most dinosaurs 66 million years ago: night lizards. According to research published Wednesday in Biology Letters , these small reptiles—found today in parts of North and Central America—managed to persist despite living...

Why Hatshepsut's Statues Were Really Smashed in Ancient Egypt

New study points to ritual practice, not revenge or sexism, in destruction of female pharaoh's statues

(Newser) - A long-standing theory about the fate of Queen Hatshepsut's statues has been upended by a new study. For decades, Egyptologists believed that Thutmose III, Hatshepsut's nephew and successor, ordered the destruction of her statues in an act of personal revenge after she died to erase all signs...

Why Cats Prefer a Left-Side Snooze
Why Cats Prefer
a Left-Side Snooze
NEW STUDY
Jun 28, 2025 5:30 AM CDT

Why Cats Prefer a Left-Side Snooze

Study links position to faster threat response

(Newser) - Ever wondered why your cat curls up on its left side? New research suggests this sleepy preference could be a clever survival tactic honed by evolution—giving felines a quick edge the moment they wake. An international team analyzed more than 400 YouTube videos and found that two-thirds of...

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