This Walking Ape Might Be the Earliest Human Ancestor
The limbs of Sahelanthropus tchadensis may settle a decades-long evolutionary debate The post This Walking Ape Might Be the Earliest Human Ancestor appeared first on Nautilus .
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The Science Behind Better Visualizing Brain Function
Fluorescent trackers are helping scientists study the mind in real-time The post The Science Behind Better Visualizing Brain Function appeared first on Nautilus .
How to Glimpse the Prime Meteor Shower of 2026
The Quadrantids rank among the most spectacular sky shows of the year The post How to Glimpse the Prime Meteor Shower of 2026 appeared first on Nautilus .
Was our earliest ancestor a knuckle-dragger, or did it walk upright?
Did Sahelanthropus, which lived 7 million years ago, walk on two legs like a modern human? It's complicated
Bacteria reveal second 'shutdown mode' for surviving antibiotic treatment
A new study reveals that bacteria can survive antibiotic treatment through two fundamentally different "shutdown modes," not just the classic idea of dormancy. The paper is published in the journal Science Advances.
Flowering plant origins: Dosage-sensitive genes suggest no whole-genome duplications in ancestral angiosperm
Angiosperms, also known as flowering plants, represent the most diverse group of seed plants, and their origin and evolution have long been a central question in plant evolutionary biology. Whole-genome duplication (WGD), or polyploidization, is widely recognized as a key
Evidence of upright walking found in 7-million-year-old Sahelanthropus fossils
In recent decades, scientists have debated whether a seven-million-year-old fossil was bipedal—a trait that would make it the oldest human ancestor. A new analysis by a team of anthropologists offers powerful evidence that Sahelanthropus tchadensis—a species discovered in the
First ancient herpesvirus genomes document their deep history with humans
For the first time, scientists have reconstructed the ancient genomes of human betaherpesvirus 6A and 6B (HHV-6A/B) from archaeological human remains more than two millennia old. The study, led by the University of Vienna and University of Tartu (Estonia) and published in
Wood-derived chemicals offer safer alternative for thermal receipt paper coatings
Every day, millions of people use thermal paper without thinking about it. Receipts, shipping labels, tickets, and medical records all rely on heat‑sensitive coatings to make text appear. More specifically, heat triggers a reaction between a colorless dye and a "developer,"
Earliest Human Ancestor May Have Walked on Two Legs
A fossil belonging to an ancient hominin that lived seven million years ago bears the hallmarks of bipedalism, according to a new study
How the 'guardian of the genome' impacts blood vessel growth
The protein p53, best known as the "guardian of the genome" for its role in preventing cancer, can affect blood vessels in different ways. However, it has not been clear how p53 can slow blood vessel growth in some cases and damage blood vessels in others.
Sudden breakups of monogamous quantum couples surprise researchers
Quantum particles have a social life, of a sort. They interact and form relationships with each other, and one of the most important features of a quantum particle is whether it is an introvert—a fermion—or an extrovert—a boson.
2025 was UK's hottest and sunniest year on record
Last year was Britain's hottest and sunniest on record, the national weather service confirmed on Friday, calling it a "clear demonstration" of the impacts of climate change.
Astronomers measure both mass and distance of a rogue planet for the first time
While most planets that we are familiar with stick relatively close to their host star in a predictable orbit, some planets seem to have been knocked out of their orbits, floating through space free of any particular gravitational attachments. Astronomers refer to these lonely
Two white-blooded fish, two paths: Icefish and noodlefish independently lose red blood cell function
Antarctic icefish are famous for living without red blood cells, but they are not alone. A species of needle-shaped, warm-water fish called the Asian noodlefish also lacks hemoglobin and red blood cells. Like icefish, its veins are filled with translucent white blood, said H.
Qaidam Basin fossils suggest Pleistocene establishment of East Asian migratory flyway
A research team led by Associate Professor Wang Yaqiong from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS), in collaboration with colleagues from multiple domestic and international institutions, has for the first time documented
Inside scoop: The 2,500-year history of ice-cream
We all scream for ice-cream, especially as temperatures soar in the summer. Ancient civilizations had the same desire for a cold, sweet treat to cope with heat waves.
What makes mountain birds sing at dawn—and why are they sometimes quiet? Ecologists explain
Three species of the melodic African warbler bird refuse to get up early and sing their customary daybreak songs when the weather is cold. This new discovery was made recently by a team of soundscape ecologists in South Africa's mountainous Golden Gate Highlands National Park.
Taste buds: From flavor explosions to muted meals—why our taste changes as we age
Ever bitten into a hot pie, yelped "Hothothot!" then had your taste buds go on strike for the next week? Taste buds are a sensitive bunch.
How juvenile lobsters fall into a deadly natural trap in the Florida Keys
In the shallow waters of the Florida Keys, juvenile Caribbean spiny lobsters are unwittingly meeting their doom by stumbling into naturally occurring ecological traps, according to a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Opinion: Is world peace even possible? I study war and peace, and here's where I'd start
By any measure, 2025 was not a good year for world peace.
Chess960's random setups still favor white, new study reveals
Chess is a relatively simple game to learn but a very difficult one to master. Because the starting positions of the pieces are fixed, top players have relied on memorizing the "best" opening moves, which can sometimes result in boring, predictable games. To encourage more
The interstellar comet that's spilling its secrets
When 3I/ATLAS swept past the sun in late October 2025, it became only the third confirmed visitor from interstellar space ever detected. Unlike the mysterious 'Oumuamua, which revealed almost nothing about itself during its brief flyby in 2017, or even 2I/Borisov which appeared
A "herculean" genetic study just found a new way to treat ADHD
Attention depends on the brain’s ability to filter out distractions, but new research suggests this works best when background brain activity is quieter. Scientists found that lowering certain versions of the Homer1 gene improved focus in mice by calming neural noise. The
These scientific discoveries brought us joy in 2025
Amidst a tough year for science, glimmers of joy burst through in revelations from the silly to the sublime.
Everything We Thought We Knew About How Stardust Spreads Across the Cosmos Is Wrong
An analysis of stardust 180 light-years from Earth had some illuminating lessons The post Everything We Thought We Knew About How Stardust Spreads Across the Cosmos Is Wrong appeared first on Nautilus .
Ancient African bedrock reveals the violent beginnings of life on our blue planet
You have probably seen the images of the surface of Mars, beamed back by NASA's rovers. What if there were a time machine capable of roaming Earth during its remote geological past, perhaps even going right back to its beginnings, beaming back pictures of similar quality?
Nanoparticle therapy reprograms tumor immune cells to attack cancer from within
Within tumors in the human body, there are immune cells (macrophages) capable of fighting cancer, but they have been unable to perform their roles properly due to suppression by the tumor. A KAIST research team led by Professor Ji-Ho Park of the Department of Bio and Brain
What were books like in ancient Greece and Rome?
If you were to visit a bookshop in the ancient world, what would it be like?
Why central bankers look to the 'stars' when setting interest rates
When the topic of central banks and the outlook for interest rates comes up, economists often turn to the so-called "star" variables to help with their predictions.
Curiosity sends holiday postcard from Mars
Team members working with NASA's Curiosity Mars rover created this "postcard" by commanding the rover to take images at two times of day on Nov. 18, 2025, spanning periods that occurred on both the 4,722nd and 4,723rd Martian days, or sols, of the mission.
When stars fail to explode
Many stars die spectacularly when they explode as supernovae. During these violent explosions, they leave behind thick, chaotic clouds of debris shaped like cauliflowers. But supernova remnant Pa 30 looks nothing like that.
Space mice come home and start families
Four mice went to space as astronauts. One came back and became a mother. And that simple fact might matter more than you'd think for humanity's future beyond Earth.
Could TRAPPIST-1's seven worlds host moons?
Forty light-years away, seven Earth-sized planets orbit around a dim red dwarf star in one of the most tightly packed planetary systems ever discovered. The TRAPPIST-1 system has captivated astronomers since 2017, with three of its planets orbiting in the habitable zone where
How a single 2003 heat wave triggered lasting upheaval in the North Atlantic
The ecology of the North Atlantic is constantly changing. Sometimes it changes abruptly. Extreme events are one driver of such sudden changes. A team of researchers has discovered that a single, large-scale heat wave has affected ecosystems and trophic interactions in the
A zero-shot learning framework for maize cob phenotyping
A new study presents a zero-shot learning (ZSL) framework for maize cob phenotyping, enabling the extraction of geometric traits and estimation of yields in both laboratory and field settings without the need for model retraining.
This new year, maybe resolve to quit
Western cultural stories tend to emphasize perseverance. But science shows that knowing when to quit has a place in our success too.
Origins of THC, CBD and CBC in cannabis revealed
Where do the well-known cannabis compounds THC, CBD and CBC come from? Researchers at Wageningen University & Research have experimentally demonstrated for the first time how cannabis acquired the ability to produce these cannabinoids. In the process, they also developed
Here’s What Happens to Your Brain When Your Mind Goes Blank
Parts of it are basically taking a nap The post Here’s What Happens to Your Brain When Your Mind Goes Blank appeared first on Nautilus .
Gargantuan black hole may be a remnant from the dawn of the universe
Astronomers were puzzled by a black hole around 50 million times the mass of the sun with no stars, spotted by the James Webb Space Telescope – now simulations suggest it could be a primordial black hole, something we have never seen before
How Woodpeckers Turn Their Entire Bodies into Pecking Machines
These birds’ drilling approach is more like extreme tennis playing than weight lifting
The Pleiades Star Cluster Has a Secret Stellar Family
The “Seven Sisters” of the Pleiades are part of a much larger complex that can help reveal our galaxy’s deep history
Quantum spins team up to create stable, long-lived microwave signals
When quantum particles work together, they can produce signals far stronger than any one particle could generate alone. This collective phenomenon, called superradiance, is a powerful example of cooperation at the quantum level. Until now, superradiance was mostly known for
Our verdict on The Player of Games: Iain M. Banks is still a master
The New Scientist Book Club has just finished our December read, Iain M. Banks's sci-fi novel The Player of Games - and most of us were fans of this big-thinking Culture tale
The challenges of writing from the perspective of a sex robot
The author of the award-winning science fiction novel Annie Bot, the January read for the New Scientist Book Club, on how she created her startling protagonist
Read an extract from Annie Bot by Sierra Greer
In this extract from the award-winning science fiction novel Annie Bot, the January read for the New Scientist Book Club, we are introduced to Sierra Greer's protagonist, a sex robot called Annie
Murder victim discovered to have two sets of DNA due to rare condition
A woman's body has been found to consist of varying proportions of male and female cells because of an extremely rare form of chimerism
Did an exploding comet wipe out the mammoths?
Scientists are uncovering new clues that a cosmic explosion may have rocked Earth at the end of the last ice age. At major Clovis-era sites, researchers found shocked quartz—evidence of intense heat and pressure consistent with a comet airburst rather than volcanism or human
This tiny plant is helping solve crimes
Moss may look insignificant, but it can carry a hidden forensic fingerprint. Because different moss species thrive in very specific micro-environments, tiny fragments can reveal exactly where a person has been. Researchers reviewing 150 years of cases found moss has helped