Science News
A black hole shredded a super sun - but something strange may have survived
Science Daily - 15 Aug 2026 23:46
Astronomers have witnessed a black hole violently shredding a massive star, creating one of the most energetic stellar explosions ever observed. The event, nicknamed the Whippet, briefly released about 400 billion times ...
COVID-19 awakens dormant viruses - and one is linked to long COVID
Science Daily - 15 Aug 2026 23:03
COVID-19 can reactivate dormant viruses hiding in the body, including Epstein-Barr, cytomegalovirus, and several herpes viruses. One poorly understood viral family was strongly associated with long COVID and lasting disa...
Ultrafast core-level spectroscopy reveals elusive precursors of exciton condensation in quantum materials
Phys.org - 15 Aug 2026 16:00
Many fascinating phases in quantum materials emerge when electrons, atoms and other microscopic components begin to act collectively. But these phases do not necessarily appear out of nowhere when a material crosses a tr...
4 lemurs die of human herpesvirus, including one that had been used in a 'lemur yoga' class
Live Science - 15 Aug 2026 13:00
Researchers recently confirmed cases of human herpesvirus infection in four lemurs, which died of the infection after having close contact with humans.
Scientists detect a surprising shift in human blood as atmospheric CO2 rises
Science Daily - 15 Aug 2026 10:40
Rising carbon dioxide in the atmosphere may be leaving a measurable imprint inside the human body. Researchers analyzing more than two decades of U.S. health data found that blood bicarbonate levels have climbed about 7%...
Scientists detect a surprising shift in human blood as CO2 rises
Science Daily - 15 Aug 2026 10:39
Rising carbon dioxide in the atmosphere may be leaving a measurable imprint inside the human body. Researchers analyzing more than two decades of U.S. health data found that blood bicarbonate levels have climbed about 7%...
When gut microbes run low on fiber, they may start eating you
Science Daily - 15 Aug 2026 10:30
Gut microbes need something to eat, and when fiber is limited, they may begin consuming proteins from the mucus lining that protects the gut. Researchers found that fiber can suppress this process, while indigestible pla...
A 30-year-old fossil was hiding bones from a mysterious ancient sea monster
Science Daily - 15 Aug 2026 10:19
Fossils collected in Osaka more than 30 years ago have revealed a surprise hiding in plain sight: four previously unrecognized bones from a giant Cretaceous mosasaur. Among them is the first confirmed premaxilla-the fron...
Common food preservative linked to rising suicide deaths among young people
Science Daily - 15 Aug 2026 10:09
A widely available food-preservation chemical is emerging as a disturbing factor in rising UK suicide deaths, particularly among younger people and men. Researchers say the scale may be underestimated and are calling for...
A 60-year-old theory about ants, bees and wasps may be wrong
Science Daily - 15 Aug 2026 09:25
Scientists have long thought an unusual genetic system helped ants, bees, and wasps evolve their extraordinary social colonies. A massive new analysis suggests that genetics alone cant explain it-and the real secret may ...
Why do cats yowl?
Live Science - 15 Aug 2026 09:00
Understanding a cats yowl requires looking beyond the noise to the behavior and emotions behind it.
Tungsten may suffer more radiation damage in fusion reactors than expected
Phys.org - 15 Aug 2026 08:40
Fusion reactors, devices that generate energy by fusing light atomic nuclei at extremely high temperatures, could contribute to ongoing efforts aimed at producing electricity more sustainably. The extreme environment ins...
Nonrepeating photonic crystal may enable more tunable, reliable semiconductor lasers
Phys.org - 15 Aug 2026 08:00
Over the past two decades, photonic-crystal surface-emitting lasers (PCSELs) have shown promise as a type of advanced semiconductor laser useful in defense- and aerospace-related applications. Typically, these devices ar...