discoveries

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

Stories 1 - 20 |  Next >>

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...

These Canadian Rocks May Be Earth's Oldest
These Rocks in Canada
May Be Earth's Oldest
new study
Jun 27, 2025 10:11 AM CDT

These Rocks in Canada May Be Earth's Oldest

Study puts them at 4.1B years old

(Newser) - Scientists have identified what could be the oldest rocks on Earth from a rock formation in Canada. The Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt has long been known for its ancient rocks—plains of streaked gray stone on the eastern shore of Hudson Bay in Quebec—but researchers have disagreed on exactly how...

Child Had a 5% Chance of Living. This Device Saved Them

Young patient with leukemia, organ failure recovers after experimental treatment with SCD solution

(Newser) - Doctors at Michigan Medicine have reported a medical first: saving a young child in septic shock and experiencing failure of five organ systems using a new device called the Selective Cytopheretic Device (SCD), made by SeaStar Medical. The case, published in Pediatric Nephrology , involved a child with a prior...

Appalachian Fish Can't Escape Microplastics Either
Appalachian Fish Can't
Escape Microplastics Either
new study
Jun 23, 2025 8:50 AM CDT

Appalachian Fish Can't Escape Microplastics Either

West Virginia University study finds dozens of particles in each fish sampled

(Newser) - A West Virginia University student sampling fish in Appalachian streams made an unwanted discovery: Every one had microplastics. It's the first such study out of Appalachia to confirm that fish in the region are ingesting microplastics, according to a news release at Phys.org .
  • WVU student Isabella Tuzzio
...

Newly Discovered Sea Spiders Have Unique Eating Habits

They team up with bacteria to feed on methane

(Newser) - Scientists have discovered three new species of sea spider off the US West Coast that appear to survive by teaming up with bacteria to feed on methane seeping from the ocean floor. The spiders, each about the size of a grain of rice, were found in deep-sea habitats thousands of...

Actor: Notorious 'Lost' Jerry Lewis Film Is in 'Very Good Hands'

Hans Crispin says he made copy of Holocaust movie The Day the Clown Cried in 1980

(Newser) - Some big news for fans of the late Jerry Lewis: A Swedish actor has revealed that he secretly copied and kept a notorious lost film by Lewis for decades. Hans Crispin, now 66, admitted in interviews with Swedish media that he made a copy of the infamous 1972 film...

Dig Uncovers Foundation of Schoolhouse for Enslaved

Cellar, ceramics discovered at site of Virginia's former Williamsburg Bray School

(Newser) - Archaeologists in Virginia have unearthed the foundation of a building from the 1700s that once supported the nation's oldest surviving schoolhouse for Black children, the College of William & Mary announced Wednesday, per the AP . The university in Williamsburg said the foundation is nearly completely intact. Archaeologists also uncovered...

Think Weight-Loss Meds Beat Surgery? Maybe Reconsider

Bariatric surgery still outperforms injections for long-term weight loss, researchers find

(Newser) - A new study suggests that popular weight-loss injections like Wegovy and Mounjaro don't deliver the same dramatic results in everyday use as they do in clinical trials. The drugs, which contain semaglutide and tirzepatide, have been hailed for helping some trial participants lose up to 20% of their...

Ancient Viking Graves Yield Pearls, Gold Thread, a Dog

30 graves uncovered near Aarhus, Denmark, may link to King Harald Bluetooth

(Newser) - Archaeologists digging in northern Denmark have uncovered a Viking burial site brimming with rare treasures, shedding new light on the lives—and afterlives—of ancient nobility. The discovery of the 10th-century burial site near Aarhus, made during construction work, revealed a collection of ancient items including pearls, coins, ceramics,...

Experts: Yep, Wreck Is Captain Cook's Endeavour

Australian museum's determination has yet to be backed by Rhode Island officials

(Newser) - After years of debate, researchers have confirmed the final resting place of Captain James Cook's HMS Endeavour as Rhode Island's Newport Harbor. The Endeavour, famous for Cook's 18th-century Pacific voyages and for claiming Australia for Britain, had long been the subject of speculation. In 2022, the...

You May Not Want Your Pet Catching Z's With You

It may be worth it to you, but experts say that pets sleeping in your bed could disrupt your sleep

(Newser) - Our furry best friend might be our worst sleep enemy. Lots of pet owners let their animals sleep on the bed with them, which usually disrupts sleep. But many would say it's worth it, and researchers don't necessarily disagree. Melissa Milanak, a sleep health professor at Medical University...

Finally, Hard Proof That These Dinos Scarfed Down Plants
In the Belly of This
Beast, a Major Find
in case you missed it
Jun 15, 2025 6:56 AM CDT

In the Belly of This Beast, a Major Find

Fossilized plant matter discovered in sauropod's gut confirms the creatures were herbivores

(Newser) - Scientists have long believed that the enormous, long-necked sauropods—like those popularized in films such as Jurassic Park and The Land Before Time—were herbivores. Researchers had some clues based on teeth shape and an unwieldy body that didn't suggest these dinosaurs could chase prey well, but hard...

An 'Absolutely Alarming' Find on Emperor Penguins

Population in one section of Antarctica is falling faster than previously thought, per satellite images

(Newser) - The population of emperor penguins in one part of Antarctica appears to be declining faster than previously thought, according to a new analysis of satellite imagery released Tuesday. The estimated population of 16 penguin colonies—visible in satellite photos taken between 2009 and 2024—had declined 22% during that period,...

Don't Fall for This 'Fertility Fallacy'

Low birth rates globally aren't due to lack of desire, per UN report—it's the lack of access, cost

(Newser) - A new United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) report challenges the usual question about declining birth rates, suggesting the real issue isn't that people don't want more kids—it's that many feel they can't have them. The report, which includes polling from 14 countries, found that...

Forget Fingerprints, You Have a 'Breath Print,' Too

Researchers find that individuals have unique breathing patterns, a potential diagnostic tool

(Newser) - A new study suggests that your breathing might be as unique as your fingerprint. A two-year research project out of Israel's Weizmann Institute rigged 100 young adults with nasal airflow tubes throughout their daily routines. What emerged was a surprise: Each person's pattern of breaths—inhalations, exhalations, and...

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