Duping a guppy is easier than duping a ring dove — at least when it comes to a classic optical illusion. In the Ebbinghaus illusion, two identical circles placed side by side are
Ultra-endurance athletes triumph over staggering distances and harsh conditions. But one of their toughest foes may be their own metabolic ceiling. By scrutinizing a group of top-tier long-haul athletes, scientists have now helped
In the early 2010s, nearly every STEM-savvy college-bound kid heard the same advice: Learn to code. Python was the new Latin. Computer science was the ticket to a stable, well-paid, future-proof life. But
Nancy Shute is editor in chief of Science News Media Group. Previously, she was an editor at NPR and US News & World Report, and a contributor to National Geographic and Scientific American.
Carly Kay is the Fall 2025 science writing intern at Science News. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communication from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a master’s degree in science communication from the
Citations A. Topiwala et al. Alcohol use and risk of dementia in diverse populations: evidence from cohort, case-control and Mendelian randomization approaches. BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine. Posted September 23, 2025. doi: 10.1136/bmjebm-2025-113913 L. Said. U.S.
It was early January 2025 when a faint light spot was observed at the Mt. Lemmon Observatory in Arizona. Follow-up observations revealed that the object was a comet visiting from the outer edge
Tens of thousands of preschool-aged children in the Gaza Strip haven’t had nearly enough to eat, putting their young lives at grave risk. A 20-month study of wasting among young children living in
Bright flecks of burning wood stream through the smoky air and toward a hapless house. Before the one-story structure, the glowing specks, each merely centimeters in size, seem insignificant. But each lofted ember
A telltale hint was on the bee’s knees. An analysis of 127 fossil flowers, flower buds and bees from central Germany revealed pollen particles that precisely matched ancient flowers to their pollinators. The
