discoveries

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

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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...

Scientists' Ruined Plans Lead to Incredible Footage

They wanted to explore the Powell Basin but ice blocks forced them to its outer edge, fortuitously

(Newser) - In the frigid depths off Antarctica, scientists captured live footage of a mysterious squid species never before seen alive. Researchers aboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute's R/V Falkor (Too) research vessel made the rare deep-sea discovery on Christmas Day last year, somewhat by accident. Forced to change their plans...

Ancient Farm Site Showcases Indigenous Ingenuity
Ancient Farm
Site Showcases
Indigenous Ingenuity
NEW STUDY
Jun 10, 2025 9:29 AM CDT

Ancient Farm Site Showcases Indigenous Ingenuity

Menominee ancestors grew crops for centuries, despite challenging conditions

(Newser) - A new archaeological study is spotlighting Michigan's Upper Peninsula as home to what experts now call the "most complete" ancient agricultural site in the eastern US, per the New York Times . The area, known as Sixty Islands and considered sacred by the Menominee Nation, contains traces of...

Syrian Rubble Yields a Surprise: an Ancient Tomb Complex

Contractor excavating a destroyed house makes a find thought to date to the Byzantine Era

(Newser) - A contractor digging into the earth where the rubble of a destroyed house had been cleared away in northern Syria stumbled across a surprise: the remains of an underground Byzantine tomb complex believed to be more than 1,500 years old. As the AP reports, the discovery emerged last month...

Ancient Wall in Mongolia's Gobi Desert Did More Than Defend

Researchers find the medieval barrier managed resources, set imperial boundaries

(Newser) - A new study is shedding light on the Gobi Wall, a massive but little-understood medieval barrier that crosses 200 miles of Mongolia's highland deserts. For their research published in the journal Land , archaeologists from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the National University of Mongolia, and Yale combined satellite...

Those Ice Baths May Not Be 'a Great Idea'
Those Ice Baths May
Not Be 'a Great Idea'
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Jun 8, 2025 6:29 AM CDT

Those Ice Baths May Not Be 'a Great Idea'

Cold plunges in general may hamper muscle recovery after exercise, researchers say

(Newser) - If you've ever been tempted to buy an ice bath or take part in a "polar plunge," you may want to check out this study first—at least if you're into weight training. A dip into frigid waters "looks like it's not a great...

Scientists Discover Cosmic Secret in a Planetarium Show
Scientists Unlock
Cosmic Secret in a
Very Unlikely Place
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Jun 7, 2025 12:00 PM CDT

Scientists Unlock Cosmic Secret in a Very Unlikely Place

They uncovered surprise glimpse of the Oort Cloud while preparing planetarium show

(Newser) - Scientists have unlocked one of the solar system's many secrets from an unexpected source: a planetarium show. At the American Museum of Natural History in New York last fall, experts were preparing "Encounters in the Milky Way," a deep dive into our home galaxy shaped by the...

Scientists Report Major HIV Breakthrough
Scientists Report
Major HIV Breakthrough
NEW STUDY
Jun 5, 2025 11:20 AM CDT

Scientists Report Major HIV Breakthrough

Virus can be forced out of hiding by mRNA technology

(Newser) - Researchers say they may have found a way to bring a cure for HIV a step closer by deploying the mRNA technology used in COVID-19 vaccines. The team at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity in Melbourne, Australia, reports they can now force HIV out of hiding...

To Survive Heat Waves, the Clown Fish Shrinks
When It Gets Too Hot,
the World's Nemos Shrink
NEW STUDY
Jun 4, 2025 10:45 AM CDT

When It Gets Too Hot, the World's Nemos Shrink

Becoming smaller when it's hot helps boost survival rates for clown fish

(Newser) - Clown fish are now joining the list of animals altering their bodies and behavior in response to climate change. According to a new study published in Science Advances , scientists in Papua New Guinea observed that clown fish, made most famous by the 2003 animated film Finding Nemo, temporarily shrank...

As Coffee Intake Rises, So Does Chance of Healthy Aging
More Good News
for Coffee Lovers
NEW STUDY
Jun 3, 2025 10:15 AM CDT

More Good News for Coffee Lovers

Research suggests drinking caffeinated coffee in midlife ups chances for healthy aging

(Newser) - One more for the " coffee is good for you " camp: An unpublished, not yet peer-reviewed study presented Monday at the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition in Orlando suggests caffeinated coffee helps on the path to healthy aging. The study involved more than 47,000 female...

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