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

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German Rats Are Busted Attacking Bats Midair
Bats in Germany Had Better
Watch Out for the Rats
NEW STUDY
Oct 29, 2025 10:30 AM CDT

Bats in Germany Had Better Watch Out for the Rats

Urban rodents are recorded hunting bats that are flying by or on the ground

(Newser) - Rats are now on record as bat hunters. Infrared and thermal cameras set up at hibernation sites in two northern German towns captured brown rats in the act, with footage showing the rodents standing upright to snatch bats out of midair or ambushing them on the ground. This marks the...

How the Maya Predicted Solar Eclipses Across 7 Centuries
This Is How the Maya Were
So Accurate on Eclipses
NEW STUDY
Oct 28, 2025 9:45 AM CDT

This Is How the Maya Were So Accurate on Eclipses

Ancient calendar math accounts for every eclipse from 350CE to 1150CE

(Newser) - Ancient Mayan astronomers turned their eyes to the sky and recorded celestial events with a level of precision that continues to impress scientists today. A new study, published Wednesday in Science Advances , sheds fresh light on how the Central American civilization managed to predict solar eclipses with such incredible accuracy,...

Dinosaurs Thrived, Thank You Very Much, Until the Asteroid
Dinos Were Doing Great—
Until the Asteroid Hit
NEW STUDY
Oct 24, 2025 9:57 AM CDT

Dinos Were Doing Great— Until the Asteroid Hit

New fossil dating methods challenge the theory of a slow decline

(Newser) - A new study challenges the long-held idea that dinosaurs were already on the verge of extinction when a giant asteroid struck Earth 66 million years ago. Instead, new research suggests they were thriving up until the moment disaster struck. The study, published in Science , relies on improved dating techniques applied...

Researchers Reverse Theory on Aussie Megafauna Extinction

They believe early Australians may have been 'the first paleontologists'

(Newser) - An ancient giant kangaroo bone from Australia's Mammoth Cave has long been cited as evidence that Indigenous Australians hunted megafauna to extinction. But a new study, powered by advanced technology, has turned that assumption on its head. Researchers used microCT scanning and radiometric dating to reexamine the bone, originally...

Here's How to Find the Right Antidepressant
Here's How to Find the
Right Antidepressant
NEW STUDY
Oct 22, 2025 11:00 AM CDT

Here's How to Find the Right Antidepressant

Researchers uncover major differences in side effects across drugs

(Newser) - A new study has ranked the side effects of popular antidepressants for the first time, highlighting significant differences among the drugs and raising questions about whether millions of people are on the best medication for their needs. Researchers from King's College London and the University of Oxford analyzed data...

'Butt-Breathing' Technique Passes First Human Safety Test
Scientists Notch a Big Win
in 'Butt-Breathing'
NEW STUDY
Oct 22, 2025 8:59 AM CDT

Scientists Notch a Big Win in 'Butt-Breathing'

Early trials involve oxygen-carrying liquid delivered rectally; could help patients with breathing issues

(Newser) - A technique that once snagged an Ig Nobel prize for its oddball premise has cleared its first human safety trial—and it involves "butt-breathing." The official term is "enteral ventilation," and a new study, published in the journal Med , marks a potential step toward a new...

Human Skull Found in Indiana Turns Out to Be Ancient

Landowner's discovery prompts testing by coroner's office, which finds it's more than 4K years old

(Newser) - A human skull dating back more than 4,000 years has been uncovered on the bank of the Whitewater River in eastern Indiana, officials announced this week. The Fayette County Coroner's Office said the skull fragment, discovered June 2 by a landowner who collects Native American artifacts, was 4,...

Centuries-Old Artifacts Found in Bearded Vulture Nests

One 'time capsule' nest in Spain held a 700-year-old shoe

(Newser) - Bearded vultures aren't just skilled scavengers—they're also accidental historians. A new study in Ecology reveals that the nests of these rare birds in Spain have acted as natural time capsules, preserving artifacts spanning centuries. Researchers combing through 12 abandoned nests discovered a trove of 226 items...

Inhalers' Climate Impact Rivals That of Half a Million Cars

Vast majority of these emissions are traced to common metered-dose inhalers, study finds

(Newser) - A new study highlights an overlooked contributor to greenhouse gas emissions: inhalers for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, reports CBS News . Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association , the research estimates that US inhaler use produced about 24.9 million metric tons of carbon...

Taylor Swift's Accent Is the Subject of Some Research

Researchers track changes in her accent, vocal pitch over the years

(Newser) - A new study confirms that Taylor Swift's accent has noticeably shifted over the course of her career, mirroring changes in her music and home base. Researchers analyzed more than 100 minutes of Swift's interviews from three key periods, per Scientific American : her early days near Nashville, in...

Here's How Many Buildings Are Threatened by Rising Seas

And that's just in the Global South

(Newser) - That rising seas could threaten some coastal buildings is no surprise—but just how many may startle you. A sweeping new study that looks specifically at the Global South—so along the coasts of Africa, Southeast Asia, and Central and South America—warns that tens of millions of buildings...

This Jurassic Lizard May Be Ancestor to Snakes
It Wasn't a Snake, but
It Had Fangs Like One
NEW STUDY
Oct 2, 2025 10:00 AM CDT

It Wasn't a Snake, but It Had Fangs Like One

Jurassic find on Skye sheds light on the origins of snakes, lizards

(Newser) - Buried in the rocks of Scotland's Isle of Skye, scientists have uncovered a 167-million-year-old reptile with snakelike fangs, revealing a surprising new branch in the ancient family tree of lizards and snakes. The well-preserved fossil, among the most complete Jurassic lizard fossils discovered to date, has been identified...

New Hope for Chronic Back Pain Lies in Cannabis
New Hope for Chronic
Back Pain Lies in Cannabis
new study
Sep 29, 2025 2:26 PM CDT

New Hope for Chronic Back Pain Lies in Cannabis

Study sees promise for a certain extract

(Newser) - An experimental medication made from marijuana successfully reduced back pain in a new study, offering further support for the drug's potential in treating one of the most common forms of chronic pain, per the AP . Crucially, the extract did so without side effects or addiction risk, notes AFP . The...

Scientists Found Marine Life Where They Didn't Expect It

Thriving on World War II explosives in the Baltic Sea, specifically

(Newser) - An undersea submersible has spotted crabs, worms, and fish thriving on the surfaces of World War II explosives thought to be toxic to marine life. At a former weapons dump site in the Baltic Sea, scientists found more creatures living on top of warheads than in the surrounding seabed. "...

Ancient Skull May Rewrite Human Origins
Ancient Skull May
Rewrite Human Origins
new study
Sep 26, 2025 8:26 AM CDT

Ancient Skull May Rewrite Human Origins

New analysis points to early coexistence with Neanderthals and others

(Newser) - An ancient skull unearthed in China may push back the origins of our species by half a million years, challenging long-held beliefs about when—and with whom—early humans roamed the Earth, reports the BBC . The research published in Science suggests Homo sapiens coexisted with Neanderthals and other relatives...

Routine Vaccines May Help Cut Dementia Risk: Studies

Researchers highlight flu, shingles, and RSV for potential brain benefits

(Newser) - A growing body of research suggests that several common vaccines may do more than just prevent infectious diseases—they're also linked to a lower risk of developing dementia. Physicians and researchers point to this as an added incentive for adults, especially older ones, to keep up with routine...

Trees in the Amazon Are Getting Bigger
Trees in the Amazon
Are Getting Bigger
new study
Sep 25, 2025 12:37 PM CDT

Trees in the Amazon Are Getting Bigger

Average size increases, a somewhat surprising result of climate change

(Newser) - A study out of the UK adds a new wrinkle to how climate change will affect the Amazon rainforest: It turns out that trees there are getting bigger. Researchers at the University of Cambridge and the RAINFOR Amazon Forest Inventory Network found that the average tree size has increased...

AI Models Now Ace Toughest CFA Exam in Minutes
Tough CFA Exam?
No Biggie for AI
NEW STUDY
Sep 24, 2025 12:25 PM CDT

Tough CFA Exam? No Biggie for AI

Study shows AI models conquering even essay challenges on notoriously difficult Level III test

(Newser) - Artificial intelligence has hit a new milestone in the world of finance: Top models can now breeze through the notoriously tough Level III CFA exam in minutes, a task that typically demands years of preparation and roughly 1,000 hours of study from human candidates. New research by New...

New Dino Species Found Munching on a Crocodile
A New Dino Species Was
Found Munching on a Croc
NEW STUDY
Sep 24, 2025 11:30 AM CDT

A New Dino Species Was Found Munching on a Croc

Previously unknown megaraptor emerges in Argentina

(Newser) - Scientists have discovered a new dinosaur from Argentina with powerful claws, feasting on an ancient crocodile bone. The new find was possibly 23 feet long and hailed from a mysterious group of dinosaurs called megaraptorans, per the AP . They prowled across what's now South America, Australia, and parts of...

ER Deaths Climb After Private Equity Takes Over
ER Deaths Climb After
Private Equity Takes Over
new study
Sep 24, 2025 11:10 AM CDT

ER Deaths Climb After Private Equity Takes Over

Staffing cuts linked to higher mortality in emergency departments, researchers say

(Newser) - When private equity (PE) firms take over hospitals, emergency room patients suffer, or so suggests a new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine . Researchers found that emergency room death rates increased 13% at hospitals acquired by PE firms compared to similar hospitals without such ownership; that translates...

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