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

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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...

New Therapy Puts the Brakes on Huntington's Disease

Experimental gene therapy slows brain decline by 75% in patients with the inherited fatal disease

(Newser) - Doctors say Huntington's disease has been successfully treated for the first time, offering hope for those affected by the inherited fatal condition. The condition, which typically strikes in a person's 30s or 40s and progresses over about 20 years, causes severe neurological decline, per the BBC . In...

'Unexpected' Find in Rembrandt's Most Famous Piece

Dog from The Night Watch was modeled after drawing from lesser-known Dutch artist

(Newser) - It didn't exactly take dogged detective work for an art sleuth in Amsterdam to solve a canine conundrum dating back to the Dutch Golden Age. Anne Lenders, a curator at the city's landmark Rijksmuseum, said Tuesday that it was more or less by accident that she discovered that...

Earth Has a Small 'Quasi-Moon'
Earth Has a Small
'Quasi-Moon'
new study
Sep 22, 2025 12:07 PM CDT

Earth Has a Small 'Quasi-Moon'

Asteroid 2025 PN7 has been shadowing Earth for decades

(Newser) - A small asteroid has been quietly following the Earth around the sun for decades, and this "quasi-moon" is expected to stick around for a while longer before shooting off into space. The asteroid dubbed 2025 PN7 was first detected in August by the Pan-STARRS observatory in Hawaii, but...

College Students Who Eat Keto May See an Added Perk

Small study shows major drop in depression symptoms among those who follow ketogenic diet

(Newser) - A pilot study out of Ohio State University suggests that a ketogenic diet may help reduce depression symptoms in college students already receiving standard treatment. Sixteen students diagnosed with major depressive disorder followed a strict keto regimen—less than 50 grams of carbs daily, with higher fat and moderate...

'Clever Little Molecule' Could Be Quick Carbon Monoxide Antidote

Engineered protein clears toxin from blood in minutes

(Newser) - Researchers are testing a new protein-based treatment that could dramatically speed up care for carbon monoxide poisoning, a condition responsible for up to 100,000 emergency room visits and 1,500 deaths annually in the US. Carbon monoxide, an invisible and scentless gas, deprives organs of oxygen by binding...

Wildfire Smoke Poised to Be Top Climate Health Threat

Study notes tens of thousands of annual deaths from smoke exposure, with more harm expected

(Newser) - A new study forecasts that wildfire smoke will become the leading climate-related health hazard in the United States, eclipsing risks like extreme heat by midcentury. The analysis estimates that smoke is already responsible for upward of 41,000 excess deaths annually—a figure more than double previous estimates. Researchers...

Wild Chimps Consume the Equivalent of 2 Drinks a Day
Wild Chimps Consume the
Equivalent of 2 Drinks a Day
NEW STUDY
Sep 18, 2025 10:05 AM CDT

Wild Chimps Consume the Equivalent of 2 Drinks a Day

Their drink of choice: naturally fermented fruit juices

(Newser) - In the forests of Africa, wild chimpanzees are buzzing —unwittingly sipping the equivalent of two cocktails a day, according to new research. Scientists from UC Berkeley and other institutions spent three field seasons in Uganda and Cote d'Ivoire gathering and testing fruit regularly consumed by wild chimps...

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