ScienceAlert

New reporting highlights that human populations living in the Andes appear to have evolved an unusual genetic ability, likely tied to survival at high altitude. The finding adds to ongoing research into how Andean communities have biologically adapted to life in thin-air environments, and it is drawing attention from readers interested in human evolution and genetics.

Scientists estimate up to 2.8 million deep-sea eels live in waters near Tasmania, according to new research highlighted by ScienceAlert and Australian outlets. The finding has drawn attention to the little-known eel populations of the deep ocean off Australia's south-east coast and what they reveal about deep-sea ecosystems.

Scientists report that something unexpected is living in the old fuel still leaking from Second World War shipwrecks resting on the seabed. The finding suggests microbes may be thriving on, and possibly breaking down, decades-old petroleum seeping from the wrecks. The story is drawing attention for its eerie novelty and its implications for how ocean ecosystems handle long-term fossil fuel pollution.

Scientists report that multiple moth lineages have independently evolved a strange defence: rubbing their genitalia to produce ultrasonic clicks that jam bat echolocation. The repeated evolution of this anti-bat 'scream' across unrelated species highlights how strong predatory pressure from bats drives similar adaptations again and again.

A physicist argues that a short mathematical argument rules out time travel in many possible universes, according to a report by ScienceAlert. The claim is drawing attention for how simple the reasoning is, given how long the paradoxes of time travel have fascinated scientists and the public.

Researchers have identified a new subtype of depression linked to disruptions in the body's circadian rhythm, or internal clock. According to the findings, roughly one in four people with depression may fall into this 'circadian' category, meaning their symptoms are tied to sleep-wake cycle disturbances. The classification could pave the way for more targeted treatments, such as therapies that reset daily rhythms, rather than one-size-fits-all approaches.

ScienceAlert is highlighting aphantasia, the condition in which people cannot form mental images. Most people can vividly recall moments like seeing their child for the first time or an ex for the last time, but those with aphantasia cannot picture such memories, except perhaps in dreams. The piece is prompting readers to share whether they experience the phenomenon.

Researchers report detecting structures resembling blood cells preserved inside a dinosaur fossil estimated at 115 million years old. If confirmed, the find would be among the oldest soft-tissue evidence ever recovered from a dinosaur, offering rare insight into the biology of animals that died out tens of millions of years ago.

A widely shared report says there is a surprisingly simple way to remove microplastics from drinking water, a concern for many households given growing evidence that tiny plastic particles are found in tap and bottled water worldwide. The claim is drawing attention from readers keen to reduce their everyday exposure to plastic contamination.

A new study suggests the early Solar System was warmer and fire-dominated rather than icy from its very beginning, challenging assumptions that planet-forming disks started cold. The findings, reported by ScienceAlert, point to heat being a defining feature of the disk that formed the Sun and planets, shaping where different materials and planets could form.

A physicist argues that a short, three-line mathematical argument rules out time travel across a broad class of possible universes, according to coverage by ScienceAlert and Yahoo News. The claim suggests that under certain cosmological conditions, closed timelike curves cannot exist, making travel to the past impossible in those scenarios rather than merely impractical.

A new study suggests that eating blueberries every day may help reduce depressive symptoms in older adults, ScienceAlert reports. The findings point to a possible dietary, low-risk way to support mental health later in life, and the story is being shared widely in science-focused circles.

ScienceAlert reports that researchers have documented a male donkey and a bull engaging in sexual behaviour, an unusual cross-species interaction that scientists are treating as noteworthy. Observations of same-sex and cross-species behaviour in livestock are rare in the scientific literature, and the report has drawn attention as an odd but real recorded case.

Scientists have documented an enormous aggregation of deep-sea eels off the coast of Tasmania, with millions of the animals caught gathering in one area. The sightings, reported by ScienceAlert, are drawing attention because the eels are poorly understood and such mass gatherings are rarely observed, prompting questions about what draws them together in the deep ocean.

People with aphantasia cannot voluntarily picture images in their mind while awake, yet many still experience vivid visual dreams. The condition, first named in 2015, is drawing fresh attention as researchers explore how dreaming can remain visual when waking imagination does not. The findings highlight how visualising and dreaming may rely on partly separate brain processes, prompting discussion about individual differences in mental imagery.

Researchers have developed a robot dog controlled by lab-grown human brain cells, according to ScienceAlert. The hybrid system combines biological neural tissue with robotic hardware, raising questions about the future of biohybrid machines. The story is drawing attention for its striking blend of neuroscience and robotics, with commentators weighing in on both the scientific achievement and the ethical questions it raises.

ScienceAlert has published a piece tracing the real story behind a distorted face image that has been spreading across social media and unsettling viewers worldwide. The article examines where the image came from and why it keeps resurfacing. The viral face has become a recurring topic of online discussion, with many sharing their reactions to the disturbing image.

A recent study highlighted by ScienceAlert suggests people regularly discard the most nutritious parts of fruit and vegetables, such as peels and other trimmings often thrown away during preparation. The findings have prompted online discussion about reducing food waste and rethinking kitchen habits, with many surprised that what they consider scraps may be among the healthiest components of fresh produce.

A flight log from the mission that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima has drawn attention after reports that two words recorded in it reveal a previously overlooked detail about the 1945 attack. Readers are sharing the historical finding, which offers a fresh, chilling glimpse into the decisions and records surrounding the bombing that ended the Second World War.

A new study suggests near-death experiences may follow consistent patterns involving shape and color, hinting at underlying rules in how people describe these intense episodes. Reported by ScienceAlert, the findings are drawing attention for what they could reveal about consciousness during moments of extreme physical crisis. Researchers are probing whether shared visual descriptions point to common features of how the brain behaves at the edge of death.

Scientists report that uranium waste stored at an Australian mine, believed to be safely contained, is being mobilised by microbes. Microbial activity is apparently altering the chemistry of the waste, allowing uranium to move in ways storage plans did not anticipate. The finding raises questions about the long-term security of mine waste containment and how storage designs account for biological processes underground.

New research suggests that people with the darkest impulses—traits linked to psychopathy, narcissism and machiavellianism—can be remarkably adept at climbing the corporate ladder, often ending up in positions of great power. Writing for ScienceAlert, a look at how far back the phenomenon goes, tracing examples of such figures in corporate life back roughly 400 years.

New reporting highlights growing research suggesting frequent or extended daytime napping may be tied to a higher risk of developing dementia, or could serve as an early warning sign of cognitive decline. Researchers are still weighing whether long naps cause harm, reflect underlying brain changes, or both, and experts caution more study is needed before drawing firm conclusions.

Scientists asked 50 people who reported near-death experiences to map out what they went through, and the accounts reportedly revealed an eerie, recurring pattern. Coverage from ScienceAlert and other outlets is drawing attention to how common elements — such as out-of-body sensations, light and tunnel imagery — recur across individuals, fuelling fresh debate about what happens in the brain and consciousness at the threshold of death.

Scientists have run 100,000 simulations of comets striking Earth, and the outcomes reportedly defied expectations. The study, covered by ScienceAlert, is drawing attention as researchers assess what the unexpected findings reveal about the likelihood and consequences of comet impacts on our planet.

A new report describes physicists running simulations of what would happen if two wormholes collided, with results described as surprising or strange. The story is circulating among science and physics enthusiasts online, who are sharing the write-up and discussing the implications for our understanding of spacetime and general relativity. Details of the findings beyond the headline are limited.

A new study reported by ScienceAlert suggests the Solar System's inner rocky, 'fire' planets and outer icy worlds were separated almost from the start, with early conditions favoring heat over ice near the Sun. The findings bear on long-standing questions about how planets formed and why Earth ended up where it did.

ScienceAlert reports that the oldest bodies of the outer Solar System were composed of 83–92% chondrules, the small spherical grains that formed in the early solar nebula. The finding offers new insight into how the first planetesimals assembled, suggesting chondrule-rich material was a major building block even in the outer reaches of the Solar System billions of years ago.

A new study suggests cranberry juice can suppress the growth of dental plaque. The findings point to compounds in cranberries that appear to interfere with the bacteria responsible for plaque buildup on teeth. The report has been shared among science readers, drawing attention to cranberry juice as a possible aid for oral health, though the extent of any real-world dental benefit remains to be established.

A newly described fossil indicates that a human ancestor existed roughly 200,000 years earlier than previously believed, according to a report shared widely by science commentators. The finding, covered by ScienceAlert, suggests the species' timeline in the fossil record must be pushed back, prompting discussion among paleoanthropologists about what this means for the broader picture of human evolution and early hominin history.