The Guardian Science

Can humans hibernate their way to Mars?

Scientists are trying to recreate the biology that lets animals survive months without food or water, in hopes of making deep-space travel possibleLong-term space travel is bad for your health. Very bad. Being in space exposes humans to dangerously high levels of radiation; extended exposure to microgravity can damage a range of organ systems, including muscles, bones and eyes. Living for months or years in tight quarters can have severe psychological effects.The key to solving these problems co

science  Jul 14, 2026

Science Daily

Popular weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy may slow biological aging

Researchers found that semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, slowed biological aging markers in adults with HIV, marking the first clinical evidence that the drug may influence human aging. Although the findings are encouraging, scientists say larger studies are needed before concluding that the medication can help people age more slowly.

science  Jul 14, 2026

The Guardian Science

Heat can be deadly, but sunshine itself? Science says we could use more of it | Rowan Jacobsen

Extreme exposure should be avoided, but we’ve gone too far the other way – enjoyed safely, the sun can have enormous health benefitsHigh summer has returned to the UK, and with it, the usual warnings about the dangers of sunlight and reminders to seek shade and cover up. After years of such advice, most members of the public naturally assume that the science connecting sun exposure to poor health is well established, so people are often shocked to learn that the opposite is true: those who spend

science  Jul 14, 2026

Science Daily

This dinosaur fossil captures the final moments of a T. rex attack

A fossilized Edmontosaurus skull with a Tyrannosaurus tooth still embedded in its face has given scientists rare evidence of a dramatic predator-prey encounter. The discovery suggests the giant carnivore delivered an incredibly powerful face-to-face bite, offering new clues about how Tyrannosaurus hunted.

science  Jul 14, 2026

The Guardian Science

Giving nature a say: why Scottish marine scientists appointed the ocean to their board

As the rights of nature are increasingly being recognised, the Scottish Association for Marine Science is the latest organisation to make the ocean a trusteeIn a boardroom in an office building in Oban, a picturesque town on the west coast of Scotland, trustees attending meetings have long been able to see the breaking waves of the Atlantic through the windows. But since last month, the ocean has also been present in the room, with an unusual new initiative ensuring that it now has a say on deci

science  Jul 14, 2026

Science Daily

NASA's Perseverance just completed a marathon on Mars

NASA's Perseverance rover has reached an impressive new milestone on Mars, completing the equivalent of a full marathon by driving 26.2 miles (42.195 kilometers) across the Red Planet. It accomplished the feat in just five years and four months, reaching the distance on its 1,890th Martian day, less than half the time it took the previous record holder, NASA's Opportunity rover.

science  Jul 14, 2026

Science Daily

NASA selects four new Moon missions to build a permanent lunar base

NASA is ramping up its lunar ambitions by awarding nearly $600 million for four commercial Moon landings planned for late 2028. Each mission will carry the same trio of science instruments to improve lunar navigation, study dangerous dust kicked up during landings, and map the Moon's radiation environment. The agency also revealed plans for new rovers, communication satellites, and additional cargo missions as it lays the groundwork for a permanent Moon Base.

science  Jul 14, 2026

Science Daily

Scientists discover why peach fuzz can suddenly make you itch

A newly discovered network of fine hairs and specialized nerve cells appears to form a dedicated system for sensing mechanical itch, offering fresh insight into why chronic itching occurs. Because humans show signs of having the same pathway, the research could pave the way for more effective treatments for conditions such as eczema.

science  Jul 14, 2026

NASA News

Fans of the Arctic

Sediment eroded from ice-capped mountains splays out across a broad river valley on Russia’s Severny Island.

science  Jul 14, 2026

The Guardian Science

Sale of multimillion-dollar T rex skeleton is big headache for scientists

Palaeontologists warn before auction at Sotheby’s in New York that super-rich collectors are harming researchWith its dagger-like teeth, bone-crushing bite and behemothic size, the fearsome Tyrannosaurus rex ruled western North America during the late Cretaceous period. Now its fossilised remains are about to dominate the auction house, with a price tag to terrify punters.On Tuesday, one of the largest and most complete T rex skeletons discovered to date is to be auctioned by Sotheby’s in New Yo

science  Jul 14, 2026

The Guardian Science

Fungi: the invisible force protecting our planet – podcast

Scientists often talk about the importance of flora and fauna to the health of our planet, but Dr Toby Kiers, an evolutionary biologist and founder of the Society for the Protection of Underground Networks, wants us to consider another force: fungi. Her work charting the planet’s vital underground systems has earned her numerous awards, including a MacArthur fellowship and a Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement (sometimes called the ‘green’ Nobel). She tells Ian Sample about her work mappin

science  Jul 14, 2026

Science Daily

Alan Turing's biggest AI assumption may have been wrong

A new book claims AI has been built on a flawed assumption dating back to Alan Turing's famous 1950 paper. Peter J. Denning argues that the most important parts of human intelligence, including common sense, intuition, culture, and practical know-how, cannot be encoded into computers. He believes this makes true human-level AI impossible, regardless of how large language models become.

science  Jul 14, 2026

Science Daily

New dark matter theory could solve multiple cosmic mysteries at once

Dark matter may be far more complicated than scientists once believed. A new study suggests it could consist of at least two different kinds of particles that slowly separate over time, with heavier particles sinking toward the centers of galaxies and lighter ones drifting outward. This simple idea could explain several puzzling cosmic observations that have frustrated astronomers for years, from unusually diffuse dwarf galaxies to surprisingly dense dark matter clumps that bend light through gr

science  Jul 14, 2026

Science Daily

Yale scientists found a hidden network inside the eye

Researchers have discovered that the retina uses an unexpected communication network that lets separate visual pathways cooperate instead of working alone. A newly identified "commander" cell appears to coordinate this system, helping the eye detect faint details that might otherwise be missed.

science  Jul 14, 2026

NASA News

Curiosity Blog, Sols 4941-4947: (Pin)Stripes on the Fourth of July

Written by Deborah Padgett, MSL Operations Product Ground System Task Lead at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory Earth planning date: Thursday, July 2, 2026 Curiosity spent the week leading up to the Fourth of July holiday approaching a geologic boundary between a very smooth but somewhat sandy region and a rougher bedrock unit.  Leaving the polygonal […]

science  Jul 14, 2026

Science Daily

Exercise doesn't just strengthen the heart. It rewires it

Exercise doesn't just make the heart stronger. It also rewires the nerves that regulate it, a discovery that could pave the way for more personalized treatments for common heart conditions such as arrhythmias and angina.

science  Jul 14, 2026

NASA News

NASA Study Points to Smoother Air Taxi Rides

No one wants to get into an uncomfortable aircraft. NASA research could help the emerging industry of air taxis —small, vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft meant for short trips — understand the relationship between comfort and willingness to fly. That’s where NASA comes in, with data that can help identify how to plan air taxi rides that can […]

science  Jul 13, 2026

NASA News

NASA Astronaut Anil Menon

NASA astronaut Anil Menon poses in a spacesuit for a portrait at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas on Jan. 8, 2026. Menon will launch aboard the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft to the International Space Station on Tuesday, July 14, accompanied by cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina, where they will join the Expedition […]

science  Jul 13, 2026

The Guardian Science

Natural sugar discovered in cloud of dust and gas near centre of Milky Way

Detection of erythrulose, also found in raspberries, shows that compounds key to life can form in interstellar spaceA natural sugar found in raspberries and used in fake tan lotions has been detected in an enormous cloud of dust and gas that lurks near the heart of the Milky Way.The discovery does not suggest that the galaxy revolves around a distant civilisation of pale, safety-conscious frugivores, but shows that compounds important for life can form in the frigid expanse between the stars. Co

science  Jul 13, 2026

NASA News

NASA’s Hubble Discovers First of Star Cluster’s Missing Black Holes

Astronomers using archival data from Hubble and supportive observations from Webb have located their first stellar-mass black hole in the star cluster Omega Centauri.

science  Jul 13, 2026