Stress may literally scramble the brain’s internal GPS. Researchers found that cortisol, a hormone released during stress, made people significantly worse at navigating a virtual environment and disrupted the precise activity of grid cells, specialized brain cells that help us understand where we are in space. When landmarks were missing, this navigation system nearly stopped functioning, while another brain region appeared to step in and compensate.
Deep underground, bacteria may be capable of doing something remarkable: trapping toxic uranium before it spreads. When researchers fed microbes in uranium-contaminated mine water with glycerol, about 95% of the dissolved uranium disappeared within 130 days. The bacteria helped convert it into an unusually stable uranium compound that had rarely been observed before.
Atomically thin semiconductors could enable dramatically smaller and more efficient chips, but a stubborn problem at the boundary between materials has limited their performance. Researchers have now engineered that atomic interface to protect electron flow while still allowing extremely thin insulating layers. The resulting transistors delivered an unusually strong combination of electrical control and performance.
CT scans of the world’s rarest dodo skulls suggest the extinct bird may have had a stronger sense of smell, a highly sensitive beak, and a lifestyle that extended into dawn and dusk. The discoveries are helping overturn centuries-old myths and reveal a far more complex animal than the famously “dumb” dodo of popular imagination.
An intensive seven-day meditation retreat triggered striking changes across the brain and body, including shifts tied to neuroplasticity, immunity, metabolism, and natural pain relief. Participants also showed brain connectivity patterns resembling those associated with psychedelic experiences, suggesting that powerful altered states may be achievable without drugs.
More than 60,000 years ago, humans in southern Africa were engraving ostrich eggshells with intricate geometric patterns that appear far more organized than previously realized. Researchers found recurring grids, parallel lines, right angles, and repeated shapes, suggesting the designs followed deliberate rules rather than being improvised. The engravers may even have planned entire patterns in their minds before carving them.
Dinosaurs conquered the land at enormous sizes, but strangely, they almost never evolved into truly tiny animals. New research suggests that physiology alone can’t explain this missing miniature end of the dinosaur spectrum—and that early mammals may have been partly responsible. While dinosaurs kept mammals from becoming large, small mammals may have returned the favor by occupying ecological niches that could otherwise have supported mouse-sized dinosaurs.
Chemists have developed a catalyst that breaks a long-standing rule governing which molecules receive electrons during chemical reactions. By releasing electrons directly into solution, the technique could unlock reactions—and potentially useful new molecules—that were previously out of reach.
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Meanwhile, Iran has made new demands about the restart of negotiations and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and the Pentagon is pressing the U.S. defense industry to accelerate production of weapons.
Scharf, who helped president win approval for $400m ballroom, to replace David Warrington on 1 September Donald Trump announced on Sunday that Will Scharf, the staff secretary who helped secure approval for the $400m White House ballroom project, will become White House counsel and assistant to the president. Effective 1 September, Scharf will replace David Warrington, who will be leaving the administration to join the private sector. Warrington formerly served as a personal counsel and a lawyer for Trump’s 2024 campaign. Continue reading...
Astronomers say viewing conditions promising for this year’s shower, and 50 to 100 meteors an hour may be visible The Perseid summer light show is back, and viewing conditions are especially promising across the northern hemisphere. The meteor shower’s is expected to peak on Wednesday night into Thursday morning, and coincides with a total solar eclipse across Spain, Iceland and Greenland and a six-planet parade – though the best time to view the fireballs will come after totality. Continue reading...
Michigan nominee, who spoke to Obama after primary win, vows to fight inequality as president ‘makes billions off you’ Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for US Senate in Michigan, embraced Donald Trump’s suggestion that the two represent “VERY DIFFERENT” versions of the US, pledging to fight inequality while the president is “making billions of dollars off of you”. In a Saturday night post on his Truth Social platform, Trump shared an image of himself and the first lady, Melania Trump, beside a photo of El-Sayed, who is Muslim, and his wife, Sarah Jukaku, wearing a hijab. “Two VERY DIFFERENT America’s [sic],” read the caption. Continue reading...
The Senate on Friday overwhelmingly voted for new sanctions on Russia amid its war with Ukraine, which the late Sen. Lindsey Graham had fought for before his death in July.
22-year-old finishes two points clear of Shane Wiskus Paris bronze medalist rebounds from difficult 2025 Nedoroscik falters as Hoopes wins pommel horse gold Frederick Richard won his first US men’s gymnastics all-around title Saturday night, flashing the form he believes can make him a contender at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The 22-year-old Richard, a key member of the men’s team that earned bronze at the Paris Games two summers ago, posted a two-day total of 170.015, two points clear of runner-up Shane Wiskus and three points ahead of promising newcomer Danila Leykin. Continue reading...
British Columbia declared a state of emergency Saturday after a fast-moving wildfire destroyed homes and forced more than 20,000 people to flee their communities.
Stacy Librandi went to Haiti as a volunteer new to disaster relief in 2010. Sixteen years later, she runs the largest and foremost emergency medical ambulance and medevac service in Haiti.
Correspondent Anderson Cooper spoke to 60 Minutes Overtime about his former math teacher, Yves Volel, who ran for president in Haiti in 1987 and was later assassinated.
Food writer Michael Pollan, who has written about the health risks of highly processed foods for decades, shared his advice for eating healthier and avoiding ultraprocessed foods with 60 Minutes correspondent Bill Whitaker.
Indiana University football was known for losing. That changed with the recent historic season, when head coach Curt Cignetti and quarterback Fernando Mendoza led the team to a national championship.
In Port-au-Prince, Haiti's gang-controlled capital, there's an orphanage taking in the most at-risk kids. It's run by bestselling author Mitch Albom and his wife Janine.
There have been 183 new wildfires, including eight large ones, across the U.S. since Saturday, the National Interagency Fire Center reported on Sunday.
Vollering, who first won the competition in 2023, finished the stage more than a minute ahead of Spaniard Paula Blasi Cairol and 2024 champion Polish rider Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney.
Suspected crime boss Daniel Kinahan appeared in court and was charged with directing the activities of a criminal organisation after being extradited from Dubai.
Derek McInnes is still seeking a win after three games as Rangers managers and feels hard done by following a 2-1 home defeat by Hibernian and injury to big-money striker Youssef Chermiti.
Full-fat dairy may be healthier than conventional advice has suggested. In a 12-week study, adults who ate three servings a day showed no meaningful increases in weight, body fat, cholesterol, or insulin resistance. They also experienced improved blood pressure and consumed more calcium, protein, and vitamin D. The findings suggest dairy’s complex structure may matter more than its saturated fat content alone.
Frequent cannabis users may wake up with unusually high levels of the stress hormone cortisol, suggesting their daily stress rhythms could be disrupted. Researchers say the finding raises questions about whether using cannabis for stress relief might, over time, interfere with the very system that helps the body handle stress.
Two men are facing charges after authorities seized two anacondas and 46 venomous snakes – including a cobra and pit vipers – from a warehouse in Connecticut.
Tobacco hawkmoths may use these tiny hairs to find a place to lay their eggs. The post These furry moths smell with their wings appeared first on Popular Science .
After more than a year and a half of negotiations, Syria and Russia have agreed on new parameters of Russia’s military presence in Syria. Syria said it opens the way for a new phase in relations.
President Trump’s Board of Peace announced an agreement last month that aimed at Hamas’s giving up its weapons alongside an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
A study tracking more than 340,000 adults for over a decade found that heavy drinking increased the risk of death regardless of beverage type. At lower levels, however, the picture became more surprising: beer, cider, and spirits were linked to higher mortality, while wine was associated with lower risk. Moderate wine drinkers had a 21% lower risk of cardiovascular death compared with people who rarely or never drank.
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Major packaged-goods companies, retailers and food makers are seeing substantial increases in overseas revenue that are outpacing slowing domestic sales.
Our world looks different from above. The post 16 gorgeous images from the 2026 Aerial Photographer of the Year Awards appeared first on Popular Science .
A recent Salmonella outbreak that has made hundreds sick across 27 states has spurred a new public health alert for multiple meat and poultry items sold at major grocery and convenience store chains.