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The most popular blog posts about science & space on Hacker News. 220 posts.
The Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) and the Universidad de La Laguna (ULL) has confirmed the discovery of a super-Earth orbiting in the habitable zone of HD 20794, a nearby Sun-like star. This discovery, the result of over two decades of observations, opens a window to future studies of Earth-like planetary…
Research from Anthropic on the faithfulness of AI models' chain-of-thought reasoning.
The Mosquito Bucket of Death is a safe and environmentally sound way to rid your yard of mosquitoes. Here's how you make them.
Researchers from Penn Engineering have discovered nanostructured materials that can passively harvest water from the air without energy input, enabling water-harvesting systems for arid regions.
Open Access Publication & ACM
Following the posting of the preprint paper “Artificial Intelligence, Scientific Discovery, and Product Innovation” on arXiv in November 2024, concerns were raised about the integrity of the research. MIT conducted an internal, confidential review and concluded that the paper should be withdrawn from public discourse.
Imagine shrinking satellite technology that predicts the weather into a device that transmits vital information about the health of the person wearing it.
A new study from South Dakota State University reveals how grapevine canes can be converted into plastic-like material that is stronger than traditional plastic and will decompose in the environment in a relatively short amount of time.
While conventional and commonplace today, maps have not always had north at the top. And they don't need to.
Gravitational waves from massive black holes challenge current astrophysical models
Loneliness increases death risk by 32% but we know how to fix it. Real solutions that cut loneliness in half, from mindfulness to community…
A team of scientists and students from TU Delft has taken first place at the A2RL Drone Championship in Abu Dhabi - an international race that pushes the limits of physical artificial intelligence, challenging teams to fly fully autonomous drones using only a single camera. The TU Delft drone competed against 13…
An analysis of studies incorporating data from almost 30 million people has highlighted the role that air pollution – including that coming from car exhaust emissions – plays in increased risk of dementia.
Gene therapy can improve hearing in children and adults with congenital deafness or severe hearing impairment, a new study involving researchers at Karolinska Institutet reports. Hearing improved in all ten patients, and the treatment was well-tolerated. The study was conducted in collaboration with hospitals and…
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2025 was awarded jointly to Mary E. Brunkow, Frederick J. Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi "for their discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance"
LOS ANGELES — A new drug-releasing system, TAR-200, eliminated tumors in 82% of patients in a phase 2 clinical trial for individuals with high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer whose cancer had previously resisted treatment. In the majority of cases, the cancer disappeared after only three months of treatment…
Average blood levels far exceed those considered to cause impairment.
Record-high solar and wind bring the US to a clean power tipping point.
Update: did you enjoy our April Fool’s day story? While sheep do roam the CERN site and exhibit interesting flocking behaviour, no evidence has been found of their quantum entanglement (yet). However, CERN is participating in the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology . You can see the list of public…
Taking inspiration from a rare mutation that makes people impervious to viral diseases, a Columbia researcher is developing a therapy that could bestow this superpower on the rest of us.
Dolphin researchers are using Gemma and Google Pixel phones to try to decipher how dolphins talk to one another.
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2025 was awarded jointly to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar M. Yaghi "for the development of metal–organic frameworks"
A new study found that a gene recently recognized as a biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease is actually a cause of it, due to its previously unknown secondary function that triggers a pathway that disrupts how cells in the brain turn genes on and off.
Introducing Continuous Thought Machines: a new kind of neural network model that unfolds and uses neural dynamics as a powerful representation for thought.
Researchers have successfully used CRISPR gene editing technology to create a fungi strain that is highly efficient, more nutritious, and significantly more sustainable than its natural counterpart. The fungus Fusarium venenatum already stands out for its meat-like flavor and texture, leading to its approval for food…
Before the 1970s, most children affected by leukemia would quickly die from it. Now, most children in rich countries are cured.
From the Global South to the Arctic, can machine learning-enabled weather prediction better protect communities and economies?
The new AI model delivers more efficient, more accurate and higher-resolution global weather predictions.
