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A black and white photograph of Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin, the British-American astronomer and Harvard professor who used spectral analysis to determine the composition of stars.

Space

How a Harvard maverick forever changed our concept of the stars

At just 25, Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin applied quantum physics to a treasure trove of astronomical observations to show that stars are mostly hydrogen and helium.

By Elise Cutts36 minutes ago

A birds-eye view of two small circular islands surrounded by marshy forest. The island on the right is more sparsely vegetated in this image.

Earth

Recycled glass could help fend off coastal erosion

By Jude ColemanSeptember 12, 2025

A cage of wiggly lines representing a protein structure surrounds a glowing sphere.

Physics

Scientists made a biological quantum bit out of a fluorescent protein

By Emily ConoverSeptember 12, 2025

A mosquito with a red abdomen lands on the edge of a green glass.

Humans

Want to avoid mosquito bites? Step away from the beer

By Meghan RosenSeptember 12, 2025

An illustration of silhouettes of two futuristic looking people facing each other. Their faces imply an Earthlike environment, with clouds and flying birds, while the background suggests a Mars environment with a red landscape.

Planetary Science

Future Martians will need to breathe. It won’t be easy

By Aaron TremperSeptember 11, 2025

A pale, speckled octopus rests on the sandy seafloor, with some of its arms curled into tight spirals while others stretch outward.

Animals

Octopus arms are adaptable but some are favored for particular jobs

By Jake BuehlerSeptember 11, 2025

A photograph of a scientist examining a fossilized dinosaur egg filled with crystals of calcite.

Crystallized dino eggs provide a peek into the tumultuous Late Cretaceous

By Carolyn GramlingSeptember 11, 2025

We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.

Spotlight on Health

A blond child wrapped in a duvet blows their nose

A cold today helps keep the COVID away

A recent cold appears to be a defense against COVID-19 and a partial explanation for kids’ tendency toward milder coronavirus infections.

By Aimee CunninghamAugust 29, 2025
A bioengineered protein may someday treat carbon monoxide poisoning
River turbulence can push toxic pollutants into the air

Science News Magazine

September 2025 cover of Science News

September 1, 2025 Vol. 207 No. 9

From the Archives

Space Colonies: Home, Home on Lagrange

September 6, 1975 Vol. 108 No. #10

Featured Media

Here’s how fruit flies’ giant sperm squeeze into tight spaces

Researchers found that fruit fly sperm push against one another and align in orderly bundles, preventing knots that could block reproduction.

A satellite image of Hurricane Katrina just before it makes landfall on the Gulf Coast.

20 years after Hurricane Katrina, is the U.S. better prepared?

NASA’s Webb telescope spotted a new moon orbiting Uranus

image of spectral bats huddled in a ball

These giant carnivorous bats hug, cuddle — and even share dinner

A dying star revealed its heart

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Life

A sixth mass extinction? Not so fast, some scientists say

By Jake BuehlerSeptember 4, 2025
Horses may have become rideable with the help of a genetic mutation

By Jake BuehlerAugust 28, 2025
Squashing the spotted lanternfly problem may require enlisting other species

By Erin Garcia de JesúsAugust 8, 2025

Humans

These female divers spend more time underwater than any other humans

By Brianna RandallAugust 18, 2025
Stopping menopausal hormones may require more bone monitoring

By Sofia Caetano AvritzerAugust 12, 2025
Forget discrete droplets. This is how sweat really forms

By Bethany BrookshireJuly 22, 2025

Climate

A Midwest ‘megaflash’ is the longest lightning on record

By Carolyn GramlingJuly 31, 2025
What to know about the extreme U.S. flooding — and ways to stay safe

By Carolyn GramlingJuly 17, 2025
Trees can’t get up and walk away, but forests can

By Sophie HartleyJuly 10, 2025

Astronomy

Astronomers detect the brightest ever fast radio burst

By McKenzie PrillamanSeptember 5, 2025
A newborn planet munches on gas and dust surrounding its host star

By McKenzie PrillamanAugust 29, 2025
The oldest known black hole formed more than 13.3 billion years ago

By McKenzie PrillamanAugust 15, 2025

Physics

A ‘ringing’ black hole matches scientists’ predictions

By Emily ConoverSeptember 10, 2025
Sunlight is all that’s needed to keep these tiny aircraft aloft

By Emily ConoverAugust 13, 2025
Scientists 3-D printed a tiny elephant inside a cell

By Emily ConoverJuly 8, 2025

Health & Medicine

The brain preserves maps of missing hands for years

By Laura SandersSeptember 10, 2025
Chemicals in marijuana may affect women’s fertility

By Sofia Caetano AvritzerSeptember 9, 2025
Drugs like Ozempic might lower cancer risk

By Meghan RosenSeptember 8, 2025

Earth

Useful metals get unearthed in U.S. mines, then they’re tossed

By Nikk OgasaAugust 26, 2025
Why devastating tsunamis didn’t follow the Russia earthquake

By Nikk OgasaJuly 30, 2025
How hot can Earth get? Our planet’s climate history holds clues

By Elise CuttsJuly 17, 2025

Science & Society

Scientists are people too, a new book reminds readers

By Karen KwonAugust 19, 2025
Screen addiction affects teens’ mental health. How to spot it, and help

By Sujata GuptaJuly 22, 2025
A Supreme Court ruling on nuclear waste spotlights U.S. storage woes

By Emily ConoverJune 18, 2025