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A game “board” on a piece of limestone solved by AI

AI helps archaeologists solve a Roman gaming mystery

Researchers used AI-driven virtual players to test more than 100 rule sets, matching gameplay to wear patterns on a Roman limestone board.

By Tom Metcalfe3 hours ago

Two cups of takeout coffee or tea sit on a table.

Health & Medicine

Daily cups of caffeinated coffee or mugs of tea may lower dementia risk

By Aimee Cunningham11 hours ago

two grayish brown fragments of elk hide and a rustic fiber cord are shown against a black background.

The world’s oldest piece of clothing might be an Ice Age–era hide from Oregon

By Tom Metcalfe13 hours ago

Three barbie dolls stand in front of a pink background.

Science & Society

Autistic Barbie reminds us stories have the power to counter misinformation

By Laura SandersFebruary 6, 2026

A photo of the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider

Physics

The only U.S. particle collider shuts down – so a new one may rise

By Emily ConoverFebruary 6, 2026

Ice fishers in Finland are helping researchers understand how people forage.

When the fish stop biting, ice fishers follow the crowd

By Sujata GuptaFebruary 6, 2026

Kenzi the bonobo being groomed by anohter bonobo

Animals

A bonobo’s imaginary tea party suggests apes can play pretend

By RJ MackenzieFebruary 5, 2026

We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.

Spotlight on Health

A tear gas canister flies toward a crowd of people.

Tear gas and pepper spray can have lasting health effects

The chemicals are widely used for crowd control, but their long-term health risks are poorly understood.

By Nikk OgasaFebruary 2, 2026
The best way to help Alzheimer’s patients may be to help their caregivers
Widespread use of HPV shots could mean fewer cervical cancer screenings

Science News Magazine

cover of February 2026 issue of Science News

February 1, 2026 Vol. 208 No. 2

From Science News Investors Lab

Featured Media

Kenzi the bonobo being groomed by anohter bonobo

A bonobo’s imaginary tea party suggests apes can play pretend

Apes, like humans, are capable of pretend play, challenging long-held views about how animals think, a new study suggests.

Humpback whales pop their mouths out of the water while seabirds fly overhead.

Canadian humpback whales thrive with a little help from their friends

Two X-rays side by side show a man's new lungs and his old ones, which wew so damaged they could not hold air.

Artificial lungs kept a man alive until he could get a transplant

different animals appearing to experience joy – laughing or smiling. Axolotl, turtle, monkey, horse and dolphin.

Animals experience joy. Scientists want to measure it

This hand stencil in Indonesia is now the oldest known rock art

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More Stories

Life

There’s life beneath the snow, but it’s at risk of melting away

By Bethany BrookshireJanuary 20, 2026
Watch a cancer cell evade capture

By Meghan RosenDecember 22, 2025
How these strange cells may explain the origin of complex life

By Michael MarshallDecember 11, 2025

Humans

Have a taste of our favorite food stories from 2025

By Carly KayDecember 24, 2025
‘Black Religion in the Madhouse’ examines psychiatry and race post-Civil War

By Aimee CunninghamDecember 12, 2025
Ancient southern Africans took genetic evolution in a new direction

By Bruce BowerDecember 3, 2025

Climate

Polar bears in the Barents Sea are staying fat despite rapid sea ice loss

By Rebecca DzombakJanuary 29, 2026
Earth’s last 3 years were its hottest on record

By Carolyn GramlingJanuary 13, 2026
Hidden tree bark microbes munch on important climate gases

By Douglas FoxJanuary 8, 2026

Astronomy

A double cosmic explosion could be the first known ‘superkilonova’

By Lisa GrossmanJanuary 9, 2026
Galaxies with ‘hoop skirts’ are more common than we thought

By Lisa GrossmanJanuary 7, 2026
Against the odds, a burbling lava planet retains an atmosphere

By Carly KayDecember 30, 2025

Physics

A Greek star catalog from the dawn of astronomy, revealed

By Adam MannJanuary 30, 2026
A massive clump of dark matter may lurk in the Milky Way

By Emily ConoverJanuary 29, 2026
Physics theories about the multiverse are stranger than fiction

By Maria TemmingJanuary 23, 2026

Health & Medicine

Gum disease bacteria can promote cancer growth in mice

By Meghan RosenFebruary 4, 2026
Poor sleep may account for a large share of dementia cases

By Marla BroadfootFebruary 2, 2026
Genes may shape how long we live more than once thought

By Jake BuehlerJanuary 29, 2026

Earth

A long-lost tectonic fragment may be shaking Northern California

By Carolyn GramlingJanuary 16, 2026
Some of 2025’s scientific discoveries broke records

By Erin Garcia de JesúsDecember 31, 2025
An underwater volcano off Oregon didn’t erupt in 2025 after all. Why not?

By Carolyn GramlingDecember 22, 2025

Science & Society

These scientific discoveries brought us joy in 2025

By Laura SandersJanuary 2, 2026
This new year, maybe resolve to quit

By Sujata GuptaJanuary 2, 2026
Gratitude can increase joy, even if it feels a little cringe

By Sujata GuptaNovember 26, 2025