From Science Magazine. Nearly everyone has fun on a carousel—including, possibly, fruit flies. Scientists observed some flies embarking on a spinning platform voluntarily and repeatedly, suggesting the animals may find the movement appealing for some reason. If confirmed, it would add to the small but growing pile of evidence for play in invertebrates—and would be…

From Science Magazine. Oxytocin plays an essential role in the spread of fear in zebrafish, a 2023 Science study finds. The results suggest that the most basal form of empathy could have evolved many millions of years ago. Learn more: https://scim.ag/3ZCMnv3 CREDITS: (FOOTAGE) GETTY IMAGES; POND5; RUI OLIVEIRA; IBUKUN AKINRINADE; GULBANKIAN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE; (MUSIC)…

From Science Magazine. Crops can tolerate the scorching sunshine of a heat wave if they have enough water, but sweltering nights can spell particularly serious trouble. Researchers in China have discovered a gene that helps protect rice from two impacts of heat: lower yield and poor-quality grain. CREDITS: (FOOTAGE) LI ET AL./CELL; (IMAGES) LI ET…

From Science Magazine. Large-bodied animals can maintain territories up to hundreds of square kilometers in size, and they defend these vast domains however they can, from leaving behind their scent to getting physically aggressive. But there are tiny, equally brave critters that protect much smaller areas, too Last year, researchers discovered that a type of…

From Science Magazine. Spiderman famously does whatever a spider can—including spinning webs and bounding though the air. But what about the superhero’s habit of slinging perfectly aimed webs to catch nimble nemeses? Turns out he gets that from spiders, too: Researchers reported in 2024 that ray spiders not only catapult their sticky webs to ensnare…

From Science Magazine. The neurophysiology of resting rodents could hold secrets to suspended animation. Learn more: https://scim.ag/4kxdcKK CREDITS: (FOOTAGE) MADDY JUNKINS; ELENA GRACHEVA; BLACKBOXGUILD/POND5; (MUSIC) NJ CURRY/TRIPLE SCOOP; (VIDEO PRODUCTION) LUKE GROSKIN #Squirrels #Science #ScienceShorts

From Science Magazine. Last year researchers finally put a face to one of our long-lost relatives—confirming with DNA evidence that a 146,000-year-old skull known as the “Dragon Man” belonged to a Denisovan, an extinct lineage of humans that, like the Neanderthals, once shared the planet with modern humans. CREDITS: (FOOTAGE) ABALDETE/POND5; (PHOTOS) CHINESE ACADEMY OF…

From Science Magazine. For a century, scientists have searched for a titan lurking in the oceans’ depths: a squid that can weigh up to half a ton. In 2025, a team of researchers revealed the first video ever taken of this enormous predator, the colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni), in its natural deep-water habitat—and managed to…

From Science Magazine. It’s not unusual for ecologists to trek deep into the wilderness to study creatures in the wild. But scientists tracking polar bears in the Arctic face more extreme hurdles: subzero temperatures, hard-to-reach locations, and a changing landscape that can make the bears hard to find and follow. Last year, researchers have tested…

From Science Magazine. Cancer cells may acquire some of their destructive vigor from their healthy neighbors. A research team has found that neurons donate mitochondria to the malignant cells, a discovery that could explain why tumors often grow faster in the presence of nerves. CREDITS: (RESEARCH) COARFA ET AL./THE PROSTATE; HOOVER ET AL./NATURE; (VIDEO PRODUCTION)…

From Science Magazine. Whales sing, orcas squeal, and sea turtles croak. But sharks are more the strong, silent type. Last year, researchers reported the first evidence that sharks make sounds, too, as described in Royal Society Open Science. Read more: https://scim.ag/4bsJ6FM FOOTAGE CREDIT: NEIDER ET AL./ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE #Sharks #Science #ScienceShorts

From Science Magazine. With its UFO-like display, this cuttlefish may look like it’s trying to get attention—but its intent is anything but. The undulating black stripes confuse prey, making the creatures all but invisible to crabs and other victims, researchers report in Science Advances. The discovery is the first known example of an animal masking…

From Science Magazine. After wildfires consumed houses and brush alike in Los Angeles, researchers mobilized to understand the health risks posed by urban conflagrations. Read more: https://scim.ag/4a0r1fP CREDITS: (FOOTAGE) RYAN WALVOORD/US NAVY; (IMAGES) WARREN CORNWALL; EDELSON/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES; MARIO TAMA/GETTY IMAGES; PLANET LABS PBC; WILDFIRE CONSERVANCY; (GRAPHIC) M. HERSHER/SCIENCE; (SCRIPT) K. MCLEAN/SCIENCE #LAWildfires #Science…

From Science Magazine. The Science staff named the rise of renewable energy as the 2025 Breakthrough of the Year, but there were many other research advances that caught our attention last year. Here are nine other impactful achievements you might have missed last year. 0:00 2025 Breakthrough of the Year 0:36 Neurons supercharge cancer cells…

From Science Magazine. A new Science Robotics study highlights a control approach that enables Punyo, a humanoid upper body robot, to manipulate unwieldy objects using its body. Read more: https://scim.ag/4qjaeLf CREDITS: (FOOTAGE) BARREIROS ET AL./SCIENCE ROBOTICS; (IMAGES) M. YIP/SCIENCE ROBOTICS; (SCRIPT) M. CANTWELL/SCIENCE; (VIDEO PRODUCTION) K. MCLEAN/SCIENCE #Robots #Science #ScienceShorts

From Science Magazine. A 2024 Science study revealed that an egg-laying species of worm-like amphibian nourishes its young with a lipid-rich, milk-like substance. The findings reported previously unobserved behavior and offer new insight into the species’ parental care and communication. Read more: https://scim.ag/4jSIAmA FOOTAGE CREDIT: MAILHO-FONTANA ET AL./SCIENCE #Amphibians #Science #ScienceShorts

From Science Magazine. During one of its closest approaches to the Sun, Europe’s Solar Orbiter spacecraft got a ring-side seat as an explosive burst of radiation began to billow out from the Sun’s atmosphere. The cause of these flares—which carry with them particles that can damage human technology—is something of a mystery. But in a…

From Science Magazine. About a decade ago, a baker in a small mountainous village in southern Austria noticed his cow doing something unusual. When Veronika had an itch, she would grab a stick in her mouth and use it to scratch her body. Over the years, the brown bovid’s technique improved. She could pick up…

From Science Magazine. Among most male frogs and toads, croaking is a way to say, "Don’t mess with my gal!" But when rushing streams and waterfalls drown out these warnings, more than 40 species have come up with a different strategy: They stick their legs up and out, a bit like dancers doing the cancan,…

From Science Magazine. Every tumor contains multitudes: A variety of cancerous and noncancerous cells—including immune cells and supportive stromal cells— contribute to the structural complexity of tumors, and therefore to variation in how different tumors respond to therapies. In a suite of 12 Nature Portfolio papers, researchers with the Human Tumor Atlas Network presented in…

From Science Magazine. One day, nanoscale robots could help our cells fight tumors and microbial invaders. But until they get flexible enough, there’s “liquid marbles.” Last year in Science Advances, researchers announced a technique for crafting minuscule globs of water with protective shells and a cell-like agility that could eventually roll into battle inside the…

From Science Magazine. These robots taught themselves how to play soccer using a technique called deep reinforcement learning. Authors Tuomas Haarnoja and Guy Lever explain how. Read more: https://scim.ag/4jM2tMc CREDITS: (FOOTAGE) GOOGLE DEEPMIND; (VIDEO PRODUCTION) LUKE GROSKIN #Robotics #Science #ScienceShorts

From Science Magazine. Tiny aquatic organisms like plankton are considered passive drifters, moving at the mercy of ocean currents. But reporting in the Journal of Experimental Biology, scientists show some of these microorganisms don’t just drift—they surf. The researchers chose a zooplankton—the larvae of the common slipper shell snail. They placed 2000 of the larvae…

From Science Magazine. When a massive asteroid slammed into the Moon’s southern region 3.8 billion years ago, it shot out debris that carved lunar fissures comparable in size to the Grand Canyon within minutes. Using lunar photographs, scientists created a flyover of one of the lunar valleys created by the Schrödinger Basin asteroid blast. The…

From Science Magazine. When a raindrop hits the ground, it explodes like a tiny bomb, carving out a tiny crater that sends soil and sand grains flying. Now, scientists report a previously unknown—and even more erosive—behavior. Under certain conditions, raindrops can bounce and then roll down a slope, picking up sand as they go. The…

From Science Magazine. Before you ask, no, it doesn’t have little tusks. But like the woolly mammoth that inspired it, a genetically engineered mouse from Colossal Biosciences—a biotech company striving to bring extinct species like the mammoth, dodo, and Tasmanian tiger back from the dead—does have thick, wavy hair with a coarse texture. To create…

From Science Magazine. In 2025, renewables helped bring the growth of greenhouse emissions to a virtual standstill in China and put a global carbon peak within reach. Tim Appenzeller, Science’s News Editor, and Li Shuo, director of the China Climate Hub at the Asia Society Policy Institute, explain. #ScienceTok #STEMTok Read more: https://scim.ag/4aCV0fJ CREDITS: (FOOTAGE)…

From Science Magazine. A 2023 study revealed cats have nearly 300 facial expressions—which may be due to their co-evolution with humans. Read more: https://scim.ag/44c7Hdv FOOTAGE CREDIT: LAUREN SCOTT #Cats #Science #ScienceShorts

From Science Magazine. The seemingly unstoppable growth of renewable energy is Science’s 2025 Breakthrough of the Year. Read more: https://scim.ag/4aCV0fJ FOOTAGE CREDIT: STRINGERSHUB/POND5; BLACKBOXGUILD/POND5 #RenewableEnergy #Science #ScienceShorts