Half a billion years ago, a strange sea-dwelling creature called Mollisonia symmetrica may have paved the way for modern spiders. Using detailed fossil brain analysis, researchers uncovered neural patterns strikingly similar to today’s arachnids—suggesting spiders evolved in the ocean, not on land as previously believed. This brain structure even hints at a critical evolutionary leap …

A 500-million-year-old fossil just rewrote the spider origin story Read More »

Scientists at Princeton and the Simons Foundation have identified four biologically distinct subtypes of autism, using data from over 5,000 children and a powerful new computational method. These subtypes—each with unique traits, developmental paths, and genetic signatures—promise to revolutionize how we understand, diagnose, and treat autism. ​Scientists at Princeton and the Simons Foundation have identified …

Four hidden types of autism revealed — and each tells a different genetic story Read More »

A tiny, overlooked wrist bone called the pisiform may have played a pivotal role in bird flight and it turns out it evolved far earlier than scientists thought. Fossils from bird-like dinosaurs in Mongolia reveal that this bone, once thought to vanish and reappear, was actually hiding in plain sight. Thanks to pristine preservation and …

A tiny dinosaur bone just rewrote the origin of bird flight Read More »

Scientists in Switzerland have cracked open a century-old viral mystery by decoding the genome of the 1918 influenza virus from a preserved Zurich patient. This ancient RNA revealed that the virus had already adapted to humans at the very start of the pandemic, carrying mutations that made it both more infectious and more immune-resistant. By …

Scientists just resurrected the 1918 “Spanish Flu” virus—here’s what they found Read More »

A century-old fossil long mislabeled as a caterpillar has been reidentified as the first-known nonmarine lobopodian—rewriting what we know about ancient life. Discovered in Harvard’s museum drawers, Palaeocampa anthrax predates even the famous Cambrian lobopodians and reveals that these soft-bodied ancestors of arthropods once lived not only in oceans, but in freshwater environments too. ​A …

A dusty fossil drawer held a 300-million-year-old evolutionary game-changer Read More »

You may be seeing faces in clouds, toast, or cars—and it turns out your brain is wired to notice them. A fascinating new study shows how our attention is hijacked not just by real faces, but by face-like illusions, through entirely different mental mechanisms. These imaginary expressions actually spark a stronger response, and the research …

Your brain sees faces in everything—and science just explained why Read More »

Italian students taking oral exams have a better shot at success if they’re scheduled around midday, according to new research. Analyzing over 100,000 assessments, scientists found a clear bell curve in pass rates, peaking between 11 AM and 1 PM. This time-based trend might not be limited to academia—job interviews and court decisions could be …

Scientists analyzed 100,000 exams and found the best time to take one Read More »

Even people who never caught Covid-19 may have aged mentally faster during the pandemic, according to new brain scan research. This large UK study shows how the stress, isolation, and upheaval of lockdowns may have aged our brains, especially in older adults, men, and disadvantaged individuals. While infection itself impacted some thinking skills, even those …

Even without catching COVID, the pandemic may have quietly aged your brain Read More »

A virus from humble black-eyed peas is showing extraordinary promise in the fight against cancer. Unlike other plant viruses, the cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV) can awaken the human immune system and transform it into a cancer-fighting powerhouse, without infecting human cells. By comparing it to a similar, but ineffective, virus, researchers uncovered that CPMV uniquely …

The plant virus that trains your immune system to kill cancer Read More »

Millipedes, often dismissed as creepy crawlies, may hold the secret to future painkillers and neurological drugs. Researchers at Virginia Tech discovered unique alkaloid compounds in the defensive secretions of a native millipede species. These complex molecules, which cause disorientation in ants, interact with human neuroreceptors linked to pain and cognition. By decoding these natural chemical …

Millipedes make ants dizzy — and might soon treat human pain Read More »