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Open menuLive Science Live Science Search Search Live Science Subscribe RSS How It Works Magazine Why subscribe? The ultimate action-packed science and technology magazine bursting with exciting information about the universe Subscribe today and save an extra 5% with checkout code ’LOVE5’ Engaging articles, amazing illustrations & exclusive interviews Issues delivered straight to your door or device From $26.49 View Deal Space Health Planet Earth Animals Archaeology Physics & Math Human Behavior Technology Chemistry More Science newsNewsletter Story archive Trending China quantum chip Longest living cats Papua New Guinea Denisovans Most colorful birds Best telescopes Latest News Sun launches strongest solar flare of current cycle in monster X8.7-class eruption Brandon Specktor published 14 May 24 The strongest solar flare in half a decade just launched off the sun from the same sunspot group that triggered dazzling auroras last weekend. But don’t expect northern lights this time around. Heavy metals in Beethoven’s hair may explain his deafness, study finds Jennifer Nalewicki published 14 May 24 A DNA analysis of Ludwig van Beethoven’s hair shows that he likely had lead poisoning. OpenAI unveils huge upgrade to ChatGPT that makes it more eerily human than ever Ben Turner published 14 May 24 ChatGPT’s latest upgrade means the voice assistant can now respond to audio, text and visual inputs in real time. The new chatbot, named ChatGPT-4o, will be rolled out to alpha testers in the coming weeks. Atoms squished closer together than ever before, revealing seemingly impossible quantum effects Victoria Atkinson published 14 May 24 Using a clever laser technique, scientists have squished pairs of atoms closer together than ever before, revealing some truly mind-boggling quantum effects. Japan plans to commercially hunt vulnerable fin whales, enraging conservationists Sascha Pare published 14 May 24 Japan has announced plans to add fin whales — the second-largest animal on Earth — to its list of commercial whaling species, which currently includes Bryde’s, sei and minke whales. Tree rings reveal summer 2023 was the hottest in 2 millennia Sascha Pare published 14 May 24 Tree rings suggest the Northern Hemisphere summer of 2023 was the hottest in 2,000 years, with temperatures exceeding those of the coldest summer in the same period by 7 degrees Fahrenheit (3.9 Celsius). Mysterious L-shaped structure found near Egyptian pyramids of Giza baffles scientists An enigmatic L-shaped structure found underground near the pyramids at Giza may be an entrance to a mysterious deeper feature below it. China creates its largest ever quantum computing chip — and it could be key to building the nation’s own ’quantum cloud’ China’s supersized superconducting chip looks to match the performance of industry leaders like IBM and will be used to help scale up the performance of quantum computers globally. Earth may have had freshwater and continents just 200 million years after forming, ancient crystals reveal Ancient zircon crystals hold chemical clues that of freshwater may have existed on Earth soon after it formed. RabbitAir A3 air purifier review The RabbitAir A3 is a stylish air purifier with impressive specifications to match, but does this eye-catching device live up to its premium price? Review Strange, red-glowing planet may be ’melting from within,’ scientists report Scientists have discovered a bizarre, red-glowing exoplanet named TOI-6713.01, which is loaded with active volcanoes and may be ’melting from within.’ ’Quantum-inspired’ laser computing is more effective than both supercomputing and quantum computing, startup claims The desktop-sized LPU100 eschews traditional electronics and qubits in favor of lasers, and it can reportedly perform complex AI calculations in nanoseconds. Massive study of 8,000 cats reveals which breeds live longest Birman and Burmese cats live the longest, while Sphynx cats die the youngest, a giant new study of U.K. cats found. Planet Earth Aurora photos: Stunning northern lights glisten after biggest geomagnetic storm in 21 years By Live Science Staff published 13 May 24 An immense geomagnetic storm caused auroras as far south as Florida for the first time in 21 years after the sun unleashed a wave of solar flares and at least seven coronal mass ejections at Earth. Planet Earth Why do earthquakes happen far away from plate boundaries? By Alice Sun published 13 May 24 It’s well known that earthquakes can rock fault-filled places like the U.S. West Coast. But why do earthquakes happen in the middle of tectonic plates? Earthquakes VIEW MORE MOST READ MOST SHARED 1 Who were the Denisovans? 2 ’The most critically harmful fungi to humans’: How the rise of C. auris was inevitable 3 EV batteries could last much longer thanks to new capacitor with 19-times higher energy density that scientists created by mistake 4 Can mirrors facing each other create infinite reflections? 5 Space photo of the week: ’God’s Hand’ leaves astronomers scratching their heads 1 Space photo of the week: ’God’s Hand’ leaves astronomers scratching their heads 2 Papua New Guineans, genetically isolated for 50,000 years, carry Denisovan genes that help their immune system, study suggests 3 Massive study of 8,000 cats reveals which breeds live longest 4 Why can’t we see the far side of the moon? 5 ’The most critically harmful fungi to humans’: How the rise of C. auris was inevitable Space Why are auroras different colors? By Timothy Schmidt published 13 May 24 Auroras occur when charged solar particles bash into Earth’s magnetic field and funnel toward the poles. The types of atoms these particles hit determines the color of light emitted. The Sun ’Extreme’ geomagnetic storm that painted Earth with auroras this weekend was the most powerful in 21 years By Harry Baker published 13 May 24 Between Friday (May 10) and Sunday (May 12), people across the world were treated to stunning aurora displays as Earth’s magnetic field experienced its biggest disturbance since October 2003. The supercharged storm also messed with satellites and caused power grid irregularities. The Sun VIEW MORE archaeology Stone with 1,600-year-old Irish inscription found in English garden By Tom Metcalfe published 11 May 24 Investigations show the stone is inscribed with a message in ogham, an Irish alphabet used from the fourth century A.D. Archaeology Suspected thieves nearly swipe pre-Hispanic artifacts from an archaeological site in Peru By Jennifer Nalewicki published 10 May 24 Officials were alerted to the alleged crime and successfully recovered the artifacts. Archaeology VIEW MORE Health Sketchy stem-cell treatments in Mexico led to drug-resistant infections By Nicoletta Lanese published 13 May 24 Three U.S. hospital patients contracted drug-resistant infections in Mexico in 2022 and were still being treated as of March 2024. Viruses, Infections & Disease 1st person to receive a pig kidney transplant has died By Emily Cooke published 13 May 24 Rick Slayman was the first person in the world to receive this pioneering surgery in March 2024. Surgery Papua New Guineans, genetically isolated for 50,000 years, carry Denisovan genes that help their immune system, study suggests By Emily Cooke published 11 May 24 Genes inherited from Denisovans, extinct human relatives, may help Papua New Guineans in the lowlands fight off infection, while mutations to red blood cells may help highlanders live at altitude. Genetics VIEW MORE Animals 32 of the most colorful birds on Earth By Sascha Pare published 11 May 24 Birds are some of the most colorful animals on Earth, with a palette of rainbow tones to feast your eyes on. Here are our picks for some of our most flamboyant feathered friends. Birds Sarcastic fringehead: The angry little fish that engages in mouth-to-mouth combat By Melissa Hobson published 11 May 24 This curiously named sea-dweller lives along the Pacific coast, eats squid eggs and fights by opening...