Check out this video from Kurzgesagt: "The World’s Most Average Person" Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Gn-KqiRv0XI

Hawaii researchers are giving old fishing nets and recycled plastic a second life by mixing them into asphalt roads. Early tests found these roads didn't release more plastic particles than standard pavement, with tire wear overwhelming any plastic signal from the recycled material. If future studies confirm the roads are durable, the technology could help tackle both marine pollution and overflowing landfills. Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/06/260625014830.htm

Researchers have discovered that beneficial soil bacteria give plants an unexpected survival advantage in salty soils. Instead of helping plants keep salt out, the microbes stimulate the production of lignin, a natural compound that strengthens roots and makes plants more resilient. Greenhouse and field tests showed healthier plants and higher yields in salty conditions. The findings could lead to bio-based treatments that help farmers grow crops on land once considered too salty for agriculture. Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/06/260626124703.htm

When does your brain reach adulthood? We're now understanding the many ways the organ continues to mature decades after society first deems you an adult Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2530226-the-surprising-ways-your-brain-changes-from-your-20s-to-your-40s/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home

Astronomers may have witnessed one of the rarest and most dramatic cosmic events ever seen: a long-sought intermediate-mass black hole ripping apart a dense white dwarf star and devouring it. The Einstein Probe space telescope caught the explosion in its earliest moments, revealing an unusual sequence of intense X-ray flashes unlike anything seen in a typical gamma-ray burst. Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/06/260625060222.htm

Healthy older adults experienced measurable improvements in memory, physical performance, and stress after taking placebo pills for just three weeks. The most surprising finding was that the placebo often worked even when participants knew the pills were completely inactive. Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/06/260625060159.htm

Two newly confirmed "super-puff" planets are so diffuse that they are less dense than cotton candy, despite being about the size of Jupiter. Their rare orbital relationship and enormous, lightweight atmospheres could provide valuable clues about how some of the strangest planets in the galaxy come to exist. Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/06/260626124659.htm

Raising children appears to keep the brain young, potentially acting as a buffer against cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2530223-parenting-may-permanently-improve-brain-health-for-mums-and-dads/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home

The brain undergoes a full renovation during menopause. Although these changes are profound, we’re learning that the long-term impact needn’t be all bad Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2529751-how-menopause-radically-changes-the-brain-and-what-happens-after/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home

The loss of Antarctica’s doomsday glacier would transform our planet. Now scientists are revealing the secrets of this remotest of places, and asking the question: is its demise inevitable? Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2526630-the-race-to-understand-how-and-when-thwaites-glacier-will-collapse/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home

A rare variant of a gene called TP53 means Tracy Hutchinson has an extreme risk of developing cancer anywhere in her body, causing endless anxiety and requiring regular whole-body MRIs and other screening Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2532073-i-have-a-100-per-cent-chance-of-getting-cancer-due-to-a-rare-gene/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home

Sci-fi columnist Emily H. Wilson rounds up her favourite reads of the year to date – and highlights one particular book as her top pick Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg27036014-200-the-best-sci-fi-novel-in-2026-so-far-plus-6-other-great-reads/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home

Scrolls from the Roman library of Herculaneum that were carbonised by a volcanic eruption have been read in their entirety for the first time, thanks to scans and AI software Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2531697-lost-books-by-ancient-philosophers-recovered-from-unreadable-scrolls/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home

Check out this video from SciShow: "The Weird Reason Giraffes Have The Same Number of Neck Bones As You" Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0Cb4mo2cWE

Check out this video from SciShow: "How to Weigh a Planet" Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olwN4iw2yzY

Check out this video from Kurzgesagt: "Processed Food Won’t Kill You" Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/bo7QgxhrGnw

Check out this video from SciShow: "The First Trip To Earth’s Stratosphere Was A Disaster" Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VT2zNo5MQVQ

Check out this video from SciShow: "How To Get The Worst Sunburn Of Your Life" Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpoNMkfoQIQ

Scientists have discovered a tiny group of neurons in an ancient brain region that acts like a built-in focus filter, helping the brain ignore distractions and zero in on what matters most. When researchers temporarily switched off these neurons in mice, the animals became unusually distractible—similar to what is seen in ADHD—but regained normal focus as soon as the neurons were reactivated. Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/06/260624025426.htm

A cave in Belize contains teeth from dozens of important Maya people buried elsewhere, which may attest to a ritual intended to ensure their passage to the underworld Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2531564-elite-maya-people-had-teeth-placed-in-a-cave-far-from-their-tombs/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home