New Scientist

New data indicates the current El Niño is the strongest ever measured, marking a major shift in global weather patterns. The development is drawing attention because a powerful El Niño typically brings droughts, floods and heat extremes to different regions worldwide, with scientists watching closely for effects on temperatures, agriculture and extreme weather in the months ahead.

Scientists are developing new methods to control mosquitoes, the animal that kills more people than any other on Earth. As the climate warms, mosquito seasons are growing longer, giving the insects more time to spread dangerous diseases such as malaria and dengue. Reports highlight how shifting temperatures are expanding the disease threat into new regions and prompting fresh research into targeting the insects.

New research from the University of Arizona analysing decades of satellite imagery finds that the world's drylands, though greening as vegetation responds to rising carbon dioxide, are increasingly locked into extreme 'boom-and-bust' cycles — rapid plant growth followed by sudden collapses. Scientists warn the pattern could destabilise ecosystems and the communities that depend on them.

Germany is creating a digital archive to preserve American climate data that researchers fear could be removed or altered under the Trump administration. The project, described as a digital Noah's Ark, would store US government climate datasets outside the United States. Scientists say safeguarding records on temperatures, emissions and extreme weather is vital for ongoing research, and the initiative reflects growing concern that federal climate information may no longer be reliably maintained.

Scientists report identifying a previously unknown brain circuit that could explain why heart attacks often worsen after the initial event. The finding suggests the brain may trigger processes that compound damage to the heart in the hours and days following an attack. If confirmed, the discovery could open new avenues for treating patients after a heart attack and reducing long-term harm.

New research suggests radiation exposure could trigger a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease in the brain, adding to concerns about the neurological effects of radiation from medical treatments, occupational settings or space travel. The finding points to possible mechanisms linking radiation to dementia-like changes, though scientists caution more work is needed to confirm the risk in humans.

New findings indicate Mercury is contracting more quickly than previous estimates suggested. The smallest planet in the solar system has been cooling and shrinking for billions of years, causing its crust to wrinkle and crack. The updated measurements challenge existing models of how the planet's interior cools, prompting discussion among planetary scientists about what this reveals about Mercury's geological evolution.

Anthropic claims its Claude AI helped identify a previously unknown gene-editing enzyme, a result that could matter for biotechnology if it holds up. The company itself cautions the finding has not yet been experimentally verified or peer-reviewed, and scientists are urging independent confirmation before drawing conclusions.

Osprey numbers are falling along the US East Coast, and scientists believe they have identified the reason behind the decline. The Washington Post reports on new findings explaining why the fish-eating raptors, once a celebrated conservation success story in the region, are now struggling. The research has drawn attention from readers concerned about the health of coastal ecosystems.

A new report describes geological rifting underway beneath the Pacific Northwest, where tectonic forces are slowly pulling the Earth's crust apart. The findings are drawing widespread attention, with readers sharing and discussing the story of the region's underlying seismic activity. Scientists point to the ongoing deformation of the Cascadia region as evidence of powerful forces reshaping the ocean floor and coastline over geological timescales.

A new study is probing whether artificial intelligence systems can experience pain or suffering, adding to a growing body of research on machine sentience and AI welfare. The findings have sparked debate among scientists and commentators about how to test subjective experience in machines and what ethical obligations, if any, would follow if AI systems could feel.

New reporting revisits a striking biological legacy of the 2011 Tōhoku tsunami: the disaster appears to have brought together fish populations that then produced hybrids. Scientists found these hybrid fish in the aftermath, but they have almost completely disappeared in the years since, raising questions about how disaster-driven mixing shapes species over time.