The Scientist

New data indicates the current El Niño is the strongest ever recorded, driving a major shift in global weather patterns. The development is expected to bring hotter temperatures, droughts and flooding to many regions, and scientists are watching closely for knock-on effects on agriculture, storms and global climate over the coming months.

Scientists are developing new ways to control mosquitoes as warmer temperatures lengthen mosquito seasons and expand the range of dangerous diseases like malaria and dengue. The mosquito kills more people than any other animal on earth, and researchers warn that longer warm periods give the insects more time to spread illness, prompting renewed efforts in prevention and control.

The Trump administration is retreating from a proposed executive order that would have increased White House control over National Institutes of Health grant decisions. Reporting by Semafor says the plan to tighten oversight of NIH funding appears to be dead after significant pushback from scientists, universities and lawmakers, who warned it would politicise medical research funding decisions.

A new study examines whether artificial intelligence systems could experience pain, weighing how current models respond to harmful or distressing stimuli against what scientists know about consciousness. Researchers say the question remains open, with no clear evidence that today's AI suffers, but growing attention to machine welfare as systems become more advanced.

NASA's Perseverance rover has uncovered evidence that Jezero Crater on Mars was more complex than previously thought, indicating it was not simply an ancient lake. The finding suggests the crater experienced a richer and more varied geological history, with implications for understanding Mars' past water activity and its potential to have once supported life.

A new examination of evolutionary biology asks whether animals and plants can adapt quickly enough to keep pace with rapidly warming temperatures and shifting habitats. The piece highlights the mismatch between the slow pace of genetic adaptation and the speed of current climate change, raising concerns that many species may be unable to evolve in time to survive.

NASA scientists are mapping vast hidden valleys buried beneath Greenland's ice sheet, using radar and other remote-sensing techniques to reveal the dramatic landscape below. The work helps researchers understand how meltwater drains under the ice and how this may influence ice sheet behaviour and sea-level rise. The findings highlight how much of Greenland's geography remains unseen beneath kilometres of ice.

New research suggests the gravitational pull of the Sun and Moon, which drives tides in the Earth's crust, may help trigger earthquakes. Scientists believe they have identified the mechanism by which these small tidal stresses can nudge faults already close to slipping, potentially explaining why some quakes occur at particular tidal phases.

A new report claims the solar system's first planets were worlds of fire rather than ice, challenging the long-held picture of the earliest planetary bodies forming in cold, icy conditions far from the sun. The suggestion points to a hotter, more violent beginning for planet formation than scientists have typically assumed, and it is drawing attention from space enthusiasts and researchers questioning how the planets we know today first came together.

A new study questions the widely held idea that climate change is driving a boom in global squid populations. Researchers challenge assumptions that warming oceans and changing conditions have fueled squid expansion, suggesting the picture is more complicated than previously thought. The findings are prompting discussion among marine scientists about how climate shifts truly affect squid stocks and the fisheries that depend on them.

Scientists are working near the mouth of the Mississippi River in Louisiana on what is described as a massive effort to predict the region's future. The research focuses on forecasting environmental changes along the river's delta, an area central to concerns about land loss and coastal resilience. Local coverage highlights the scale and ambition of the scientific undertaking.

Scientists have resolved a long-standing mystery concerning stick insects, according to a new report. The finding, covered by science news outlet SciTechDaily, brings closure to a biological puzzle that researchers have pursued for decades, though details of the discovery and its implications have not yet been widely reported.

KESQ's Weather Insider segment examines the satellites used to study the world's oceans and monitor El Niño conditions. The piece explains how space-based observation of sea surface temperatures and ocean patterns helps forecasters understand and predict El Niño's effects on global weather. It highlights the role of satellite technology in improving weather and climate forecasting.

Researchers have reverse-engineered insect smell receptors to identify the sex pheromones moths use to communicate. By working out how these olfactory receptors detect specific chemical signals, scientists can pinpoint the exact compounds involved. The finding could aid pest control, since synthetic pheromones are widely used to disrupt moth mating and protect crops without heavy insecticide use.

A California-based scientist has emerged as a possible suspect in the Tylenol murders, the unsolved 1982 Chicago-area poisonings that killed seven people and triggered a nationwide panic and major changes to product packaging. The identification renews attention on one of America's most notorious cold cases more than four decades later.

NPR examines whether humanity is prepared for the discovery of life beyond Earth. The piece explores how scientists searching for biosignatures on distant planets would confirm — and communicate — such a find, and what it would mean for society. It asks whether our scientific methods, institutions, and public discourse are equipped to handle evidence that could reshape humanity's understanding of its place in the universe.

Scientists report the discovery of a gene variant dating back roughly 47,000 years that may influence muscle development in modern humans. The finding suggests an ancient genetic inheritance could partly shape muscle traits today, and researchers describe themselves as surprised by the results, sparking wide interest in human evolutionary biology.

Researchers in Alaska say avian keratin disorder is the cause of the overgrown, fishhook-shaped beaks seen in the state's chickadee population. The condition causes abnormal keratin growth in birds' beaks and feathers, making it harder for affected birds to feed. Scientists continue to study what triggers the disorder, which has been documented among chickadees in Alaska since the 1990s.