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Science

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The latest positive stories in science, edited for an easier read.

Public vote opens for 2026 Invertebrate of the Year shortlist

The Guardian has opened public voting for its 2026 Invertebrate of the Year after receiving more than 1,300 reader nominations and narrowing them to 10 candidates. The shortlist includes species such as Bombus dahlbomii, the Lord Howe Island stick insect, the wandering glider, the immortal jellyfish and the common woodlouse. The exercise foregrounds both the diversity of invertebrates and functions such as pollination, decomposition and water filtration.

invertebratesbiodiversitypublic voting

August 14, 2026 · 3 min read · 1 sources

ScienceBoston

Drug-carrying nanoparticles reduced venous malformations in mice

Researchers reported that rapamycin-based nanoparticles carrying ponatinib reduced venous-malformation size by 70% in mouse models after one injection and 20 days. The particles were designed to accumulate in leaky abnormal vessels, but their long-term effect, repeat-dose needs and relevance to people are not yet known.

venous malformationsnanoparticlesmouse research

August 12, 2026 · 3 min read · 1 sources

ScienceGlobal

Guardian children’s quiz puts five science and big-picture questions to readers

The Guardian has published a children’s multiple-choice quiz built around five questions submitted by young readers. It covers why sloths hang upside down, what time is, whether counting has a largest number, why Earth has seasons and what gamma rays are. The feature invites children to submit their own questions for later quizzes and notes that its host, Molly Oldfield, also hosts the Everything Under the Sun podcast.

children's quizscience educationcuriosity

August 8, 2026 · 3 min read · 1 sources

ScienceHobart, Australia

Australian crew completes midwinter medical evacuation from Antarctica

An Australian Skytraders crew flew a medical evacuation from McMurdo Station, Antarctica, to Christchurch after an urgent request from the US Antarctic Program. The Airbus A319 landed in reported -43C conditions and total darkness after weather delayed the mission; the patient was transferred for treatment and is reported to be recovering well.

antarcticamedical evacuationaviation rescue

August 7, 2026 · 3 min read · 1 sources

ScienceUnited States

Cat-training study links shared lessons to stronger child–cat relationships

A study of 36 children aged 8–17 with developmental disabilities and their family cats found that a six-session cat-training program was associated with higher reported cat-care responsibility than in a control group. Participants also reported more teaching and walking of their cats after training, while researchers observed changes in cats’ sociability and attachment classifications. The findings were published in Animals.

cat trainingdevelopmental disabilitiesanimal-assisted intervention

August 4, 2026 · 3 min read · 1 sources

ScienceTaiwan

Taiwan surveys document East Asia’s tallest known tree and dense old-growth fir stands

A research team surveying remote forests in Taiwan has documented an 84.1-metre Taiwania fir, reported as the tallest known tree in East Asia. Using airborne LiDAR, field expeditions and citizen review of map profiles, the project mapped 941 trees above 65 metres and identified dense old-growth stands. A separate valley survey reported very high forest carbon density, although its estimate excluded root systems.

taiwan forestsgiant treeslidar mapping

August 4, 2026 · 3 min read · 1 sources

ScienceBerkeley, United States

Researchers directly observe a two-step route from CO₂ to solid carbon

Researchers from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, UC Berkeley and Estonia's National Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics observed carbon dioxide becoming solid carbon during molten-salt electrolysis. Their real-time measurements at 500°C identified an unexpected two-step reaction and found that the basic pathway remained consistent when electrode and salt materials changed. The work may help researchers tailor carbon products, including toward battery-grade graphite, but industrial production has not been demonstrated.

carbon dioxidegraphiteelectrochemistry

July 31, 2026 · 3 min read · 1 sources

ScienceUnited Kingdom

NICE backs four-year NHS evaluation of donated-lung perfusion system

NICE has issued draft guidance recommending a four-year NHS evaluation of the XVIVO perfusion system for donated lungs. The system keeps lungs functioning outside the body so teams can monitor them and, in some cases, treat infection, remove fluid or reinflate collapsed areas before deciding on transplantation. NICE estimates it could help recover four in five donated lungs that are currently unused, though the estimate and value for money require evaluation.

lung transplantorgan donationnhs

July 27, 2026 · 3 min read · 1 sources

ScienceTaiwan

Mandarin learners use different cues for different English vowel contrasts

A Taiwan-led study reports that Mandarin-speaking learners of English used different cues to distinguish two English vowel contrasts: chiefly duration for beat–bit and chiefly vowel quality for bat–bet. Those listening patterns were selectively associated with clearer production of the corresponding cue during imitation. The findings, published in Second Language Research, indicate that first-language sound categories can shape both how unfamiliar speech is heard and how it is reproduced.

second-language learningspeech perceptionmandarin english

July 25, 2026 · 3 min read · 1 sources

ScienceThailand

Thailand team prepares biodegradable 3D-printed pods for seagrass trials

Murdoch University and Walailak University are developing 3D-printed, biodegradable PHA pods to protect transplanted seagrass at Koh Lidi in Thailand’s Mu Ko Phetra National Park. The dome-and-anchor prototype is designed to shield shoots from waves, moving sediment and grazing animals while roots establish, then biodegrade. The pods are still undergoing safety and packaging testing before field trials.

seagrass restorationbioplasticsthailand

July 24, 2026 · 3 min read · 1 sources

ScienceBenin

Sonar and underwater cameras confirm living coral communities off Benin

Researchers surveying seabed off Benin have documented a living, patchy mesophotic coral ecosystem more than 50 metres deep, at a site regarded as probably dead in 1960s surveys. Sonar identified likely reef signatures across an 11.5-kilometre survey, and underwater cameras showed corals on rocky areas and fish using the habitat. Direct coral samples have not yet been collected, so species identifications and the reef’s wider extent remain unresolved.

coral reefsbeninmarine science

July 20, 2026 · 3 min read · 1 sources

SciencePiñas, Ecuador

Ecuadorean Laron syndrome study examines clues to lower cancer rates

Researchers studying people with Laron syndrome in southern Ecuador are investigating why cancer and diabetes were less frequently observed in a long-running cohort than among normal-height relatives from the same villages. The work focuses on disrupted growth-hormone signalling and low IGF-1, but researchers say more study is needed before any treatment can be developed. The report also documents limited access to IGF-1 therapy for children with the rare condition.

laron syndromecancer researchecuador

July 17, 2026 · 3 min read · 1 sources

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