Science Daily

• Scientists say this algae could remove microplastics from drinking water

  Researchers created a special kind of algae that can grab microscopic plastic pollution out of water almost like a magnet. The algae produce limonene, an orange-scented oil that helps them bind to water-repelling microplastics, forming easy-to-remove clumps. As a bonus, the algae also clean wastewater while growing.

• This strange giant dinosaur may change what we know about Jurassic titans

  A bizarre new giant dinosaur discovered in Argentina is giving paleontologists a fresh look at how Jurassic titans evolved in the Southern Hemisphere. Bicharracosaurus dionidei stretched about 20 meters long and carried a strange mix of features seen in both Diplodocus and Brachiosaurus relatives. Scientists believe it could represent the first known Jurassic brachiosaurid from South America, helping fill a major gap in the dinosaur fossil record.

• Scientists discover hidden chemical signature that could reveal alien life

  Scientists may have found a powerful new way to hunt for alien life — not by searching for specific molecules, but by looking for hidden patterns in how those molecules are organized. Researchers discovered that living systems leave behind a kind of chemical “fingerprint” in the statistical distribution of amino acids and fatty acids, one that consistently differs from nonliving chemistry.

• Stunning fossil discovery challenges the origins of animal life

  Scientists revisiting mysterious 540-million-year-old microfossils from Brazil have overturned a major idea about early animal life. What were once thought to be trails left behind by tiny worm-like creatures are now believed to be fossilized communities of bacteria and algae — some with remarkably preserved cells and organic material still intact.

• A supervolcano nearly wiped out humanity 74,000 years ago, but humans did something incredible

  The Toba supereruption 74,000 years ago was so massive it may have plunged Earth into years of darkness and cold, leading some scientists to believe humanity nearly went extinct. Yet archaeological evidence from Africa and Asia suggests early humans were far more resilient than once thought. Instead of disappearing, some communities adapted with new tools, new survival strategies, and remarkable flexibility. The disaster may not have destroyed humanity — it may have revealed just how tough humans really are.