Science Daily

1. A stunning new forecast shows when thousands of glaciers will vanish

   New research reveals when glaciers around the world will vanish and why every fraction of a degree of warming could decide their fate.

2. Ancient oceans were ruled by super predators unlike anything today

   Long before whales and sharks, enormous marine reptiles dominated the oceans with unmatched power. Scientists have reconstructed a 130-million-year-old marine ecosystem from Colombia and found predators operating at a food-chain level higher than any seen today. The ancient seas were bursting with life, from giant reptiles to rich invertebrate communities. This extreme complexity reveals how intense competition helped drive the evolution of modern marine ecosystems.

3. Earth may have been ravaged by “invisible” explosions from space

   Cosmic “touchdown airbursts” — explosions of comets or asteroids above Earth’s surface — may be far more common and destructive than previously thought, according to new research. Unlike crater-forming impacts, these events unleash extreme heat and pressure without leaving obvious scars, making them harder to detect.

4. From biting flies to feathered dinosaurs, scientists reveal 70 new species

   Researchers announced over 70 new species in a single year, including bizarre insects, ancient dinosaurs, rare mammals, and deep-river fish. Many were found not in the wild, but in museum collections, proving that major discoveries can still be hiding in plain sight.

5. The western U.S. Tried to stop wildfires and it backfired

   Much of the western U.S. is overdue for wildfire, with decades of suppression allowing fuel to build up across millions of hectares. Researchers estimate that 74% of the region is in a fire deficit, meaning far more land needs to burn to restore healthy forest conditions. Catching up would require an unprecedented amount of controlled and managed fire.