Weekly Headlines (Excerpts)

1.  As researchers aim for universal AI disclosure guidelines, the devil is in the details

Integrity conference attendees debated when and how authors should declare AI use in papers 

8 May 2026 By Nicola Jones 

2. Fiber optic cables can eavesdrop on nearby conversations

Cables used to detect earthquakes can also capture the faint vibrations of speech 

 8 May 2026 By Elise Cutts

3.  What to do with the passengers on the cruise ship hit by hantavirus?

Past studies of Andes virus offer scant evidence on transmission risks, and have sparked debate 

7 May 2026 By Kai Kupferschmidt 

4. In the remote Amazon, locals are saving a giant fish—and helping their villages

Project has brought income and electricity while protecting wide swaths of tropical forest 

 7 May 2026 By Warren Cornwall 

5. Ancient ice core could help explain mysterious shift in Earth’s ice ages

Record-setting Antarctic archive reveals sharp swings in carbon dioxide 1 million years ago 

 7 May 2026 By Elise Cutts 

6. Magic mushroom compound shows promise against cocaine addiction

Small study that prioritized Black and low-income participants yields “remarkable” results

 7 May 2026 By Rachel Nuwer 

7. AI agents may be skilled researchers—but not always honest ones

Two high-profile tools have been shown to make up data and “p-hack” their results

 6 May 2026 By Nicola Jones 

8. Astronomers unlock a sharper view from JWST using a ‘keyhole’ trick

A revived technique could reveal planets near their stars and the inner workings of galaxies

 6 May 2026 By Daniel Clery 

9. Core of Solar System’s largest moon may still be forming

Ganymede discovery could force rethink of how worlds power their magnetic fields

 6 May 2026 By Hannah Richter 

10. Cruise ship’s hantavirus outbreak puts researchers in uncharted territory

Questions about the culprit virus and its route of spread remain as health officials make plans for stranded passengers

 5 May 2026 By Kai Kupferschmidt 

11. Have archaeologists found the long-lost Maya city of Sac Balam?

Architectural and geographic details match historic descriptions of the colonial, centuries-old jungle refuge

 4 May 2026 By Lizzie Wade 

12. Chaotic whale rescue shocks marine biologists

Timmy, a humpback whale stranded in Germany 6 weeks ago, was ailing and may already be dead

 4 May 2026 By Martin Enserink 

13. Newton’s law of gravity passes its biggest test ever

Galaxy clusters obey the inverse square law across hundreds of millions of light-years

 1 May 2026 By Adrian Cho 

14. Tiny probes make sense of abnormal bursts in the epileptic brain

“Spikes” hijack neurons involved in cognition—and can be predicted up to 1 second in advance

 30 Apr 2026 By Jennie Erin Smith 

15. AI helps create bacterium that’s partially missing a universal amino acid

Advance could suggest new ways to synthesize proteins with bespoke functions in medicine and biotechnology

 30 Apr 2026 By Catherine Offord 

16. AI is starting to beat doctors at making correct diagnoses

Large language model excels at clinical decisions, even in fast pace of a simulated ER

 30 Apr 2026 By Perri Thaler 

17. A novel gene-therapy approach to ‘functionally cure’ HIV succeeds in some monkeys

Six animals suppressed AIDS virus after one shot of treatment that makes cell-receptor antibody

 29 Apr 2026 By Jon Cohen