The Scientist

New data indicates the current El Niño is the strongest ever recorded, marking a major shift in global weather patterns. The development is expected to influence temperatures, rainfall and storm activity across many regions, and is drawing widespread attention as scientists and the public assess the implications for extreme weather worldwide.

Scientists and commentators say the current El Niño is unlike any previously observed, with ocean temperatures in the Pacific reaching record highs. The event is being linked to extreme weather worldwide, including heatwaves, flooding and droughts, and is fuelling debate about how climate change may be intensifying the natural cycle.

Scientists are developing new approaches to control mosquitoes, the animal responsible for more human deaths than any other, as climate change lengthens mosquito seasons and expands the areas where the insects can spread diseases such as malaria and dengue. Reporting highlights that longer warm periods give mosquitoes more time to breed and transmit dangerous illnesses, prompting research into novel targeting methods.

Pope Leo has said that warnings about catastrophic artificial intelligence scenarios should not be dismissed as 'fake news'. His remarks add a prominent religious voice to the global debate over AI risks, reinforcing concerns raised by scientists and industry leaders. The comments drew attention as governments and companies weigh how far to regulate fast-developing AI technology.

Washington Post health coverage highlights intensifying debate over ultra-processed foods and their role in public health. Scientists, regulators and the food industry are clashing over how strong the evidence linking processed products to obesity and chronic disease really is, and whether governments should intervene with warnings, taxes or labeling rules. Readers are weighing convenience and affordability against growing health warnings.

Pope Leo has stated that concerns about the risks of artificial intelligence are legitimate and should not be dismissed as fake news. His remarks add a prominent moral voice to the global debate over AI safety, reinforcing calls from scientists and regulators who warn the technology needs careful oversight as it spreads through society.

Scientists report that as the Pacific Ocean warms, a strange reversal is taking place in its water circulation: younger surface water appears to be ageing while older deep water is becoming younger, a shift in how water masses mix and move. Researchers say the trend could signal wider changes in ocean circulation driven by warming, with possible implications for heat and carbon storage in the Pacific.

A new Wired report describes research suggesting certain pancreatic cells are only a single genetic modification away from becoming insulin-producing cells, a potential route to treating diabetes. Scientists say the finding could open new regenerative approaches, though the work remains at an early stage and clinical applications are likely years away.

Anthropic is facing questions over claims that its AI systems achieved a significant breakthrough in biology. CNET asked working scientists to assess the claim, and reactions appear divided, with experts urging caution about how such achievements should be interpreted and verified. The debate touches on a broader tension in AI research: how to evaluate dramatic capability claims when independent validation in complex scientific fields is slow and difficult.

A Brazilian climate scientist has launched a bid for political office, saying the country's politicians have failed to listen to scientific warnings about climate change and environmental policy. The move reflects growing frustration among researchers who argue that science is being ignored in Brazilian decision-making, and it adds a scientific voice to the country's political contest.

Scientists and fishermen in the United States are calling on federal agencies to maintain funding for a deep-ocean observation system that tracks conditions in waters important to both research and commercial fishing. Supporters say the system provides valuable long-term data on ocean health, and that cutting it would leave researchers and industry without critical information about changing deep-sea conditions.

A Kelvin wave is a pulse of unusually warm water that travels eastward along the equator beneath the ocean surface. Meteorologists are watching a developing Kelvin wave because it can push warmer water toward the US West Coast, potentially influencing ocean temperatures, marine life, and weather patterns in California, and hinting at whether an El Niño event may form later this year.

New research suggests magnetism played a role in the formation of the solar system, potentially influencing how the early cloud of gas and dust collapsed into the sun and planets. The finding adds to debate over what physical forces shaped our cosmic beginnings, and scientists say magnetic fields could help explain the solar system's original structure.

A new study reports that the Earth's crust beneath the Pacific Northwest is slowly tearing apart. Researchers describe geological forces, tied to the Cascadia subduction zone, that are fracturing the region's tectonic plate. Scientists note the process unfolds over millions of years and does not signal an imminent earthquake, but the findings are drawing wide attention.

Scientists and news outlets are raising alarms about a slow-moving, planetary-scale Kelvin wave in the Pacific Ocean that is heading toward the California coast. These massive underwater waves along the equator can redistribute warm water and influence weather patterns, and observers are watching closely for potential effects on coastal conditions and climate.

Researchers report that bacteria can learn from their environment and store memories in ways that resemble artificial neural networks. The findings suggest single-celled organisms may process information through network-like mechanisms rather than simple chemical responses, drawing parallels between microbial behaviour and machine learning. Scientists say the work could reshape how biologists think about memory and information storage in life forms without brains.

A massive Kelvin wave is reported to be moving toward California, raising questions about what it could mean for the state's coastline and weather patterns. Kelvin waves are large movements of warm water across the Pacific that can influence ocean temperatures and climate conditions along the West Coast. Coverage is focusing on the potential impacts for California as the wave approaches.

A vast, slow-moving kelvin wave — an ocean phenomenon tied to the El Niño–Southern Oscillation — is reported to be heading toward the California coast, raising alarm among scientists and officials about its potential impact on weather patterns along the US West Coast. Comment is focused on what the wave could mean for extreme weather and coastal conditions in the region.

New research suggests that rising temperatures and shifting rainfall patterns could significantly alter where Chinese milk vetch, a legume long grown as green manure in southern China's rice paddies, can thrive. The plant plays an important role in sustaining soil fertility and reducing fertilizer use, so scientists warn that changing climate conditions may force farmers to adjust how and where they cultivate it.

Researchers have released new catalogs mapping the quantum properties of atomically thin materials, two-dimensional substances whose unusual behavior could underpin future electronics and quantum technologies. The catalogs are intended to help scientists identify promising materials for experiments without testing each one individually. Coverage is so far limited to the announcement itself, and details of methods or partners remain sparse.