Discover

Discover Magazine will amaze you, enlighten you, and open your eyes to the awe and wonder of science and technology. Discover reveals secrets, solves mysteries, and debunks old myths. Discover shares new findings and shows you what makes our universe tick.

NEW DINOSAURS, NEW DISCOVERIES, AND A NEW DISCOVER

Discover

THE LATEST NEWS AND NOTES • BUTTERFLY BEGINNINGS • MOSQUITO MODIFICATIONS A FULL-GENOME FIRST

WINGS IN WASTE • TINY SCALES PRESERVED IN FOSSILIZED POOP SUGGEST THAT BUTTERFLIES EVOLVED BEFORE THE EMERGENCE OF FLOWERS.

A GENETIC SWAP TO STOP THE SPREAD OF MALARIA • RESEARCHERS ARE TINKERING WITH THE MOSQUITO’S GENOME TO PREVENT THE TRANSMISSION OF MALARIAL PARASITES.

THE FIRST FULL GENOME FROM ANCIENT EGYPT • A NEWLY GENERATED GENETIC SEQUENCE SHEDS LIGHT ON THE LIFE AND ANCESTRY OF AN ANCIENT WORKING MAN.

THE YEAR IN SCIENCE 2026 • VOLCANOES, AI, AND MORE: Continue reading to review the most interesting and important science stories of 2025.

Beach Day on Mars? • Find out how an ancient and massive Martian ocean could have created unique beaches.

Our Most Complete Map of the Universe (So Far) • Some 800,000 galaxies shine in the largest map of the cosmos to date — and it’s already expanding our understanding of the universe.

Hello, Vera! • After decades of planning, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory opened its eyes on the cosmos. Over the next 10 years, it will create a detailed three-dimensional map of space.

Signs of Life? • While exploring Mars, NASA’s Perseverance rover chanced upon an unusual rock with spots and specks — features that may have been left by ancient microbes.

STRANDED ASTRONAUTS RETURN TO EARTH

A Volatile Year for Volcanoes • Follow the year’s most ferocious eruptions and find out which volcanoes appeared to come to life.

The Colossal, the Cannibal, and the Mythical • Our world is full of wonderfully weird creatures, like a halfton squid, a caterpillar clad in bones, and an elusive mammal likened to a unicorn.

Cultured Creatures • Scientists have compiled a searchable database of animal cultures, with many more yet to come.

Reviving the Dire Wolf • Colossal Biosciences’ efforts to bring back an extinct species brought both hope for biodiversity and questions about bioethics.

WOOLLY MAMMOTH MOUSE

A Peculiar Pulse Solved • Earth had an offbeat pulse for nine days in 2023, but why? Scientists finally have an answer.

CRISPR Gets Personal • The first personalized gene-editing therapy opens the door to new treatments for rare genetic disorders.

Trust, Science, and Communication • COVID-19 shook public confidence in science. Immunologist and science communicator Frederic Bertley shares insights on restoring faith in the field.

Aspirin Fights Cancer • A medicine cabinet staple has the potential to help the immune system combat metastatic cancer.

The Gut Microbiome: Health’s Swiss Army Knife • From fighting cancer to easing anxiety and protecting your liver, here’s what 2025 research revealed about the powerful microbes within us.

MICROPLASTICS FOUND IN BRAINS

An Ancestral Get-Together • A new theory of human origins suggests that our species arose from the combination of two intermingling groups approximately 300,000 years ago.

Echidna Out of Water • A single fossil may tell us if the echidna is an evolutionary anomaly — starting in water, then transitioning to land.

Battle Bitten • A skeleton covered in bite marks confirms that the gladiators fought animals, even in the farthest reaches of the Roman Empire.

The Dragon Prince Dinosaur • A new species represents the closest relative to the large tyrannosaurs, including Tyrannosaurus rex.

A Proven...