- February 22, 2026
Fish-based pet food may expose cats and dogs to forever chemicals
Some pet foods contain potentially harmful PFAS chemicals Cris Cantón/Getty Images Many pet foods – especially those based on fish
Is our galaxy’s black hole actually made of dark matter?
An image of the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A* in polarised light, captured by the Event Horizon Telescope EHT Collaboration
Humans are the only primates with a chin – now we finally know why
The human chin is an evolutionary oddity Westend61/Getty Images Humans are the only primates with a chin, leaving biologists to
World’s oldest cold virus found in 18th-century woman’s lungs
Historic anatomical preparations from the late 1700s in the Hunterian Anatomy Museum Anatomy Museum © The Hunterian, University of Glasgow
Old EV batteries could meet most of China’s energy storage needs
A vehicle battery factory in Guangxi, China Costfoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images Used electric vehicle batteries could meet two-thirds of China’s
Weakening ice shelf has caused crucial Antarctic glacier to accelerate
Giant icebergs have been breaking off the edge of Pine Island ice shelf NASA/Brooke Medley A large and fast-melting glacier
Moltbook: The social network for AI looks disturbing, but it’s not what you think
Moltbook is a social network where only AIs can post Cheng Xin/Getty Images A social network solely for AI –
The best new popular science books of February 2026 include titles by Maggie Aderin and Michael Pollan
Space scientist Maggie Aderin has a new book out this month Steven May / Alamy Stock Photo It’s nowhere near
Polar bears are getting fatter in the fastest-warming place on Earth
Researchers tracked the body condition of polar bears in Svalbard Jon Aars, Norsk Polarinstitutt Polar bears have been getting fatter
Menstrual pad could give women insights into their changing fertility
Menstrual pads can non-invasively collect information on a woman’s fertility Shutterstock/Connect world An at-home test built into a menstrual pad