Today's biggest science news: Japan earthquake tsunami | Kilauea lava fountains | Northern lights forecast

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2025-12-08T23:40:09.924Z See you later

The US signs off tonight, but come back here tomorrow for the latest science news from our UK team.

2025-12-08T22:47:42.407Z Old oil learns a new trick

Can leftover cooking oil be used as super glue? (Image credit: Getty Images (background) / Mahadas et al. (inset))

What should you do with leftover cooking oil in your pot after dinner? Pour it down the drain and feed the mountain of fat growing under your city? Or you might do what a team of chemists did, and use it to make a super-sticky adhesive polymer with incredible strength.

As described in a recent study published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, researchers have devised a way to break down used oil molecules, then reassemble them in a variety of ways. One recombination process resulted in a super sticky polyester plastic.

When the team used this polyester to glue two metal panels together, they found that it could withstand hundreds of pounds of weight, and even tow a car. Read all about the amazing discovery in Live Science contributor Mason Wakley's new story.

Brandon Spector

Space and Physics Editor 2025-12-08T21:13:23.936Z Watch the return of 3 astronauts from the International Space Station

NASA's Johnny Kim and astronauts Sergei Ryzhikov and Alexei Zubritsky of Roscosmos bid farewell to people on Earth at the Cosmonaut Hotel before their April 8, 2025 launch from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. They are returning to Earth today after eight months in space. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Three astronauts – NASA's Johnny Kim and Russian cosmonauts Sergei Ryzhikov and Alexei Zubritsky – will make the long journey home tonight. Together, the trio have orbited Earth 3,920 times and traveled an astonishing 104 million miles (167 million kilometers) since launching to the International Space Station (ISS) in April, according to NASA.

The trio are scheduled to depart the International Space Station via a Soyuz spacecraft today at 8:41 p.m. EDT (0141 GMT Dec. 9) and will land in Kazakhstan near the city of Dzhezkazgan, Live Science's sister site Space.com reported.

The flight is scheduled to take about 3.5 hours – a quick flight when you consider that traveling between New York and San Francisco on a commercial plane takes about 6 hours.

Space.com is live streaming the return flight, so you can watch the flight there.

2025-12-08T20:39:09.085Z The search for dark matter has failed and scientists are excited

Simulation of the cosmic web. Scientists believe that some of these filaments are held together by dark matter. (Image credit: European Space Agency)

Herculean efforts to search for dark matter have found no evidence of this elusive substance. This is our finding from a giant particle detector located a mile underground in South Dakota.

The 417-day experiment, known as LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ), looked at the light signatures released when particles collide with xenon atoms in a giant bowl, placed deep underground so that most particles from space cannot distort the results.

Dark matter, which emits no light and exerts a gravitational force, is thought to make up most of the universe. The new results tightly constrain the properties of one of the main candidates for dark matter.

You can read all about why scientists are so happy with these negative results in contributor Elizabeth Howell's story here.

Tia Goose

Editor-in-Chief (Premium) 2025-12-08T19:47:05.712Z You idiot!

The “cube”-shaped skull is shown on the left, along with 3D scans (middle and right). (Image credit: INAH; Technical Archives of the Department of Physical Anthropology at CINAH Tamaulipas)

In the Peanuts comic strip by Charles Schultz, Lucy often calls Charlie Brown an “idiot.” Archaeologists in Mexico recently discovered another type of fool, a man whose skull was shaped as an infant into something like a cube.

While head shaping (also known as cranial vault modification) is a practice that people have done around the world and over time with their children, this particular shape was a surprise to the researchers, who had never seen it in that region of Mexico before.

For more information about the skull and the man it belonged to over a thousand years ago, see my coverage here.

Christina Kilgrove

Staff Writer 2025-12-08T19:23:47.083Z United Kingdom Log out

I'm signing off from the British side, but as always, there's more to come from my American colleagues.

2025-12-08T19:21:25.860Z Earthquake injuries and damages

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaishi addressed the media following a major earthquake off the country's main island earlier today. (Image source: Gigi Press/AFP via Getty Images)

There have been some reports of injuries and damage in Japan as a result of the 7.6 magnitude earthquake that struck off Japan's main island earlier today. However, these initial reports are limited.

Sky News reported that several people were injured in coastal communities, but it was not clear how many.

A hotel employee in Hachinohe City told NHK that there were multiple casualties. In this case, all participants were conscious.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaishi told reporters Tuesday morning local time that seven infections had been reported, according to Reuters. The government formed a task force to respond to the earthquake.

The nuclear power plants appear to be operating normally, according to NHK.

This is a developing story and we expect more details to emerge over the next 24 hours.

2025-12-08T18:23:01.140Z Tsunami hits Japan

Japan issued a tsunami warning earlier today. (Image credit: Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images)

A tsunami hit Japan after a 7.6-magnitude earthquake off the northeastern coast of Honshu, the country's main island, earlier today.

The Japan Meteorological Agency recorded tsunami waves hitting the east coast of Japan. The exact height of the waves is unclear at this time, but most fall into the category of 3 feet (1 meter) or less.

No deaths have been reported at this time, although there are some reports of injuries.

Japan lowers tsunami warning level

Japan lowered its tsunami warning level to tsunami warning. The initial warning means authorities expect a maximum tsunami height of between 3.3 feet and 9.8 feet (1 and 3 metres).

However, the “advisory” level means the maximum expected height has dropped to 3.3 feet, in line with wave heights recorded so far.

2025-12-08T17:12:47.618Z Watch for the northern lights

Geomagnetic storms can trigger visible auroras, like the one seen in this image over Cypress Island in the US (Image source: Joel Askey / 500px via Getty Images)

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a strong G3 geomagnetic storm watch for tomorrow (December 9), with the potential for aurora visible over several US states from the lower Midwest to Oregon.

The aurora forecast comes with multiple bursts of plasma, or coronal mass ejections (CMEs), toward Earth from the Sun. CMEs have the potential to collide with Earth's magnetic field and trigger geomagnetic storms.

A strong geomagnetic storm forecast tomorrow is linked to a solar flare on Saturday. The resulting CME is expected to arrive at midday tomorrow.

The Space Weather Prediction Center noted that a coronal eruption may also have limited and minor impacts on technological infrastructure, but this can usually be mitigated.

And tonight…

Parts of the Northern Hemisphere could see some aurora borealis on Monday, according to Live Science's sister site Space.com.

The Space Weather Prediction Center has forecast a less intense G1 geomagnetic storm as a result of a separate coronal ejection that departed the Sun on December 4, while the UK Met Office has a more intense G3 watch tonight and tomorrow.

Our sun is very active right now. The Space Weather Prediction Center recorded another powerful solar flare earlier today. The X1.1-level flare caused high-frequency radio disturbances over parts of Australia and South Asia, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Patrick Bester

News Writer 2025-12-08T15:51:12.794Z Discovery of a rare sacrificial complex in Russia

Researchers report the discovery of a “sacrificial complex” in Russia. (Image credit: Institute of Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences)

Russian archaeologists recently discovered a collection of hundreds of horse bridles and bronze beads near the burial mounds of high-status nomads from the 4th century BC.

While the artifacts themselves aren't entirely surprising — after all, these nomadic peoples relied on horses for travel — their collection as a form of “sacrifice” is unusual.

For more on this discovery, which curiously included a gold plaque depicting a tiger, see my coverage here.

Christina Kilgrove

Staff Writer 2025-12-08T15:38:58.300Z Japan is hit by a major earthquake

Natural disaster evacuation point in Japan. (Image credit: HABesen via Getty Images)

A 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck off the northeastern coast of Japan's main island of Honshu. The earthquake occurred at 11:15 PM local time (9:15 AM EST).

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued tsunami warnings in three areas: the central part of the Pacific coast in the Hokkaido region, the Pacific coast of Aomori Prefecture and Iwate Prefecture. The maximum expected tsunami height is between 3.2 and 9.8 feet (1 and 3 metres).

The earthquake was strongest in the city of Hachinohe, where the quake had a magnitude of 6+ – meaning it was “impossible to remain standing or move without crawling,” according to the Japan Meteorological Agency's interpretation of earthquake intensity.

Tsunami Information Stmt: M7.6 Hokkaido, Japan area 0615PST Dec 8: No tsunami expected; CA, OR, WA, BC, and AK December 8, 2025

The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center tweeted at 9:32 a.m. EDT that no tsunami was expected in California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia or Alaska.

Sophie Berdugo

Staff Writer 2025-12-08T14:35:58.193Z Live Science News Brief

Here are some of the best Live Science stories from the weekend:

2025-12-08T14:04:52.716Z The extinction of “The Hobbit”

Reconstruction of Homo floresiensis. (Image credit: Photo by Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post. via Getty Images)

Drought may have wiped out the tiny ancient human species Homo floresiensis, nicknamed “the hobbit,” reports Live Science contributor Owen Jaros.

New research suggests that reduced rainfall could have led to a decline in the population of Stegodon (extinct relatives of elephants) that H. floresiensis depended on for food, and in turn, forced hobbits to compete with modern humans (us).

Homo floresiensis lived in Indonesia from at least 100,000 years ago until about 50,000 years ago. Researchers still have a lot to learn about these mysterious ancient humans, whose remains have only been found in one cave, and it remains uncertain whether they interacted with us or not.

Species usually become extinct for various reasons. In the case of Homo floresiensis, a volcanic eruption may also have been an important factor in their demise.

Read the full story here

2025-12-08T13:00:33.681Z Losing camera in lava fountain

USGS cameras captured the 38th peak eruption episode of Kilauea volcano. (Image credit: USGS)

Good morning, science lovers! Patrick is here to launch another week of science news blog coverage.

Kilauea volcano in Hawaii erupted with stunning giant lava fountains over the weekend and consumed a US Geological Survey (USGS) camera.

The remotely operated camera filmed its demise inside Halema'umau Crater on Saturday (December 6) as a wall of volcanic debris approached and took it offline.

Kilauea Volcano is one of the most active volcanoes in the world, and has been erupting almost continuously on the Big Island of Hawaii for more than 30 years.

The latest activity marks the 38th episode of Kilauea Peak's eruption cycle, which began on December 23, 2024. We've seen plenty of lava fountains before, but USGS cameras are rarely this close to the action.

Patrick Bester

Trending news writer

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