Science news this week: Goblin shark filmed for first time, California close to a major quake, physicists split photon, and inside China's plans to 'tame nature'

Science news this week: Goblin shark filmed for first time, California close to a major quake, physicists split photon, and inside China's plans to 'tame nature' June 20, 2026: Our weekly roundup of the latest science in the news, as well as a few fascinating articles to keep you entertained over the weekend. This week's science news was filled with things missing and found, with the revelation of the first-ever deep-sea footage of the elusive goblin shark making waves in the press. Goblin sharks (Mitsukurina owstoni) are mysterious, deepwater creatures that have not changed much since they first appeared on Earth 125 million years ago — making them "living fossils." But capturing a recording of the sharks in their deep habitats is exceptionally difficult, and they have previously been seen alive only after being hooked to the surface on fishing lines. Scientists recently filmed not one, but two goblin sharks: The first near Jarvis Island in the South Central Pacific, and the second 6,550 feet (1,997 meters) deep in the Tonga Trench. If you like your elusive animals on the wilier (and certainly much cuter) side, we also reported on the first ever photographs of the dwarf fox, a species that was believed to be extinct but has been found near a highway in Cozumel, Mexico. Elsewhere, archaeologists found a second cannonball from the 1836 Battle of the Alamo, meaning they now have one from each side of the conflict. And separate teams of archaeologists discovered the remains of a prehistoric man in Germany who may have been a human sacrifice and signs of a "prototype" Stonehenge close near the famous Stone Age monument. If you got this far wondering if the "missing" news items were, well, missing, we also covered how a "cold blob" of absent heat in the Atlantic Ocean is shifting Indian summer monsoons, threatening over one billion people; the Texas-size chunk of ice missing from Antarctica; how an ancient chunk of the moon found in Africa hints at a calamitous lunar collision; and a bizarre viral infection that left a woman unable to recognize her own father. California is scarily close to a major quake 'The system is critically stressed': San Andreas and San Jacinto faults scarily close to major earthquake, study finds The next major Californian earthquake could be closer than we thought, according to an alarming new study. The research, based on historical modeling of earthquake activity, found that Southern California's San Andreas and San Jacinto fault systems are at their highest levels of tectonic stress in more than 1,000 years; while also being connected by a "gate" system that could make them rupture together. Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox. The exact odds of each event happening and the timing of a possible future rupture are unknown. But the scientists stress that understanding how much strain is building up inside the system could help to prepare for whatever comes next. Life's Little Mysteries Why does it take our eyes so long to adjust to the dark? Our eyes are remarkably adaptable, switching from navigating under bright lights to the near pitch-black of a moonless night. But anyone who's stubbed a toe during this acclimation window — and that definitely includes me — may have once or twice asked themselves why it takes our eyes so long to adjust to the dark. Live Science shed a bit of light on the question. —If you enjoyed this, sign up for our Life's Little Mysteries newsletter Physicists split a photon 'A mixture from zero to infinity': Physicists split apart a photon — and ended up with an improbable swarm of particles What do you get if you split a photon? Anywhere from zero to an infinite number of more photons, physicists say. That's the finding made by a new experiment that simulated a photon being sliced by a shutter under various circumstances, revealing the result was anywhere from zero to one to upwards of an infinite swarm of the tiny light particles. The probability of each of these states corresponded to how quickly the shutter cut the photon. And the unexpected behavior has some truly profound implications for how we view fundamental particles. Discover more physics news Also in science news this week —Indonesia's near-identical, 'Twin Peaks' volcanoes form striking mirror image — Earth from space —Neuroscientists are searching for the 'cellular substrate of loneliness' Science Spotlight 'River in the Sky': China's doomed plan to create a 'cloud seeding corridor' tells us how far the country will go to solve its climate crisis China's response to the climate crisis continues to astonish. Over the past two decades, the world's industrial powerhouse has presided over the largest and fastest clean energy buildout in modern history, while also working to bring its carbon emissions to a peak before 2030. But an underdiscussed aspect of China's climate plans are its bold attempts to geoengineer the environment to be more resilient and better suit human needs. That's why, in his three-part "Taming Nature" series, Live Science's production editor James Price investigated the country's efforts to create a permanent atmospheric river and build the world's biggest dam in earthquake-prone Tibet. Something for the weekend If you're looking for things to keep you busy over the weekend, here are some of the best news analyses, crosswords, interviews, opinion pieces and quizzes published this week. —A secretive Chinese probe has just arrived at one of Earth's 'quasi-moons' and will soon attempt a first-of-its-kind landing [News analysis] —Dangerously hot and humid: Rising temperatures in the US make outdoor exercise hazardous [News analysis] —Rainforest quiz: Can you sort Earth's largest rainforests from biggest to smallest? [Quiz] —Live Science crossword puzzle #48: Largest fish on Earth — 6 across [Crossword] Science video of the week Watch bison herd defend a newborn calf from wolf attack in a primeval Polish forest European bison (Bison bonasus) are typically considered to be a non-prey species — only being hunted by humans. But rare and unexpected camera trap footage from Poland's Bialowieza Primeval Forest (the oldest and best-preserved temperate lowland forest in Europe) has called that into question. In the video, a herd of bison is recorded rallying around a newborn calf to fend off an attack from five wolves (Canis lupus), successfully driving the predators away. It's a nerve wracking watch, and one that could become more common as wolf packs grow in size thanks to a late 1980s hunting ban across the region. Follow Live Science on social media Want more science news? Follow our Live Science WhatsApp Channel for the latest discoveries as they happen. It's the best way to get our expert reporting on the go, but if you don't use WhatsApp we're also on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Flipboard, Instagram, TikTok, Bluesky and LinkedIn. Ben Turner is a U.K. based writer and editor at Live Science. He covers physics and astronomy, tech and climate change. He graduated from University College London with a degree in particle physics before training as a journalist. When he's not writing, Ben enjoys reading literature, playing the guitar and embarrassing himself with chess. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.