In May’s science roundup, a cave in the eastern Pyrenees revealed evidence of ancient copper smelting, with 23 hearths filled with green mineral fragments that mirror malachite. The site, dated between 4,000 and 5,500 years ago, also yielded prehistoric pendants and a child's tooth, hinting at deeper burial layers.

The month highlighted a new deep‑sea octopus, Microeledone galapagensis, discovered at 5,800 feet off the Galapagos. Mini‑CT scans mapped its unique anatomy, including a large rachidian tooth and absence of an ink sac, underscoring the value of non‑destructive imaging in rare specimen analysis.

A study on vocal learning in singing mice showed that complex call‑and‑response behavior arises from modest rewiring of existing neural circuits, suggesting that even simple mammals can develop sophisticated communication without major evolutionary leaps.

Finally, researchers at the Complexity Science Hub mapped political polarization to a phase transition, identifying a critical campaign‑spending threshold that triggers rapid societal shifts, offering a new lens for electoral dynamics.