Science
New Crops, Health Research Proposals to Help NASA Advance Exploration
NASA has selected 12 new investigations to help support human explorers in space. Six will help advance the ability to produce food off-planet, while another six advance the under…
Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS likely formed where its star's light couldn't touch it
"Every one of these objects we study helps us understand a little more about how planets form around other stars."
Cancer-linked protein binds to chromosome in unexpected way, study finds
A new 3D structure of a cancer-linked protein bound to its cellular partner reveals details of how the protein binds to chromosomes and could offer insights for future disease tre…
40-year-old prediction of how plastics 'mix' confirmed for the first time
A "mixing" phenomenon between plastic layers that had been predicted only in theory for 40 years has now been experimentally confirmed.
Series of reactions reveals how complex carbon chemistry can begin in frigid space
Before there was Earth, there was chemistry. In the unimaginable cold, dark clouds where stars and planets are born, carbon molecules assemble into more complex forms—starting a c…
2 European Earth-observing satellites launching to orbit from South America tonight: Watch it live
A Vega C rocket will launch Europe's FLEX and Copernicus-3C spacecraft to orbit from French Guiana tonight (Sept. 14), and you can watch the action live.
Salicornia genomes reveal genetic secrets to farming on salty land
A University of Newcastle-led global study has produced the most complete genetic picture yet of a salt-loving plant with the potential to help grow food in some of the world's ha…
Novel solvent recipe boosts efficiency of organic solar cells
In a study recently published in the Chemical Engineering Journal, a research team from National Taiwan University and international collaborators have developed a straightforward…
Mosquito 'toilet' detects West Nile and first Hedwig-like virus found in the Americas
When public health researchers want to know whether diseases such as COVID-19 or polio are circulating in a community, they can look for genetic evidence in wastewater.
Speedy electrons for brilliant laser light: Research paves the way for compact, inexpensive free-electron lasers
Extremely short, intense light flashes are in high demand to investigate atoms, molecules and new materials. Free-electron lasers (FELs) produce these flashes. But around the worl…
The US government is 'sincere in its efforts to understand UAP', new White House council chair says
The recently created UAP Science Advisory Council recently gathered at a private meeting at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
NASA Welcomes Djibouti as Newest Artemis Accords Signatory
The Republic of Djibouti became the 72nd nation and eighth African country to sign the Artemis Accords during a ceremony Monday at NASA Headquarters in Washington. The Artemis Acc…
Getting photons into shape for reliable quantum communication
The vast majority of modern quantum technologies—from quantum cryptography to the quantum internet to the quantum computer—rely on one essential element: the transmission of photo…
How the 2024 solar superstorm drained Earth's radiation belt
In May 2024, Earth experienced its most intense geomagnetic storm since the Halloween storms of 2003. This "superstorm" filled night skies in many parts of the world with colorful…
NASA Kicks Off Inspiration Tour with Steelers vs. Falcons Game
Fans pose for a photo with an astronaut in the NASA Experience Zone at an NFL game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Atlanta Falcons at Acrisure Stadium, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2…
The original 'Star Wars' is coming to IMAX for the first time ever in 2027
Both the OG 'Star Wars' and 'Star Wars: Starfighter' score the ultimate cinematic treatment in 2027.
Did you solve it? Do you have the brain of an engineer?
The answers to today’s puzzlesEarlier today I set four engineering puzzles. Here they are again with solutions. (Do check out the hundreds of great comments posted below the line …
The surprising history of woolly rhinos: They weren't always creatures of the frozen north
Woolly rhinoceroses (Coelodonta antiquitatis) were fascinating creatures: giant, lumbering Ice Age beasts with thick fur and massive horns that died out about 11,000 years ago. Pr…
Cryopreserved sperm could help safeguard the future of endangered pupfish
Using cryopreserved sperm alongside larger breeding populations in zoos and aquaria could dramatically improve the long-term survival prospects of endangered pupfish, according to…
Why do spruce take decades to reproduce? A genetic study offers some clues
New techniques have enabled researchers in Sweden to begin decoding how one of Northern Europe's most important coniferous tree species switches from growing branches to producing…
Physicists zoom into the birth of cosmic rainstorms with new CERN study
Every second, particles zip through your body at nearly the speed of light. They rain down from a storm high in the sky, where cosmic rays, a powerful type of interstellar matter,…
Summer Training: Catching Up With NASA’s Astronaut Candidates
Did you spend part of your summer camping, hiking, at the pool, or in an aircraft? So did NASA’s 2025 Astronaut Candidate Class. The 10 candidates have been working their way thro…
No cities on the moon — there isn't enough water, scientists say (op-ed)
The discovery of water in dark craters at the moon's poles has sparked a "moon rush" to establish bases there, and then villages, cities and heavy industry. How sustainable is thi…
On this day in space! Sept. 14, 1966: NASA's Gemini 11 astronauts set altitude record for Earth orbit that went unbroken for 58 years
On Sept. 14, 1966, NASA's Gemini 11 mission set an spaceflight altitude record that lasted for nearly six decades. Here's why the mission mattered.