Science
Cop31 may involve lots of talking about talking – but there are wins to be had
In this week’s newsletter: what to expect of the next two weeks at the critical UN climate talks. Plus, this week’s most important reads• Don’t get Down to Earth delivered to your…
Student team develops innovative 'Trojan horse' in the fight against the Asian hornet
An interdisciplinary team of students from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) is taking part in iGEM, the international synthetic biology competition in Paris (Nov. 13–16), this…
What seal pups can reveal about the effects of mercury exposure
Marine mammals living along the Pacific Coast of North America encounter more than the fish, crustaceans, cephalopods and other marine mammals that live around them. Because conta…
Researchers launch all-out assault on sawflies damaging wheat crops
Colorado wheat—the foundation for flour used in bread, noodles and pastries—has been besieged by the wheat stem sawfly, a native insect that recently developed a preference for wh…
Quantum could solve AI energy drain, says tech founder
Quantum computers could curb the vast energy demands of artificial intelligence data centers with their ability to run complex calculations, one of the tech's pioneers told AFP.
NASA's twin ESCAPADE Mars probes slingshot around Earth in unprecedented double 'gravity assist'
NASA's twin ESCAPADE spacecraft are wrapping up a year-long voyage to Mars, and are now ready to make a beeline to the Red Planet.
Why the World Is Still Running on Fossil Fuels After 30 Years of Climate Talks
ANTALYA, Turkey—The stench of fossil fuels has become a hallmark of the United Nations “Conference of the Parties” climate talks, starting with the airplanes and buses carrying de…
Tuesday briefing: The world is falling short on climate action. Can Cop31 change that?
In today’s newsletter: As global leaders gather in Turkey for the UN climate summit, both doubts and hope surround what the annual talks can achieveGood morning. After another yea…
APOD: 2026 November 10 – Saturn Behind the Moon
APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 November 10 –… Today’s APOD Archive Submissions Index Search Calendar RSS Education About Discuss APOD Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cos…
Why we get Sad and what helps – podcast
As the nights draw in, many of us can experience low mood. But for a small proportion of people a more intense depression develops through the winter months. It’s a phenomenon tha…
Autumn Mornings Bring Valley Fog
Low clouds trace the branching valleys of the Appalachian Plateau and the Cumberland River, then burn off by afternoon.
Australia's Chris Bowen tells Cop31 the world can still limit global heating to 1.5C – video
At the opening of Cop31 in Turkey, president of negotiations and Australia’s climate change minister, Chris Bowen, acknowledged the world would overshoot the Paris Agreement’s 1.5…
Light-pulse pairs reveal the femtosecond decay of an inner-shell hole in xenon atoms
Researchers at the UVSOR Synchrotron Facility (Institute for Molecular Science, Japan) and partner institutions have observed the decay of a xenon 4d core hole, an inner-shell vac…
Barium titanate's optical properties emerge more clearly after decades of widely varying measurements
A KAIST-led research team has characterized how light propagates through and is absorbed by barium titanate (BTO), a promising material for next-generation optical communication d…
Electrical technique concentrates milk without using heat, challenging traditional preservation methods
Dehydrating milk to turn it into powder is, today, an energy-intensive process that subjects the product to high temperatures. Powdered milk is widely used by the food industry an…
Curiosity Blog, Sols 5056-5062: Charging Back Up!
By Remington Free, Operations Systems Engineer, NASA-JPL Earth planning date: Friday, Oct. 30, 2026 Today’s plan covered 3 sols, 5060, 5061, and 5062, as we take a few recharging …
Curiosity Blog, Sols 5050-5055: It’s Nazca, Our 49th Drill Hole
Written by Susanne P. Schwenzer, Professor of Planetary Mineralogy at The Open University, UK Earth planning date: Friday, Oct. 23, 2026 As regular readers of this blog will know,…
Slight fall in carbon emissions from fossil fuels as Iran war drives renewables push
However, authors of a comprehensive assessment to be presented at Cop31 warn talk of a global turnaround prematureCop31 live – latest updatesSoaring oil and gas prices following t…
Chris Bowen faces a titanic task at Cop31. What will it take for the world to make the climate crisis its top priority? | Adam Morton
Whether the global community can bring itself to name fossil fuels as the cause of the climate emergency will be at the centre of debate in AntalyaAustralian politics could have l…
Gatineau Park foliage reveals local Cold War nuclear testing legacy
For more than six decades, local scientists have collected sugar maple leaves from Gatineau Park to measure their radiocarbon levels, creating the longest continuous record of its…
Alabama Power Lawyer Calls Landowner’s Statements, Stance ‘Ridiculous Stuff’
COLUMBIANA, Ala.—Attorneys for Alabama Power didn’t mince words about Fenn Church in a Shelby County courthouse Monday afternoon. “Mr. Church—over and over again—has said he wants…
Study identifies single amino acid change that alters Andes virus protein behavior in human cells
Mount Sinai researchers have identified a single amino acid difference between rodent- and human-derived Andes virus isolates that changes how a key viral protein behaves inside h…
Starling numbers are declining—we're investigating whether their spectacular murmuration displays are changing too
Every autumn, from city centers to wetlands, starling murmurations attract crowds of spectators. Thousands of birds fill the sky, twisting and turning in extraordinary waves as th…
Methane-eating microbes grown on electrodes build electrically conductive nanowires
Certain microorganisms (anaerobic methanotrophic archaea, or ANME) consume methane and convert it into electricity, as research conducted four years ago by microbiologist Cornelia…