Science
APOD: 2026 October 17 – 3D 67P
APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 October 17… Today’s APOD Archive Submissions Index Search Calendar RSS Education About Discuss APOD Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos…
Long-serving ABC broadcaster Robyn Williams to leave The Science Show after 51 years
No replacement has been named as the 82-year-old departs, with the media announcement referring only to ‘the next generation’Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free weekly media new…
Scientists uncover mystery of how snail shells coil to the right or to the left
Scientists have discovered a gene that determines whether Japanese snails develop shells that are left- or right-coiling—with implications for understanding the underlying handedn…
Astronomer leads global team on NASA mission to create unprecedented view of the early universe
A University of Missouri astronomer is leading a team of 130 researchers from 62 institutions—including NASA, the California Institute of Technology, Princeton University and Harv…
Cloudy with a chance of moths: bogong swarms are bamboozling weather radars across NSW
Radar systems designed for rain, hail and snow are picking up bogong moths migrating to the Australian AlpsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastIt was during…
Plants shift gene activity within minutes of entering spaceflight, experiment reveals
Plants begin responding to spaceflight almost immediately after leaving Earth, according to a new University of Florida study that captured the earliest stages of biological adapt…
New 3D model reveals how shadows reshape chemistry in stellar nurseries
How do young stars reshape the clouds from which they are born? A new high-resolution 3D model developed by an international team led by Dr Brandt Gaches from the University of Du…
Scientists discover cell division does more than make new cells: It helps reshape tissues
Every time a tissue grows or renews itself, cells must divide inside an already crowded environment. That creates a fundamental problem that scientists have not fully understood: …
Arizona Joins Lawsuit Challenging the Federal Government’s Plan for the Colorado River
The Arizona Department of Water Resources filed a motion Friday to join in a lawsuit against the federal government’s plan for Colorado River operations over the next 10 years. “A…
New high-frequency method boosts 2D material readout for next-gen quantum computers
Quantum computers represent a next step in the fast-paced evolution of technology. Using quantum bits (qubits), they have the potential to run certain calculations exponentially f…
'It really does change you': SpaceX Crew-12 commander wishes we could all see our fragile Earth from space
The astronauts of SpaceX's Crew-12 mission wish that we could all see Earth as they just did —as a beautiful but fragile outpost of life in a vast void.
Sunlight gives biodiesel byproduct a second life as hydrogen and valuable chemicals
Australian researchers and international collaborators have demonstrated a solar-driven approach to convert glycerol, a low-value byproduct of biodiesel production, into hydrogen …
A highway instead of a racetrack: Strong coupling of light and sound in an optical fiber
For the first time, scientists have achieved strong coupling between light and long-lived acoustic vibrations in an optical fiber. Optical fibers are used in both classical teleco…
Infrared light overcomes mirror coating obstacle in gravitational wave detector upgrades
Researchers have developed and tested a new locking method for gravitational wave detectors that will advance the discovery of distant black holes and neutron stars colliding.
Those lake "weeds" actually keep lakes healthy
Some people may think that plants that grow in lakes are weeds that should be removed, but ecologists say native aquatic plants keep lakes healthy. They also prevent invasive spec…
First comprehensive Mars soil classification offers framework for exploration and future farming
A Ph.D. student at the University of Sydney has produced the first comprehensive classification system and map of Martian soils, creating a new framework that could help scientist…
Essential oil sprays kill cockroaches on contact but offer little lasting control
A German cockroach races across a kitchen floor. Someone grabs a bottle of essential oil spray, soaks the insect and watches it die. The product worked, but a new University of Ke…
NASA Names Stephen Cash Marshall Space Flight Center Director
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman has named Stephen Cash director of the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, effective Monday, Oct. 19. Cash, a veteran N…
When not to watch a meteor shower — why I'm not staying up for the Orionids
The Orionid meteor shower peaks next week, but a bright moon makes much of the night less than ideal. Sometimes the sensible observing decision is knowing when to stay in bed — an…
Climate warming can slow how tree roots feed soil microbes
A plant's roots do much of their work out of sight, pulling in water and nutrients and holding the plant in place. That makes it hard to see how plants respond when conditions und…
New alloy design strategy combines strength and ductility by timing hardening mechanisms
Structural metals used in engineering projects are expected to have both high strength and high ductility: the ability to withstand heavy loads and deform before failure. Achievin…
Light and ultrasound reveal renewable routes to compounds for pharmaceutical research
Sustainable packaging is only the beginning. What a medicine is made from—and how its ingredients are produced—matters just as much. Yet the synthesis of compounds for pharmaceuti…
World-record intensity in attosecond hard-X-ray pulses could unlock closer study of electrons in atoms and molecules
Researchers used the European XFEL to create X-ray flashes that were not only extremely short but also reached record intensity for this type of pulse. The researchers focused the…
Spiny dogfish blood contains a hormone long thought absent in sharks
Cortisol is a hormone that helps humans and many other animals regulate their energy use and respond to changing conditions. For a long time, sharks and rays were believed to rely…