SpaceX Launch Creates Jellyfish Glow and Carries Medical Experiments
A Falcon 9 launch produced a rare jellyfish-shaped exhaust plume visible across the eastern U.S. while delivering new solar arrays and biomedical research to the ISS.
Science
Space, physics, materials, and general research.
A 1960 'Doomsday' Prediction for Nov. 13, 2026 Falls Flat
A famous 1960 mathematical prediction of a population doomsday on Nov. 13, 2026 held up for decades but unraveled as global birth rates fell, showing how models fail when human behavior changes.
Noise-cancelling headphones may cut post-surgery nausea and vomiting
Wearing noise-cancelling headphones during surgery could reduce the risk of postoperative nausea and vomiting, suggesting operating-room sound matters even under anaesthesia.
Nazi Germany's final nuclear reactor was far from critical, uranium cubes show
Analysis of surviving uranium cubes and wartime records indicates the B8 reactor would have needed roughly twice the uranium and more than twice the heavy water it had.
Plastic-Eating ‘Pac-Man’ Enzyme Also Breaks Down Penicillin
A newly discovered enzyme helps bacteria digest biodegradable plastics and may also play a role in antibiotic resistance, researchers report.
Japan's Phobos mission launches in October to solve moon mystery
The Martian Moons eXploration spacecraft will return samples from Phobos that could settle a century-old debate.
Giant Crayfish Find Points to a Biological Size Limit
A record-breaking Tennessee crayfish and a nationwide survey suggest North American crayfish may have a hard size ceiling linked to muscle biology.
Positive Mindset May Help Shape Immune Response, Column Argues
A New Scientist column explores whether mental wellbeing can influence susceptibility to colds and flu.
Climate change cost estimates are inherently ambiguous, study finds
A new consistency framework shows that two valid attribution methods can yield very different price tags for the same extreme event.
Why AI Benchmarks Are Broken—and What Still Works
Computer scientist Moritz Hardt argues that AI benchmarks are fundamentally flawed, yet their relative rankings still offer reliable signals.
High-Mountain Clouds Respond Faster and Differently to Warming
A 20-year satellite analysis shows clouds over the highest mountain ranges are changing in distinct ways compared with clouds over lowlands.
One-atom-high steps steer quantum vortices in superconductors
Researchers found that atomic-scale steps can act as rails for quantum vortices, potentially enabling ultra-efficient superconducting electronics.
Black hole jets switch on at same 2% feeding-rate threshold
A new study finds that black holes of vastly different masses trigger powerful jets under the same universal condition.
NASA Captures Rare Gravity Waves Rippling Above Hurricane Simon
Satellite images reveal hurricane-driven atmospheric waves in the upper atmosphere, made visible by an unusually dark moonless sky.
Probiotic with breast-milk sugars cuts infection risk in formula-fed babies
A probiotic supplement containing sugars found in breast milk reduced formula-fed babies' risk of respiratory infections, according to a new study.
75,000-Year-Old Neanderthal Skeleton Shows Signs of Violence and Care
A 75,000-year-old Neanderthal skeleton with severe injuries suggests both violent living conditions and possible care within the group.
Arctic Sea Ice Hits Troubling Low in 2026 as Ice Thins
Satellite records show Arctic sea ice is shrinking in both winter and summer, leaving a thinner, younger ice pack that is more vulnerable to melting.
Judge Blocks USDA Restructuring and Research Facility Closures
A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction stopping the USDA's planned reorganization, including closure of research facilities, until December 11.