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749 articles · page 11 of 16 · The Science front page
NASA has announced that its Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is performing significantly better than anticipated, with engineers confirming that its main camera system is delivering image quality nearly 30% better than predicted. The achievement follows an extensive series of tests and precision adjustments to the telescope's Wide Field Instrument.
A new microscope developed at Stanford University allows scientists to watch the tiny structures inside living cells move and interact in real time, achieving a resolution of approximately 120 nanometers without the need for fluorescent labels. The breakthrough, published in the journal Light: Science and Applications, could advance cancer research, drug development, and the study of infectious diseases.
An experimental drug developed at Michigan Medicine has reversed a severe form of fatty liver disease in animal studies by protecting the gut lining and reducing harmful bacteria that trigger liver inflammation, researchers report. The compound, DT-109, targets the gut rather than the liver directly, offering a potential new approach to treating metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), a condition affecting roughly 7% of the global population.
New research suggests that the human brain develops not from a single source of cells, but from two distinct populations that fuse together during embryonic development, challenging a long-established model of how the organ forms.
Almost every home destroyed in New South Wales during the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires was within 100 metres of flammable vegetation, new research has found, validating the buffer zone used by authorities but raising concerns that climate change will push fires further into suburban areas.
A Neanderthal who died 75,000 years ago from a spear wound through the chest was carefully laid to rest by their kin in Shanidar Cave, according to a study published in Scientific Reports. The remains, unearthed in 2020, preserve a puncture in the shoulder blade consistent with a wooden spear that likely pierced the heart, making it possibly the earliest known lethal spear attack on a human relative.
Honeybees are actively bullying wild pollinators away from flowers, using physical displacement and chasing to secure more pollen and nectar, according to a two-year study from Anglia Ruskin University. The research provides direct evidence that the surge in managed honeybee hives, driven by public campaigns to “save the bees”, is harming wild pollinator populations through aggressive competition.
New research published in Nature Communications has found that the Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica is losing mass significantly faster than previously estimated. A team from the University of California and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory discovered that warm seawater is intruding beneath the glacier, melting it from its core. This mechanism could add 1.2 inches (30 millimeters) to global sea levels over the next century, roughly double what earlier models predicted.
Hato Hone St John has introduced 16 female-form manikins into its free community CPR and AED training programme, aiming to address a well-documented gender gap in survival following cardiac arrest.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman has appointed Stephen Cash as the new director of the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, effective October 19. Cash, a veteran NASA engineer and aerospace executive, returns to lead the center where he began his career more than 40 years ago.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first two gene therapies for sickle cell disease in 2023, raising hopes of a cure for thousands of patients. Yet access to the treatments remains uneven, with costs, complex procedures and limited specialized centers keeping the therapies out of reach for many eligible patients.
California startup Reflect Orbital has purchased two launches from India's Skyroot Aerospace for its planned in-space mirror service, while Japan's Martian Moons Exploration (MMX) mission is set to launch as soon as Monday (US time) aboard an H3 rocket.
Bushfire smoke is affecting Queensland's urban air quality more frequently and more severely than previously understood, with bushfire-impacted hours during fire season roughly three times more common in recent years, according to a Queensland University of Technology-led study.
The International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) has voted to expedite the retirement of the leap second, moving the effective date to May 20, 2027, an accelerated timeline driven by concerns that a never-before-seen 'negative leap second' could cause widespread disruption to critical computer systems.
Blue Origin announced a significant expansion of its Florida launch facilities on Friday, adding two new launch pads, a manufacturing plant for up to 150 upper stages, and two more landing ships as part of plans to eventually launch 150 New Glenn rockets per year from Cape Canaveral.
Melbourne researchers are developing a treatment they hope will prevent the progressive blindness caused by Usher syndrome, a genetic condition that is the leading cause of deafblindness in Australia. The therapy, called EDITRA, aims to correct the genetic error behind one variant of the syndrome by repairing the cell's RNA instructions rather than replacing the faulty gene itself.
A Neanderthal who died around 75,000 years ago may have been killed by a sharpened wooden spear that pierced the chest and exited through the left shoulder blade, according to researchers. The discovery, in a cave in Iraqi Kurdistan, could be the earliest known case of lethal interpersonal violence with such a weapon.
A pioneering same-day test has been used to detect hidden and drug-resistant infections among more than 100 critically ill children in intensive care at London's Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), according to a report by the BBC. The metagenomic sequencing test can identify bacteria, viruses and fungi from a single respiratory sample, often influencing treatment decisions and catching infections that standard methods miss.
Rocket Lab announced Wednesday that the first launch of its Neutron rocket will not occur until 2027, citing a problem discovered during manufacturing of the vehicle's carbon composite structures.
Doctors in Saudi Arabia have successfully separated 13-month-old conjoined twins from Fiji in a complex, 13-hour operation. The sisters, Dicecea and Jesepeli Kikau, were born joined at the lower abdomen and pelvis, a condition known as omphalo-ischiopagus tetrapus.
Google Quantum AI said on Thursday that a technique called magic state cultivation reduced errors about 40-fold on its Willow processor, delivering magic states with 99.99% fidelity. Magic states are single-use resources needed to run useful quantum programs, and Google says some estimates put the cost of producing them at up to 95% of a quantum computer's capacity.
Over the past five years, NASA has augmented the International Space Station’s power supply with a new generation of Roll Out Solar Arrays, known as IROSAs, which unfurl autonomously after installation to provide additional electricity for the station’s systems and scientific experiments.
Microplastics, long assumed to be chemically inert, spontaneously generate DNA-damaging free radicals when they interact with water, according to a new study published in Nature. Researchers from Columbia University and the University of California, Berkeley, found that as plastics fragment into smaller particles, their increased surface area triggers the formation of highly reactive hydroxyl radicals, the same type of toxic molecules that antioxidants are designed to neutralise.
NASA is closely monitoring a historic El Niño event unfolding in the equatorial Pacific, with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration placing an 83% chance that it will become the strongest since records began in 1950. Satellite data show sea surface temperatures and sea levels rising dramatically, with effects already felt by farmers, firefighters and coastal communities around the world.
A new study published in Science Advances suggests that restoring native ecosystems on coral-fringed atolls could help these vulnerable landforms keep pace with rising seas. The research, which examined 28 atoll islands across the Pacific and Indian oceans, shows that healthy seabird colonies and native vegetation create a self-reinforcing cycle that builds and stabilises island sediment.
SpaceNews has released a new episode of its Space Minds podcast featuring an interview with NASA's Shatel Bhakta, principal systems engineer for Moon Base, who outlines the incremental development needed between now and 2028 to establish a permanent lunar outpost.
An oddly circular hole in a Neanderthal's shoulder blade could be the oldest known evidence of a human-like ancestor being killed by a wooden spear, according to research published today in Scientific Reports. The study of the 75,000-year-old remains, known as Shanidar A, also reveals signs of dental injury and care, offering a complex picture of Neanderthal life.
NASA has confirmed through additional engineering data analysis that the Orion spacecraft's heat shield performed as expected during Artemis II, the first crewed flight of the capsule, validating the reentry trajectory change introduced after char loss was observed on the uncrewed Artemis I mission.
A BBC health reporter has waded into a question facing many parents: should a 12-year-old be allowed to use protein powder? The question arose at home, where her son Ben has asked about 20 times to try the supplement, claiming it would make him "fitter and bigger" and noting that his male friends already use it.
Scientists say they have, for the first time, revived pig kidneys that were cooled to -150 °C and stored in a freezer for months, with one organ kept in a glass-like state for more than a year. After rewarming, testing in machines and transplanting into pigs, the kidneys regained their color and produced urine, key signs that they were working. The team hopes the findings can eventually be replicated with human organs.
A new study using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory has identified the likely cause of a striking radio wave formation nicknamed the 'Treble Clef': an outburst from a supermassive black hole followed by a collision of two galaxy clusters. The findings, led by Andrea Botteon of Italy's National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF), were published Oct. 14, 2026, in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.
Pope Leo XIV is recovering in hospital after surgery for lung cancer, the Vatican has confirmed, announcing that the 71-year-old non-smoker had adenocarcinoma, the most common form of the disease. The growth was found during a routine health check, and his case has put a spotlight on rising lung cancer rates among people who have never smoked.
NASA's first Venus missions in a generation are moving forward, with two spacecraft now on track for launch in the early 2030s after previously facing cancellation threats. The DAVINCI mission has been accelerated to a December 2030 launch, while the VERITAS orbiter is scheduled for November 2032, heralding a renewed era of Venus exploration that also includes European and private efforts.
A first-of-its-kind genetic study has found that the black teatfish, a sought-after sea cucumber species, can live up to 100 years, far longer than the previously assumed lifespan of 5 to 20 years. Researchers warn this means Australian fisheries regulators may be overestimating how quickly the species can replenish, raising doubts about the sustainability of current catch limits.
Mont Blanc, Western Europe's highest mountain, has shrunk by more than a metre in the past year, a team of French surveyors announced on Wednesday. The peak now stands at 4,807.47 metres above sea level, a decrease of 1.29 metres from 2025 and 3.43 metres lower than its recorded high in 2007.
NASA will hold a public briefing on Friday, Oct. 23, to provide an update on its accelerated timeline to return American astronauts to the lunar surface by 2028, as well as details on the upcoming Artemis III mission. The event is scheduled for 2 p.m. EDT at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida and will stream online.
Les chercheurs de la NASA travaillent sur une nouvelle génération de batteries à l'état solide conçues pour résister aux températures extrêmes du pôle Sud lunaire, où la nuit thermique descend à -200 °C. Le projet, baptisé SPEARS (Solid Power for Extreme Environment Adaptability and Resilience in Space), doit fournir des accumulateurs fiables et sûrs pour les missions Artemis, des kits d'urgence aux rovers explorant les cratères les plus sombres.
Turkey's Culture Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy has officially announced the discovery of what is believed to be the world's oldest shipwreck, a Bronze Age vessel dating back 4,700 years, found off the coast of Kekova Island in southern Antalya. The announcement confirms that underwater excavations have uncovered ceramic storage jars providing concrete evidence of early maritime trade across the eastern Mediterranean.
A chronic shortage of blood in both military and civilian settings is accelerating research into synthetic blood substitutes, as data shows hemorrhage remains the leading cause of preventable battlefield deaths and a major factor in maternal mortality worldwide. The effort, driven in part by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), seeks to overcome the logistical challenges of transporting and storing real blood in combat zones and remote areas.
NASA has released an image from the Perseverance rover's navigation camera marking a record drive on Mars, the space agency announced. The picture shows rover tracks pressing into the sandy, rocky terrain of a slope leading upward toward a distant ridge under a hazy sky.
A world-first international trial launching in Melbourne will test three caffeine dosing regimens on about 4,000 premature babies in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, in a bid to determine the safest and most effective way to use the drug in neonatal care.
NASA announced on Tuesday that astronaut and engineer Christina Koch will serve as the agency's acting deputy chief engineer beginning Sunday, Nov. 1, succeeding Katherine Van Hooser, who is retiring after more than 35 years with the agency.
A University of Sydney team using LiDAR-equipped drones has discovered three previously unknown Aboriginal rock shelters hidden beneath dense bush in the Blue Mountains, a fraction of the vast world heritage area, raising hopes that hundreds or even thousands of ancient Indigenous sites could be identified across the region.
High-speed video has revealed how a honey bee stinger keeps pumping venom into a victim after the bee has flown away: the three-part stinger works as a double-piston pump, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The footage provides the first direct observation of the mechanism behind the phenomenon, known as autotomy, in which the detached stinger continues to penetrate tissue and deliver venom on its own.
A commercial lunar lander bound for the Moon later this year has passed a series of critical environmental tests at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, with the agency confirming the spacecraft is ready for the rigors of spaceflight as it prepares to support humanity's first lunar outpost.
Wild bird populations in the UK have dropped to their lowest level since records began, according to official figures. The data, produced by leading conservation bodies for the government, shows that average populations across 132 native breeding species fell by 19 percent between 1970 and 2025, with farmland birds and seabirds suffering the steepest recent losses.
Women with autoimmune conditions are up to 74% more likely than men to be told their symptoms are psychological or psychosomatic, and face longer waits for a diagnosis and treatment, according to a study by the University of Cambridge and the University of East Anglia, published in the Lancet eClinicalMedicine journal.
A new ten-year study of nearly 40,000 hospital admissions in Victoria has found that cannabis-related hospitalisations increased by 49% between 2013 and 2023, with cannabis-induced psychosis as the leading cause, according to researchers from Monash University.