Science
Seabird family tree predicts which species accumulate plastic better than diet, global analysis finds
What seabirds eat might seem like a good starting point for identifying species that tend to accumulate plastic in their digestive systems. Yet a recent global analysis suggests t…
New long‑clawed British dinosaur is the first of its kind in Europe
The fossilized skull of a new species of mysterious meat-eating dinosaur from the Isle of Wight has been rediscovered in the collections of the Natural History Museum after over 1…
'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' was afraid to say anything in season of gimmicks
The fourth season of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" was one giant gimmick: shoving "Trek" into as many genres as possible and often directly adapting classic films from those gen…
Medusa's eye, Halloween fireballs and more: 5 skywatching targets to look out for this spooky season
Five spooky skywatching targets perfect for naked eye stargazing this Halloween!
NASA adopting Apollo's urgency to build a moon base and land astronauts within 2 years
NASA is moving fast on its plans to build a moon base and return astronauts to the lunar surface in as little as two years.
Yes, There Is Some Global Action on Phasing Out Fossil Fuels
From our collaborating partner Living on Earth, public radio’s environmental news magazine, an interview by Paloma Beltran with Tzeporah Berman, the founder of the Fossil Fuel Non…
The Locations of North Carolina’s Industrial Poultry Farms Have Been a Secret—Until Now
A few days before Christmas in 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency received a complaint through its National Response Center: “There has been a horrible smell in the ai…
A Potent Climate Super-Pollutant Is Surging in Beijing
Climate pollutant concentrations in the Beijing region of northern China have plateaued or begun to decline—except for the world’s most potent greenhouse gas, new research conclud…
‘False autumn’: stressed trees drop leaves early after scorching English summer
Season will be less vibrant with trees such as birches, which usually offer a striking burst of yellow leaves, already bareAmong a canvas of copper, red and purple autumn leaves o…
APOD: 2026 October 24 – Rosetta’s Selfie
APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 October 24 –… Today’s APOD Archive Submissions Index Search Calendar RSS Education About Discuss APOD Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosm…
Surveying the genetic battlefield to uncover the rules of rapid evolution
The Malik Lab thrives on competition. But for HHMI investigator Harmit Malik and his team at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, it's the genomes—not the people—that are in conflic…
Habitat explains Finnish animal distributions better than climate, study finds
Researchers at the University of Helsinki wanted to understand which is the dominant factor for species occurrence and abundance: the climate or habitat-related variables, such as…
SpaceX launches Starlink satellites from California as Falcon 9 cadence slows (photos)
SpaceX sent 27 more of its Starlink broadband satellites to orbit today (Oct. 23), in its first Starlink launch in 11 days.
Glowing plants reveal immune responses around infection sites via two colors
Researchers at the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences (LMS) have developed a new way to make glowing biological reporters more accurate, allowing scientists to track gene activity…
NASA lays out plan for Artemis 3 moon-lander test flight —but when will it launch?
NASA just gave us our best look yet at its Artemis III moon-lander test flight, which is scheduled to launch to Earth orbit next year. But a firm liftoff date has not yet been ann…
NASA, Partners Accelerate Lander Development for 2028 Moon Missions
As NASA returns humans to the lunar surface and establishes a long-term presence on our closest celestial neighbor, the agency and commercial human landing system providers Blue O…
NASA’s Artemis III Mission to Test Future Moon Lander Operations
Before astronauts return to the lunar surface, NASA will first conduct one of the most ambitious and complex test missions in the agency’s history. Launching in 2027, Artemis III…
NASA’s Swift Mission Ends, Leaves Behind Scientific Bonanza
NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory has ended its science mission now that the spacecraft is orbiting less than 171 miles (275 kilometers) above Earth’s surface. The greater atm…
A Homeowner’s Last Stand Against Alabama Power
CALERA, Ala.—Fenn Church knew what he had to do. “I’m going to stand in front of that gate and say, ‘This is my home, and I’m not letting you drive through that gate,’” Church sa…
Boeing’s Demolition of a California Nuclear Testing Facility Has Nearby Families Worried About Cancer
Boeing has almost completed the demolition of five buildings at its infamous Santa Susana Field Laboratory in Southern California, even as concerns mount among nearby families abo…
Counting magnetic flux quanta offers new way to measure photon numbers
Researchers at AIST have directly observed magnetic flux quanta generated in a superconductor by photon absorption and demonstrated a new principle of photon detection that identi…
Scientists demonstrate AI-designed enzyme for drug synthesis
The new RFD4-Proteina unified generative model for protein design—created by the Institute for Protein Design (IPD) in collaboration with NVIDIA—uses advanced AI to generate entir…
On this day in space! Oct. 23, 2007: NASA launches Harmony module to ISS on STS-120 space shuttle mission
On October 23, 2007, the space shuttle Discovery launched the Harmony module to the International Space Station. Here's why it mattered.
Designing better adsorbents to remove PFAS from water
A review by Tohoku University researchers identifies key molecular features that could guide the development of more effective materials for removing PFAS from water. The study is…