Science
Japan launches spacecraft to mysterious moons of Mars in a bold mission to bring home soil samples
A Japanese spacecraft rocketed toward Mars on Tuesday on a quest to explore its mysterious moons and bring back samples.
Marine life dramatically declined in Gulf of Mexico in years after BP oil spill, study finds
In a deep, dark part of the Gulf of Mexico, the number of marine animals plummeted by about 60% in the years following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion, a new study found.
Federal Lawmakers Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Ban Wild Sloth Imports
Federal lawmakers want to ban imports of wild sloths to the United States, a move experts say could have global implications for the conservation of the tree-dwelling species. Ma…
After a Decade of Efforts to Regulate Methane, the Trump Administration Promises New Rules
In the Permian Basin of West Texas, methane gas billows from oil wells. It blasts out of pressure valves on pipelines, wafts from sprawling gas processing plants and rises up in p…
With a Trifecta, Pennsylvania Democrats Would Pass Energy Reforms and Rein in Data Centers
It’s been more than three decades since Democrats held a trifecta in Pennsylvania, but the prospect of a blue wave in next month’s elections has Gov. Josh Shapiro and party leader…
Do not be distracted by global crises. Nature cannot wait for a better year – we must act now | Steven Guilbeault
In 2022, I helped push through the international agreement to protect biodiversity. Wars and economic pressures can make nature seem like a ‘nice-to-have’. But it is a critical as…
APOD: 2026 October 20 – An Anticrepuscular Rainbow Fan
APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 October 20 – An… Today’s APOD Archive Submissions Index Search Calendar RSS Education About Discuss APOD Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the c…
The Human Fingerprint on Earth’s Water Cycle
Human activities have become intertwined with how water is distributed across the continents. A new study brings their effects into sharper focus.
‘These risks are real’: the threat of AI bioweapons – podcast
In his annual speech on threats to the nation, Sir Ken McCallum, the head of the UK’s intelligence service, MI5, warned that AI had the potential to ‘change the stakes’ on existin…
Juvenile striped bass maintaining average abundance in Virginia waters in 2026
Preliminary results from an ongoing long-term survey conducted by William & Mary's Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) suggest that an average year class of young-of-year …
Q&A: How does technology help track foodborne pathogens and outbreaks?
After a cyclospora outbreak and recalls of imported beef over the summer, a recent Gallup poll found that Americans' confidence in food safety has fallen to a record low, and cons…
Curiosity Blog, Sols 5036-5042: Watching the Clouds Go By
Written by Alex Innanen, Atmospheric Scientist at York University Earth planning date: Friday, Oct. 9, 2026 Happy New Mars Year! We mark the start of a new year on Mars at the beg…
New 4D biofabrication technology holds promise for tissue engineering, wound healing
If you've ever created a snowflake by folding, cutting and unfolding a piece of paper, you've practiced the art of kirigami. Like origami, kirigami has inspired innovations far be…
Molecular switch controls how cells load cargo for recycling
Cells constantly recycle proteins and other cellular components. But how do they ensure that the right cargo ends up in the right recycling vesicle—one of the cell's transport car…
‘Once-in-a-lifetime chance’: Japan launches historic mission to collect rocks from Mars’s moon Phobos
Scientists hope Martian material collected will shed light on the origins of the solar system and life on EarthJapan has successfully launched a spacecraft on an unprecedented mis…
Forgotten particle could answer mystery of why we exist, say physicists
Scientists have unveiled a new theory on the birth of the cosmos, suggesting the early universe was shaped by an ancient particle that has been overlooked for decades.
Planetary 'twins' Uranus and Neptune may have different origin stories
By indirectly probing the depths of Uranus and Neptune's atmospheres, an international team of scientists has revealed a significant contrast in their chemical composition. Neptun…
Researchers unlock new way to map molecular structure on surfaces
Scientists at NPL, with the University of Surrey, University of Oxford, the Francis Crick Institute and IONTOF GmbH, have developed a technique to distinguish and map molecules th…
Who speaks for Mars? Scientists call for ethical debate before terraforming begins
Transforming Mars into a more Earth-like world could irreversibly destroy scientific evidence about the planet's history and the possibility of extraterrestrial life. In an opinio…
Synthetic molecules self-assemble into triple helices with new control method
Researchers at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, have developed a new strategy for programming synthetic molecules to self-assemble into precisely defined three-dimensional st…
Beehives act as 'living immune systems' with layered antimicrobial defenses
Researchers have discovered honey beehives act as "living immune systems" that help protect the bee colony, its offspring and food supplies from disease. The finding underlines th…
Birds are among Earth's most important nutrient movers
Birds play an outsized, underappreciated role in shaping Earth's chemistry, distributing nutrients across oceans, forests and coral reefs and sustaining life far beyond the nest. …
New 'Blade Runner 2099' trailer is a space fan's dream with sinister starships and strange exoplanets (video)
'More human than human. That's not a slogan; it's a shackle'
Texas Continued Permitting Data Centers After Abbott’s Pause, Report Finds
Regulators in Texas did not stop processing permits for data center projects when Gov. Greg Abbott ordered a pause last month, according to an analysis of public records released …