Science
'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…
Maxwell's demon learns to turn concealed information into usable energy for microscopic systems
Since its introduction more than 150 years ago, the thought-provoking idea of Maxwell's demon has profoundly shaped our understanding of the relationship between information and e…
Replanted landscapes can look restored while soil fungi still lag behind
With up to 75% of the world's soils degraded, restoration projects try to reestablish functional and biodiverse environments to secure adequate food production, biodiversity, clim…
Finding their sense of direction: Cell movement helps tissues establish polarity
From the hairs on our arms to the microscopic sensory structures of the inner ear, many tissues in the body are built with a clear sense of direction. To build these structures th…
Adaptive molecular convergence more common than previously thought, distant jellyfish relatives reveal
A new study has found that adaptive molecular convergence—the process by which distantly related or unrelated species evolve the same genomic changes—is not as rare as previously …
Glowing liquids could help protect products from counterfeiters using distinctive ultraviolet light signatures
Researchers at Nottingham Trent University have developed room-temperature liquids containing chemical elements that produce distinctive patterns of light. They say the materials …
A distant supercluster of galaxies points to self-interacting dark matter
Seven billion light-years from Earth, there is an unexpected cluster of galaxies. It has two regions in the process of colliding with each other with a combined mass of more than …
No DREAM, fewer offspring: Protein complex may play key role in plant fertility
A protein complex known as DREAM that normally puts the brakes on genes may also be crucial for reproduction in plants, according to new research published in Science Advances.
How to see the Orionid meteor shower 2026 peak this week — and when to look
The Orionids peak around Oct. 21. Here's when and where to look for the best chance of spotting meteors.
Scientists find 'gemstones' in atmosphere of bizarre, scorching-hot 'marshmallow' exoplanet
Using data from the James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers have unravelled some of the secrets of a bizarre, blisteringly hot exoplanet that has the consistency of marshmallow.
NASA's Hubble spies spiral's edge
This NASA Hubble Space Telescope image features the edge-on, intermediate spiral galaxy NGC 1827, located roughly 37 million light-years away in the constellation Columba, the Dov…