Science
How we found Haida Gwaii's first marbled murrelet nest in more than 30 years
Scrambling through dense salal in the dark, weaving between the majestic western red cedars of northern Haida Gwaii, I could barely imagine where we were just days before—crossing…
Computer models pinpoint catalysts for replacing fossil-fueled ammonia production
Ammonia is one of the most important chemicals produced in the world, ranking second only to sulfuric acid in the total volume produced each year. It is used mostly to make fertil…
Mars Curiosity rover discovers massive field of polygons
The surface of Mars is home to some of the most breathtaking and awe-inspiring landscapes in the solar system. This is primarily because the Red Planet lacks several resurfacing p…
How will NASA's astronaut training hub change with commercial space stations?
A tour of Johnson Space Center in Houston shows how NASA and private industry are already working together on the future of human spaceflight.
AI decodes DNA initiator sequence found in about 60% of human genes
Precise activation of tens of thousands of genes is critical for healthy development and growth. Specialized segments of our DNA are responsible for carefully orchestrating geneti…
Near-total lunar eclipse is coming up with the Americas in prime position
Now it's the moon's turn to pull a disappearing act. After being shut out of this month's total solar eclipse, the Americas will have the best seats in the celestial house when Ea…
'We Want to Believe' book explores the reality of UFOs: 'It's always going to be more likely that someone is wrong about what they saw' (interview)
Acclaimed literary critic and Senior Editor at The Atlantic Adam Kirsch explores humanity's insatiable drive to wonder at unidentified phenomena in the skies.
This Week In Space podcast: Episode 224 — The Science of Artemis
On Episode 224 of This Week In Space, Rod Pyle and guest co-host Rick Jenet are joined by Dr. David Kring to discuss the where, whys, and hows of the Artemis Program's lunar explo…
Animal genomes follow irreversible 'evolutionary highways' across thousands of species
A human, an octopus, and a coral could hardly look more different—yet deep inside their cells, their chromosomes still carry recognizable pieces of a genome inherited from an anim…
SpaceX sends 27 Starlink satellites to orbit on 100th Falcon rocket launch of the year (photos)
SpaceX launched 27 Starlink satellites from California early this morning (Aug. 22), on the 100th mission of the year for the company's Falcon rocket family.
Earth's magnetosphere might not protect us from superstorms after all
Science seems like a straightforward endeavor. You come up with a hypothesis, collect data to prove or disprove it, and analyze that data to see whether the hypothesis is right. B…
On this day in space! Aug. 22, 1963: X-15 sets world altitude record
On this day in space! Aug. 22, 1963: U.S. Air Force Captain Joe Walker flew an X-15 rocket plane higher than any pilot had ever flown before.
‘Its pretty much a guarantee you’ll get stung’: jellyfish keep swimmers out of Delaware beaches
Beach patrols report hundreds of stings a day as warmer waters and drought create favorable conditions for jellyfishAn unusually high number of jellyfish are crowding Delaware’s b…
Partial lunar eclipse August 2026: Where will it be visible from?
Here's where the 96% partial lunar eclipse will be visible from on Earth.
A Global Gathering to Tackle the Planet’s Soil Crisis Is Underway in Mongolia
In Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, policy makers, scientists and global negotiators are gathering to convey an urgent message: The world’s rangelands, which make up about half of Earth’s l…
Primary Effort ‘Changed the Conversation’ Around Wyoming’s Public Lands
Zach Lentsch was leading a climbing trip on Devils Tower in Wyoming’s northeast corner on Aug. 18 when he got a text from a friend saying voter turnout in the state primary, held …
Secret Plan to Dump Slaughterhouse Waste Blindsided Residents of Iowa’s Loess Hills
In a matter of days, a dirt pit the size of five football fields appeared next to the weathered headstones of Center Cemetery in Castana, Iowa. The excavation site sits on the edg…
APOD: 2026 August 22 – Mostly Perseids
APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 August 22… Today’s APOD Archive Submissions Index Search Calendar RSS Education About Discuss APOD Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos!…
Bipartisan majorities in US favor banning glyphosate
Two-thirds of Americans favor banning the use of the herbicide glyphosate, the active ingredient in the popular weedkiller Roundup, on crops grown in the United States, according …
Texas Oil and Gas Regulators Will No Longer Have to Accept Public Comment at Open Meetings
The three elected officials who regulate the oil and gas industry in Texas hold an open meeting each month in Austin to vote on matters from pipeline violations to permit renewals…
Hydrogel platform uses vitamin B2 and blue light to simplify living tissue models
Researchers at Tampere University have developed a versatile hydrogel platform that makes it easier to create customized biomaterials for tissue engineering, disease modeling, dru…
Climate change could triple the price of wheat
Bread, pasta and breakfast cereals may seem far removed from dry fields in North America, Europe or Asia. Yet when water shortages hit several of the world's most important wheat-…
Complex odors prove easier to map than expected with machine learning
If you want to describe a particular color, you could look to the Pantone color wheel to find its exact hue, saturation and brightness, and how it compares with other colors. But …
What happens when a galaxy's supermassive black hole turns off? These dying radio galaxies could show us
Astronomers have discovered a hitherto unseen population of galaxies with fading radio lobes, revealing what happens to these vast outflows when their black hole engines stall.