Science
Silver nanocatalysts switch reaction sites between power generation and hydrogen production
For the first time, researchers have discovered that the same silver (Ag) nanocatalyst operates at different reaction sites depending on whether a solid oxide cell is generating e…
APOD: 2026 August 8 – A Messier Moment for Tempel 2
APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 August 8 – A… Today’s APOD Archive Submissions Index Search Calendar RSS Education About Discuss APOD Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosm…
Scientists create OnlyFans account for marmots to fund research – video
UCLA professor Daniel Blumstein and his team started an OnlyFans account – @OnlyMarms – featuring cute, G-rated photos and videos of marmots to raise money for their research amid…
Creating cleaner chemical reactions that run on oxygen and produce only water as waste
Oxygen provides the driving force for many vital chemical reactions. Two well-known examples include respiration, the process that allows living things to break down food to relea…
Laser spectroscopy helps reveal hidden nuclear properties in fermium
For the first time, researchers have determined the shape of the actinide nucleus of fermium-255 and measured its structure with high precision and resolution.
New 'shape-shifting' architecture brings versatility to photonic quantum computing
Using light to process quantum information is one of the most promising approaches to building future quantum computers. Light particles, known as photons, are excellent carriers …
SpaceX serious about building factories on the moon: 'It’s going to happen,' Elon Musk says
SpaceX plans to build factories on the moon, using robots to do much of the heavy lifting, Elon Musk said on Tuesday (Aug. 4) during SpaceX's first-ever quarterly earnings call.
'Not looking good right now': Starship likely to be lost at sea 2 weeks after epic 13th test flight, Elon Musk says
SpaceX is still towing Starship's upper stage toward shore two weeks after its latest test flight, but the unprecedented effort is unlikely to succeed, according to Elon Musk.
Crossing into a mirror world: Particles turn to wisps of fog, and the magnetic monopole paradox dissolves
In Goethe's ballad "Erlkönig," immortalized in Schubert's fevered 1815 setting, a dying boy riding through the night sees a spectral king beckoning from the darkness. His father c…
Tiny floating magnet detects ultrafaint magnetic fields at room temperature
Measuring faint magnetic fields is useful in a number of areas, including mapping brain activity, monitoring hearts and probing fundamental physics. Typically, picking up such wea…
Boron layers could set a superconductivity record, theoretical study predicts
Scientists in China predict that stacking two microscopic layers of boron could set a new record for superconductivity. Superconductors are materials that conduct electricity with…
NASA figured out how to keep its 48-year-old Voyager 2 probe running for yet another year
NASA's Voyager 2 probe, which launched in 1977, can keep operating its last science instruments after a power reduction operation performed in interstellar space.
2026 IGARSS Hyperwall Schedule
IGARSS 2026 Join NASA in the Exhibit Hall (Booth #100) for Hyperwall Storytelling by NASA experts. Full Hyperwall Agenda below. MONDAY, AUGUST 10 3:00 PM Technology Enabling the F…
Inside the mystery of the James Webb Space Telescope's little red dots — and how they might be evolving
The James Webb Space Telescope's strange "little red dots" may be evolving into spiral galaxies.
Photocatalytic method cleaves strong C–H bonds while preserving weaker C–Si bonds
α-Silyl alcohols are unique organosilicon compounds bearing a silyl group and a hydroxy group on the same carbon atom. Because these compounds serve as precursors to reactive spec…
Galactic spins carry fingerprints of the primordial universe
The origin of spin in spiral and elliptical galaxies has posed a long-standing puzzle for astronomers. One idea, known as tidal torque theory, proposes that galaxies' spins are an…
How to safely observe eclipses and the solar surface with a smart telescope
Solar observation is easy with a smart telescope like the Unistellar eQuinox 2 and the matching filter, meaning you can capture it with no stress on big events like the Aug. 12 to…
Uranus's unusual rotation makes its bow shock expand and contract each day
Within our solar system, Uranus is a geometric oddball. Its spin axis tilts more than 90° from its orbit, so it essentially rolls on its side through space. In contrast, Earth and…
NASA's SkyFall Mars helicopters will wear tiny capes
These tiny capes carry some serious technology.
Physicists watch a material's electrons assemble, and reassemble, into coexisting phases
A tall glass of ice water isn't just a thirst quencher; it's also an everyday example of coexisting phases. Water can exist simultaneously in both liquid and solid phases. As it t…
Engineers race to save stricken LINK rescue spacecraft before it's too late
The private LINK spacecraft, which launched last month to save a NASA space telescope, now needs saving, too —and teams are making progress on that front.
'Plasma gun' technology could transform space laundry and sanitation for future missions
Researchers at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), part of The University of Alabama System, are developing plasma-based technology to help astronauts stay healthier du…
XENONnT detector narrows the hunt for dark matter
Using a detector filled with nearly 9 metric tons of liquid xenon, researchers have delivered some of the most sensitive dark matter results ever recorded. In the latest analysis …
Chinese company Landspace targets Aug. 10 for historic rocket launch and landing attempt
The Chinese commercial launch company Landspace is set for its second attempt to catch an orbital rocket. Liftoff, and landing, are targeted for next Monday (Aug. 10).