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Science
Research, space, climate, health technology, and scientific discoveries with public impact.
96 published stories
Science
Research, space, climate, health technology, and scientific discoveries with public impact.
Lawrence Livermore Researchers Shock-Compress Diamond to Resolve 20-Year Debate
Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory used the Omega Laser Facility to shock-compress diamond samples to extreme temperatures and pressures. The laser experiments closed a 20-year scientific disagreement, proving that carbon retains its diamond structure until melting and potentially paving the way for triple energy gains in nuclear fusion. Scientists have finally settled a two-decade … Read more
Antarctica’s Blood Falls Hosts Marine Microbes Sealed for Millions of Years
Sealed beneath Antarctica’s Taylor Glacier for more than a million years, Blood Falls discharges a rust-red brine fed by an isolated reservoir. A new study in Nature Geoscience reveals this crimson outflow hosts an active marine microbial community closely related to ocean life located more than 20 miles away. Taylor Glacier and the Origins of … Read more
Exoplanet Spin Measurements Risk Capturing Atmospheric Winds
Astronomers warn that measuring the rotation of distant exoplanets often captures atmospheric winds rather than a planet’s true spin. A new paper by University of California, Riverside astrophysicist Stephen Kane highlights the risk of miscalculating alien climates, as the European Space Agency prepares to launch the PLATO mission in March 2027. Planetary rotation is often … Read more
NASA Engineers Extend Voyager 2 Mission Life Into 2028 With Power Strategy
NASA engineers running the Voyager 2 spacecraft have successfully executed a power-switching strategy dubbed the “Big Bang,” extending the historic mission’s life into 2028 and delaying the shutdown of its Cosmic Ray System past the 2027 50th anniversary, according to a recent engineering update. Operating a spacecraft in interstellar space for nearly half a century … Read more
Milwaukee Landlord Finds Stolen Pablo Picasso Print in Vacant Apartment
A rare Pablo Picasso etching stolen from a Milwaukee art gallery in 2018 has been recovered after a local landlord found the artwork hanging in a vacant south side apartment. The 1949 piece, valued between $35,000 and $50,000, was turned into police, with authorities confirming the six-year theft statute of limitations has passed. The Discovery … Read more
Astronomers Discover Potential New Black Hole Star MoM-BH*-1 Using JWST
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have discovered an extremely bright red spot in the early universe, designated MoM-BH*-1, which existed 660 million years after the Big Bang. Researchers propose this object is a new type of astrophysical entity: a young black hole swaddled in a dense, nearly dust-free hydrogen cocoon. When astronomers first … Read more
Perseid Meteor Shower Peaks During Rare Total Solar Eclipse Event
Stargazers worldwide enjoyed a brilliant Perseid meteor shower peaking overnight on August 11 and 12, 2026. The celestial display arrived just hours after a rare total solar eclipse crossed Spain, Iceland, and Greenland, offering a double feature made possible by a new moon that kept skies exceptionally dark. The annual Perseid meteor shower reached its … Read more
Stroller Running May Reduce Overuse Injury Risk for Parents, Study Finds
Parents who jog while pushing a stroller may face a lower risk of overuse injuries compared to those who run without one, according to research published in the journal Washington Post. The study examined running habits and injury patterns among parents with young children, challenging the assumption that the extra weight and resistance of a … Read more
NASA Develops Flexible Radar Antennas for Mars SkyFall Mission Helicopters
Engineers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory have developed 5-ounce flexible radar antennas that act like tiny capes, allowing the rotorcraft to map shallow subsurface ice during dozens of planned flights. Orbiting spacecraft have spent decades mapping Mars from above, but those high-altitude instruments cannot see the first few feet of material lying just beneath the … Read more
NASA Astronaut Mike Fincke Retires After 30 Years and 549 Days in Space
Longtime NASA astronaut Mike Fincke is stepping away from the agency after a 30-year career that included four spaceflight missions, nine spacewalks, and 549 accumulated days in space, according to the agency. Fincke ranks fourth among NASA astronauts in accumulated time in orbit and logged over 48 hours of spacewalking time throughout his career. Veteran … Read more
Dolphins Use Sea Shells as Tools to Hunt Fish off Queensland, Australia
Marine biologists have documented Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins using large sea shells to hunt fish off Queensland, Australia, marking only the second known location worldwide for this rare behavior. Researchers recorded two shelling events in 2025 and captured footage suggesting the complex foraging skill is passed directly from mother to calf. Rare Foraging Behavior Documented in … Read more
JWST Astronomers Discover Ancient Black Hole Star MoM-BH-1
Astronomers using Popular Science have discovered an ancient cosmic object that bridges the gap between black holes and stars. Appearing just 660 million years after the Big Bang, the newly identified entity has been named MoM-BH*-1. Researchers describe the phenomenon as a completely new type of astrophysical source in which a central black hole is … Read more