Science

An annual convention in the California desert offered a safe space for believers to discuss extraterrestrial encounters, crop circles and other paranormal phenomena.

Many molecules exist in two mirror-image forms—like left and right hands—that look identical but can behave very differently, especially in biological systems and pharmaceuticals. Distinguishing between these enantiomers (also called chiral molecules) is a longstanding challenge in science and technology. A useful analogy is that of a screw and a nut: A right-handed screw fits only into a right-handed thread, while a left-handed one will not engage properly.

When an adult refuses to let an injustice pass—stands up to a bully or asserts their rights—we call it principle. When a 15-year-old retaliates to an insult thrown in a school corridor, risking detention, we call it a failure to think ahead. It's easy to ascribe this to a not-yet-developed teenage brain: a convenient shorthand for assuming they simply cannot weigh consequences properly.

‘It’s not rocket science’: a day in the life of a Nasa behavioral health scientist The Guardian

Giant sequoias are built to withstand ordinary fires, but recent extreme wildfires killed thousands of trees that had survived for centuries or even millennia. A new analysis of about 26,400 sequoias found that trees in areas treated with prescribed burns were nearly four times more likely to survive. Researchers estimate the controlled fires prevented about 1,900 deaths and could have saved thousands more if used across every grove.

By analyzing the data from NASA's Fermi gamma-ray space telescope, Chinese astronomers have investigated a recently identified millisecond pulsar known as PSR J0435+3233. As a result, they found that the pulsar exhibits gamma-ray pulsations. The discovery was detailed in a paper published July 17 on the pre-print server arXiv.

'Shark Week' host Forrest Galante explains why crushing beers in the ocean is a bad idea Fox News

Popular AI-powered food apps may make calorie counting easier, but they may also leave out a surprisingly large part of the meal. Four apps underestimated calories and fat by about one-third when tested against carefully prepared meals. High-fat ketogenic dishes appeared to cause the most trouble, while carbohydrates were measured more consistently.

In nature, the rarest ingredient can be the one that holds everything together. In a new article published in Trends in Ecology & Evolution, Dr. Erika C. Freeman of the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) in Berlin argues that a handful of scarce molecules can shape entire living communities, far out of proportion to how little is present. These are what ecologists call "keystone molecules."

NASA satellite reveals stunning 'hummingbird' hidden beneath the icy layers of Antarctica FOX Weather This satellite image of a 'hummingbird' isn't what you think USA Today US-India Satellite Delivers Data, Reveals ‘Hummingbird’ in Antarctica NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) (.gov) Satellite spots a 'hummingbird' in Antarctica photo of the day for July 23, 2026 Space NASA-ISRO's NISAR satellite spots hummingbird-like formation in Antarctica | NASA also shared an optical-light image | Inshort

Scientists used CRISPR to make prostate cancer cells easier for the immune system to detect and destroy. The experimental treatment dramatically improved the effects of immunotherapy in mice and may offer hope for other hard-to-treat tumors.

The laws of thermodynamics state that heat naturally flows from hotter systems or regions to colder systems or regions until a state of thermal equilibrium is reached. This simple principle underpins the operation of numerous technologies, ranging from refrigerators to power plants.

A self-taught ornithologist, he won a MacArthur fellowship for his precise, resplendent illustrations that appeared in definitive field guides to tropical songbirds.

Earth had life for roughly three billion years before it produced enough oxygen to be detectable from space, which means NASA's new planet-hunting telescope could be staring directly at an inhabited world and see nothing Space Daily

Scientists discovered that damaged fat cells can become inflamed, lose their ability to store lipids, and eventually vanish, disrupting the body’s metabolism. The findings show that diabetes can result not only from excess fat, but also from losing the healthy fat tissue the body needs.

Researchers have developed a DNA vacuum that can suck genetic traces from animals out of the air and reveal which animals live in an area. In two new studies, the researchers collected air samples in three natural areas in Denmark and showed that the method can be used to map local wildlife. This brings them a major step closer to better monitoring biodiversity using DNA from the air.

A team of scientists uploaded videos of the squirrel-like rodents in the wild on the adult-content site OnlyFans to raise money amid government budget cuts.

NASA astronaut, 2 cosmonauts return to Earth after 241 days on space station Space US-Russian space crew lands safely after eight-month stint on the ISS CNN NASA Sets Coverage for Astronaut Chris Williams, Crewmates Return NASA (.gov) Spacecraft brings Russians, American back to earth, Russia's space agency says Reuters Expedition 74 Trio Returns to Earth Inside Soyuz NASA (.gov)

Scientists have identified a possible tipping point that helps determine whether Alzheimer’s-related brain changes lead to dementia. The key may lie in how the brain’s immune cells respond to plaques and tau, offering a promising new target for treatments designed to extend cognitive resilience.

As the construction of a hydroelectric dam loomed, archaeologists raced to uncover Angola's earliest dated burials and its only known cremation at a 15th-century settlement before it vanished beneath the water.

2 meteor showers peak on the same night this week — how to get the best views, despite a near-full moon Live Science July’s double meteor shower could produce brilliant fireballs. Here's how to see them. National Geographic Meteor Activity Outlook for July 25-31, 2026 American Meteor Society What time is the meteor shower tonight? When and where to watch this weekend Delawareonline.com Shooting Star Season The Vineyard Gazette

The Backrooms began as a single eerie image of empty yellow rooms, but internet users transformed it into a vast fictional world that feels disturbingly real. Through videos, games, maps, survival guides and social media stories, audiences do more than watch the horror unfold. They help build and explore it. Researchers suggest this popularity reflects a new kind of digital tourism, where people emotionally enter imaginary places filled with mystery, nostalgia and unease.

What dangers does smoke from wildfires pose? Who is most at risk? Here are some answers to health questions often asked, especially now with fires in France and Spain.

Photographer Captures Rare Shot of Venus and the ISS Together in One Frame PetaPixel

A notorious snake invasion that devastated Guam’s native birds may have succeeded because the reptiles carried hidden genetic advantages. Using advanced long-read DNA sequencing, researchers uncovered more than 19,000 large genetic differences in brown tree snakes, many concentrated in genes tied to immunity and smell. This overlooked diversity may have helped a population founded by only a few snakes survive inbreeding, adapt to a new environment, and multiply to extraordinary densities.

Spacecraft brings Russians, American back to earth CNN NASA Astronaut Chris Williams, Crewmates Return from Space Station NASA (.gov) NASA astronaut, 2 cosmonauts return to Earth after eight-month stay International Space Station CBS News A US-Russian space crew lands safely in Kazakhstan after an 8-month stint on the ISS The Hill NASA astronaut, 2 cosmonauts returning to Earth on July 26: Watch it live space.com

Scottish firefighters fought a wildfire Saturday that was burning through Cairngorms National Park in the north, with authorities advising residents to evacuate.

Researchers say a tiny one-eyed ancestor that lived nearly 600 million years ago may have shaped the evolution of every vertebrate eye, including our own. They also found that its ancient median eye lives on today as the pineal gland, which helps synchronize our sleep with daylight.

A Cambridge professor has transcribed a handwritten story that the famous mathematician wrote in the year before his death, presenting a different side of him.

It was the 13th test overall of Starship. The success is a boon to NASA’s moon plans and SpaceX’s hopes to deploy a million data centers in orbit.

Thousands crowded into emergency shelters in France and Spain on Sunday after wildfires drove more than 300,000 people to flee their homes and vacation accommodations.

Jupiter's moon Europa hides a saltwater ocean that may contain more than twice the water of all Earth's oceans combined, yet a new measurement puts 29 kilometres of solid ice above it, a barrier taller than three Mount Everests stacked end to end Space Daily Why Europa's hidden ocean may be more difficult to reach than scientists thought Phys.org Study suggests Europa’s icy shell may block ocean water from reaching the surface Open Access Government Limited direct fluid exchange between the deep

Scientists found that Japanese horseshoe bats living together in crowded colonies solve a noisy sonar pro The Times of India

The agency is considering whether compounding pharmacies should be allowed to produce BPC-157, TB-500 and other previously banned peptides.

Did a Sun-like star quietly swallow one of its own planets, leaving behind a spike of lithium it should have lost long ago? Space Daily

In a recent study, scientists devised a way of reversing the buildup of compounds that lead to some age-related diseases.

In the words of a former Antarctic tour guide we interviewed: "You'd see massive glacier calvings, and you'd just want to cry. But all the guests would be cheering. And you'd be like … 'can you not put two and two together?'"

Even mild inflammation during pregnancy led mouse offspring to develop persistent brain overactivity, sensory sensitivity, repetitive behaviors, and increased seizure risk. Remarkably, one dose of rapamycin improved nearly all of these problems within about two hours. The benefits were temporary, but they suggest that adult brain circuits may remain far more adaptable than previously believed.

Overnight Science News: The serendipitous discovery of a cosmic collision crater Daily Kos Amateur astronomer discovers 390-million-year-old meteorite impact crater in Quebec ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos An Amateur Astronomer Using Google Maps Spotted a Strange Indentation. It Turned Out to Be a Meteorite Crater From 390 Million Years Ago Smithsonian Magazine Pit found by Quebecer confirmed to be a 390-million-years-old meteorite impact crater CTV News A massive crater was sp

A Taiwan–led study of Mandarin-speaking learners shows that the sounds we hear and produce are deeply shaped by our prior language experience, offering new insights into how humans learn and use language.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality slowed the awarding of new grants last year. Now it is stopping existing ones.

Scientists expected SuperAgers might simply inherit fewer Alzheimer’s-related risks, but their genes looked much like those of typical older adults. Their extraordinary memories may instead come from still-unknown protective forces involving the brain, body, lifestyle, and environment.

When Mariner 4 sent back the first close-up of Mars in 1965, the printer was too slow for the engineers waiting on it, so they pinned the raw numbers to a wall and coloured them in with pastels bought from an art shop down the road Space Daily

When Amy posts a photograph of herself on Instagram, she knows what will attract attention. A picture of her in a bikini may receive thousands of views. A post explaining the realities of living with a stoma (an opening in her abdomen that directs waste to a bag attached to it) may reach far fewer people.

In an all-day hearing, the agency’s scientists argued against allowing broad access to unproven drugs that the agency had banned three years ago.

Recycling, greener diets, and other personal climate choices do not seem to distract people from supporting major environmental reforms. A four-year study of nearly 2,800 Australians found that these habits neither increased nor reduced later political engagement.

Two and a half kilometres beneath the Antarctic ice, a cubic kilometre of frozen water has been wired with 5,160 light sensors, turning the South Pole itself into a telescope that looks down through the entire planet to catch particles arriving from the other side of Space Daily

Swidden agriculture—often called "slash-and-burn"—has been practiced on every inhabited continent throughout human history, and for decades it has been blamed for the destruction of the world's rainforests. However, a new study of more than 18,000 forest patches around the world found that the environmental impact of swidden is more nuanced and less destructive than the term "slash-and-burn" suggests—and that unwritten social rules in small societies, not government oversight, often regulate lan

Cosmic expansion allows distant galaxies to move away faster than light, while still letting us see ancient light they emitted when they were much closer. Eventually, accelerating expansion will push nearly every galaxy beyond our Local Group out of sight, making the Universe appear almost empty.

Dr. Tsimerman won one of four Fields Medals, an award for top mathematicians under 40, for his work on the André-Oort conjecture, but is now changing his focus to artificial intelligence.

The second closest potentially habitable planet to Earth is not around a famous star; it is GJ 887 d, confirmed in 2026 around a quiet red dwarf 10.7 light-years away - making GJ 887 d the second-closest known habitable-zone planet after Proxima Centauri b Space Daily

Dozens of archaeological sites were destroyed by looting during Syria's civil war, which began in 2011 and lasted until 2024. Because the last comprehensive analysis was published in 2017, the extent of more recent damage to cultural heritage sites since 2016—including at UNESCO World Heritage sites such as Palmyra, long-running archaeological excavations like Mari, and the ancient Roman city of Apamea, known for its Great Colonnade—has been largely unknown.

A major long-term study linked coffee consumption with lower risks of cirrhosis, liver cancer, and death from liver disease. Coffee drinkers also showed healthier liver scans and blood protein patterns, with less fat, inflammation, and scarring. Benefits appeared even at one or two cups daily and were strongest around three to four cups.

A star near the centre of our galaxy reaches almost 3 per cent of the speed of light as it is whipped around something four million times the mass of the Sun that emits no light of its own — and tracking its orbit for nearly three decades helped two astronomers wi Space Daily From Lab to Life: Finding a Huge Black Hole The Times of Israel

Whale sharks (Rhincodon typus)—the world's biggest fish—are one of the most charismatic marine species. They connect with the hearts of anyone lucky enough to encounter them, making people deeply curious about their lives and invested in their conservation.

Newer oral drugs related to semaglutide medications such as Ozempic reduced pleasure-driven eating in mice by quieting a deep brain reward circuit. The finding could open new avenues for understanding food cravings and potentially treating substance use disorder.

The Real-Life Story Everyone Associates With 'Jaws' Isn't the One That Inspired It Mental Floss

People who receive information on social media play a greater role in the spread of misinformation than research has acknowledged, according to research published in the International Journal of Enterprise Network Management. The researchers argue that efforts to tackle "fake news" should focus as much on why users share false information as on identifying those who create misleading content.

A prebiotic fiber supplement reduced knee osteoarthritis pain while also improving grip strength and pain sensitivity in a six-week trial. The results hint at a fascinating gut-muscle-pain connection and suggest that a simple daily supplement may be easier to maintain than digital physiotherapy.

Inside the High-Tech Effort to Keep Satellites Alive Newser SpaceX (SPCX) Launches Northrop Grumman Repair Mission And Opens A New Service Market Yahoo Finance This is the world’s most advanced robotic servicing satellite—that we know about Ars Technica Robotic Servicing Mission Launches with NASA Support NASA (.gov) SpaceX launches novel geosynchronous robotic servicing satellite on decade-long mission Spaceflight Now