Science News This Week: Exploding Rocket Overshadows NASA's Next Steps to the Moon, 'Doomsday Glacier' Faces Big Loss, Quantum Computer...
NASA outlined a permanent lunar base and three private payload‑delivery missions slated for later this year, aiming for a crewed return by 2028. The rollout was clouded by Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket exploding during a static‑fire test, raising doubts about schedule adherence. Meanwhile, researchers demonstrated a hybrid quantum‑computer‑AI system that lowered perplexity scores and solved queries beyond the base model’s reach. In climate news, Antarctica’s Thwaites “Doomsday” Glacier is set to lose its ice shelf this year, while the U.S.–Israeli war has deepened Iran’s water crisis, threatening millions.
Tests that Measure 'Biological Age' Aren't Helpful for Tracking Your Health, Scientists Say
Scientists warn that commercial epigenetic "biological age" tests, which estimate age from DNA methylation patterns, are valuable for population‑level research but unreliable for personal health monitoring. Dozens of clock algorithms exist, each with different targets, and results can shift with...
Japan Hits 6G Key Milestone with High-Frequency Speeds Topping 100 Gbps
Japanese researchers have demonstrated a terahertz wireless link that transmits data at 112 Gbps within the 560 GHz spectrum, a key band for future 6G networks. The achievement relies on a silicon‑nitride microcomb directly bonded to an optical fiber, eliminating the bulky...
Chemists Create 'Water Armor' That Prevents Stains and Germs From Sticking to Clothing
Scientists at Southeast and Jilin universities have developed a nanoscopic polymer coating that forms an ultrathin water layer—dubbed “molecular water armor”—on cotton, silk and polyester fabrics. The water‑armor repels oils, food stains and microbes, allowing most contaminants to be rinsed...
Celestron NexStar 6SE Review
The Celestron NexStar 6SE is a $1,200‑priced, 6‑inch f/10 Schmidt‑Cassegrain telescope that pairs sharp planetary optics with a motorized GoTo alt‑az mount. It offers automatic alignment to over 40,000 objects and delivers solid visual performance on the Moon, planets, and bright...
'Poised to Disintegrate': Antarctica's 'Doomsday Glacier' Is Set to Lose Its Ice Shelf This Year
Researchers using satellite data say the eastern ice shelf of Antarctica’s Thwaites Glacier – dubbed the “Doomsday Glacier” – is poised to break apart as early as 2026. The floating shelf currently buttresses the glacier, and its loss would accelerate...
The Solar System's Largest Moon May Be Heating up — Offering Clues to Its Mysterious Origins
Researchers publishing in Science Advances propose that Jupiter’s moon Ganymede is heating up through a novel "warming‑driven dynamo." Radioactive decay and tidal flexing may melt iron‑rich blobs, allowing a delayed core formation that powers its intrinsic magnetic field. This "cold‑start"...
Scientists Trained an AI Model Using an IBM Quantum Computer — and It Answered Questions Correctly that the Base Model...
Researchers at Multiverse Computing used a 156‑qubit IBM quantum processor to add tiny Cayley‑parameterized unitary adapters to Meta’s Llama 3.1 8B model. The hybrid quantum‑classical system lowered perplexity by 1.4 % while increasing parameters by only 6,000. It also corrected factual errors that...
China Launches 'Human Artificial Embryos' To Space in Bid to See Whether Reproduction Is Possible Off-World
China became the first nation to send human artificial embryos—stem‑cell models that cannot develop into a fetus—to its Tiangong space station. The embryos, representing peri‑implantation and peri‑gastrulation stages, will spend five days in microgravity before being frozen and returned for...
NASA Spacecraft Beams Back Blue Images of Mars on Its Way to a Metal Asteroid — Space Photo of the...
NASA’s Psyche spacecraft performed a close flyby of Mars on May 15, skimming 2,864 miles (4,609 km) above the surface and returning vivid color images of Huygens crater, the southern highlands, wind‑blown streaks and the south polar cap. The gravity‑assist maneuver added roughly...
Landmark Finding that Showed Brains of Kids with ADHD Mature Later Was Actually a Mirage in the Data, New Research...
Two decades after a landmark 2008 MRI study suggested that children with ADHD experience delayed cortical maturation, new research using the massive ABCD dataset shows the finding was likely a statistical artifact. By accounting for sex‑specific brain development trajectories, the...
Seal Pups Were Dying From a 'Corkscrew Killer' On a Canadian Island. It Turned Out to Be Cannibals.
Researchers have finally solved a decades‑old mystery on Sable Island, identifying cannibalistic male gray seals as the source of spiral‑shaped lacerations that killed seal pups. The study, published in Marine Mammal Science, documented direct attacks and analyzed drone footage from...
There's a New T. Rex From the Dinosaur Age — and It Ruled the Seas with a Skull-Crushing Bite
Scientists have identified a new mosasaur species, Tylosaurus rex, that lived about 80 million years ago in the Western Interior Seaway. Measuring up to 43 feet (13 m), it dwarfs its close relative T. proriger and sports serrated teeth and a crushing bite. The...
800-Year-Old 'Hugging Skeletons' Are Genetically Confirmed as Poland's only Medieval Same-Sex Double Burial
Archaeologists uncovered two 800‑year‑old skeletons in an embrace at Opole’s 13th‑century cathedral. DNA analysis confirmed both were women and not closely related, marking the first genetically verified same‑sex double burial in medieval Poland. The burial positions indicate they were interred...
'I Have No Doubt that Life Is Out There': Why Radio Astronomers Are Convinced Alien Contact Is only a Matter...
Radio astronomer Emma Chapman argues that intelligent extraterrestrial life is a certainty, not a possibility, and that contact will inevitably come via radio signals. She cites the 1974 Arecibo Message—sent toward the Hercules cluster and now over 50 light‑years away—as...
Complex Animals Evolved up to 10 Million Years Earlier than Previously Thought, Fossil Discovery Shows
A newly uncovered fossil site in northwestern Canada has yielded over 100 specimens, including six taxa never before seen on the continent, with ages up to 567 million years. The finds push the appearance of White Sea assemblage animals in North...
China Installs World's Largest Floating Wind Turbine in Deep Water Test — It Generates Enough Energy to Power 4,200 Homes...
China Three Gorges Corp. installed the world’s largest single‑unit floating offshore wind turbine, a 16‑megawatt system dubbed Three Gorges Pilot, off Guangdong’s coast. The turbine’s 252‑metre rotor and 270‑metre blade tip height sit on a semi‑submersible platform engineered to survive...
Webb and Hubble Sink Deep Into the Dazzling Whirlpool Galaxy — Space Photo of the Week
Astronomers combined James Webb and Hubble data to capture a high‑resolution view of a spiral arm in the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51), 31 million light‑years away. The image reveals that massive star clusters eject their natal gas clouds in roughly five million years, while...
AI Chatbots Are Turbocharging Violence Against Women and Girls: We Urgently Need to Regulate Them
AI chatbots are increasingly being weaponized to perpetrate gender‑based violence, from initiating harassment to simulating rape scenarios. A recent research report shows that 64% of U.S. teens use chatbots, with many engaging daily, exposing them to abusive content. Platform policies...
Don Juan Pond: Antarctica's Salty, Syrupy Lake that Never Freezes, Even when It's Minus 58 F
Don Juan Pond in Antarctica’s McMurdo Dry Valleys remains liquid despite winter lows of minus 58 °F because its water is more than 40% salt, chiefly calcium chloride. The shallow, syrup‑like lake covers an area slightly smaller than six football fields and...
'There Are 4 People in Those Pixels': Earth-Based Telescope Snapped Artemis II Crew Orbiting the Moon
A Green Bank Telescope on West Virginia captured a pixelated radio‑signal image of NASA’s Orion capsule as it looped the moon on April 6, roughly 213,000 miles (343,000 km) from Earth. The picture, showing only a handful of black‑and‑white pixels, could become the...
A Pill Can Stop People From Developing COVID After Being Exposed to the Virus, Trial Finds
Japanese drug ensitrelvir, already approved in Japan for treating mild COVID‑19, has demonstrated post‑exposure prophylactic efficacy in a double‑blind phase III trial. Among more than 2,000 household contacts, the five‑day oral regimen cut symptomatic infection rates from 9% to 2.9% and...
'Extreme' Crystal that Formed in 1945 Nuclear Bomb Test Is Unlike Anything Scientists Have Seen
Researchers analyzing a rare red variant of trinitite from the 1945 Trinity test have identified a previously unknown calcium‑copper‑silicon clathrate crystal. The extreme blast generated temperatures over 2,700 °F (1,500 °C) and pressures of 8 gigapascals, forcing silicon atoms into a cage‑like lattice...
SpaceX Prepares to Launch Next-Generation Starship, the Tallest and Most Powerful Rocket Ever Built
SpaceX announced the maiden flight of Starship V3, the tallest and most powerful rocket ever built, slated for May 19. The 407‑foot vehicle features new Raptor 3 engines, an upgraded Super Heavy booster, and a redesigned launch pad. The sub‑orbital test...
'Exceptional' Drilled Tooth Reveals Neanderthals Practiced Dentistry in Siberia 60,000 Years Ago
A 60,000‑year‑old Neanderthal molar from Siberia shows a precisely drilled cavity, indicating intentional dental treatment. Researchers used microscopic analysis and modern‑tooth experiments to attribute the hole to a small stone drill made of jasper. The individual survived the invasive procedure,...
The Milky Way Ate a Galaxy Called Loki, and Scientists Think They Found Its Bones
Astronomers identified 20 very metal‑poor stars orbiting close to the Milky Way’s disk, indicating they likely originated from a dwarf galaxy nicknamed “Loki” that merged with our galaxy roughly 10 billion years ago. Chemical fingerprints and orbital dynamics point to a...
Microplastics Absorb Heat in the Atmosphere and Contribute to Global Warming — as if They Weren't Bad Enough
A new study in Nature Climate Change finds that airborne micro‑ and nanoplastics absorb sunlight, producing a net warming effect that outweighs their cooling scattering. The warming is modest—equivalent to a few hundredths of a degree Celsius or the emissions...
More Polar Bears Are Approaching Human Sites as the Climate Warms, and It's Not Just the Skinny Ones
A decade‑long camera study in western Hudson Bay recorded 580 polar‑bear visits to three field camps and a research centre between 2011 and 2021. The data show that a longer ice‑free season drives more frequent bear approaches, while human activity...
James Webb Telescope Zooms in on a Black Hole that Could Reveal the Truth About 'Little Red Dots'
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope and archival Chandra data have identified an X‑ray‑bright object, 3DHST‑AEGIS‑12014, that closely resembles the mysterious "little red dots" (LRDs) seen in the early universe. The source, dubbed the X‑ray dot (XRD), emits strong...
Declassified Apollo 12 Images Show UFOs on the Moon — Space Photo of the Week
Declassified Department of Defense files released May 8 include Apollo 12 photographs that appear to show unexplained lights over the lunar horizon. Astronaut Alan Bean reported seeing flashes while descending to the surface, describing them as particles sailing off into space. NASA...
Are We More Closely Related to Cats or Dogs?
Humans, cats, and dogs are all mammals, but humans split from the carnivore lineage about 90–95 million years ago, while cats and dogs diverged from each other roughly 55 million years ago. Genetic analyses reveal that overall DNA similarity is comparable, yet...
Pregnancy Quiz: Can You Deliver on the Science of Growing Babies?
A new interactive quiz titled “Pregnancy quiz: Can you deliver on the science of growing babies?” challenges readers with 15 multiple‑choice questions about human reproduction. The quiz spans basic anatomy, hormonal testing, prenatal milestones, and historic reproductive‑technology breakthroughs such as...
Science News This Week: The Latest on the Cruise Ship Hantavirus Infections, a Shortcut to Mars, and a Fast-Charging Quantum...
A cluster of Andes virus infections was identified aboard the Dutch‑flagged cruise ship MV Hondius, prompting health authorities in at least five U.S. states to monitor disembarked passengers as the vessel approaches Tenerife. Separate research suggests a theoretical “shortcut” to...
If Humans Are Getting Smarter, Why Are Our Brains Shrinking?
Recent paleoanthropological studies suggest human brain volume has shrunk about 10% (roughly 150 ml) since the start of the Holocene, while IQ scores have risen over the past century. Researchers like Maciej Henneberg and Jeremy DeSilva report a global trend of...
Some Gene Therapies No Longer Require Clinical Trials, Thanks to New FDA Rule. Is This Safe, and Who Will It...
The FDA has introduced a "plausible mechanism pathway" that lets developers market experimental gene‑editing therapies for rare, monogenic disorders without completing traditional large‑scale clinical trials. The rule relies on prior safety data for the delivery platform and permits customization of...
Flowering Plants Transformed Into 'Hopeful Monsters' In 9 Dire Bursts Across Evolutionary Time, Study Finds
A new study published in Cell shows that flowering plants have experienced nine separate whole‑genome duplication bursts over the past 150 million years, each aligning with major climate shifts or extinction events. By examining the genomes of 470 angiosperm species, researchers...
500-Year-Old Gold Dental Bridge Is Earliest Known Oral Care of Its Kind in Scotland — and It Likely Held a...
Archaeologists uncovered a 500‑year‑old lower jaw from a medieval Aberdeen church that contains a 20‑karat gold wire used as a dental bridge. The gold ligature linked two lower incisors, spanning the gap left by a missing tooth, and may have...
Live 'Quantum Network' Being Tested in New York — Overcoming Key Hurdles Could Bring Us Closer to an 'Unhackable' Internet
Researchers from NYU, quantum startup Qunnect and Cisco have built a live quantum network across New York City using existing fiber‑optic cables. The three‑node hub‑and‑spoke system demonstrated entanglement swapping over 5‑6 miles per link, creating a city‑scale quantum link that...
Mangroves Clean up $8.7 Billion of Nitrogen Pollution Every Year, Study Finds
A new study estimates that mangrove forests worldwide remove about 960,000 tons of nitrogen from coastal waters each year, a service that would cost roughly $8.7 billion if priced in the market. The research, published in Earth’s Future, also calculates a...
New Water Battery Could Last Until the 24th Century — and It Can Be Safely Discarded in the Environment
Chinese researchers have unveiled a nontoxic aqueous battery that uses covalent organic polymers (COPs) as a magnesium‑calcium anode, delivering an unprecedented 120,000 charge cycles—about ten times longer than conventional lithium‑ion cells. The battery operates with a neutral pH‑7 electrolyte, eliminating...
The Night Sky Could Get Three Times Brighter as New Satellites Launch — All but Ruining the Vera C. Rubin...
A new arXiv study warns that upcoming ultra‑bright satellite constellations could make the night sky up to three times brighter, jeopardizing all‑sky surveys such as the Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s LSST. Modeling shows a 60,000‑satellite fleet dimmer than magnitude 7 adds...
Diagnostic Dilemma: A Woman Turned Black and Blue Weeks After Starting a New Medication
A 68‑year‑old U.S. woman developed extensive blue‑gray to black patches on her arms and legs within two weeks of starting a daily 100‑mg dose of minocycline for rosacea. Doctors diagnosed type II minocycline‑induced hyperpigmentation, a side effect that typically appears after...
Clean Hydrogen Created From Plastic Waste Using Battery Acid From Old Cars and Solar Power
Scientists at the University of Cambridge have unveiled a one‑pot method that converts PET plastic waste into valuable chemicals and clean hydrogen using solar energy and sulfuric acid extracted from discarded car batteries. The process first hydrolyzes PET into glycol...
'Food Insecurity Is No Longer Just About Low-Income Countries': Environmental Economist Explains How Climate Change Is Pushing Agricultural Systems to...
A joint UN Food and Agriculture Organization‑World Meteorological Organization report warns that extreme heat is eroding agricultural productivity, costing roughly half a trillion working hours each year. The Lancet Countdown’s companion study finds that Europe added 1 million food‑insecure people in...
Both Very Low and Very High Heart Rates May Be Linked to Higher Stroke Risk, Study Says
A UK Biobank analysis of nearly 460,000 adults presented at the European Stroke Organisation Conference found a U‑shaped relationship between resting heart rate and stroke risk. The lowest risk occurred at 60‑69 beats per minute, while rates below 50 bpm...
'I Was Not Looking for This': Scientist Accidentally Finds Shortcut to Mars that Could Slash Travel Time in Half
A new study suggests ultra‑short Mars trajectories inspired by early asteroid orbit estimates could cut round‑trip travel time to as little as five months. The research, published in Acta Astronautica, shows a 34‑day Earth‑to‑Mars leg is geometrically possible, though it...
Mysterious Green Rocks in Pyrenees Cave Hint that Prehistoric People Were Working Copper There for 4,000 Years
Archaeologists uncovered a high‑altitude cave in the Spanish Pyrenees filled with nearly 200 green mineral fragments, likely malachite, and evidence of repeated copper‑processing activities. Radiocarbon dating shows the site was occupied for more than 4,000 years, with the most intensive use...
Estrogen in Both the Male and Female Brain Shapes Responses to Trauma, Study Suggests
A new mouse study published in Neuron shows that high estrogen levels in the hippocampus worsen memory resilience after acute stress, affecting both males and females. Female mice in the proestrus phase, when estrogen peaks, displayed persistent memory deficits, while...
3 Cruise Ship Passengers Are Dead, and Hantavirus Is the Suspected Culprit: What to Know
A cruise ship traveling the Atlantic reported one laboratory‑confirmed hantavirus infection and five additional suspected cases, resulting in three passenger deaths. The confirmed case involves a British passenger evacuated to South Africa, while two Dutch passengers died earlier under unclear...
Scientists Detect an Enormous Halo Around the Iconic Sombrero Galaxy — Space Photo of the Week
A new wide‑field image of the Sombrero Galaxy (M104) taken with the Dark Energy Camera reveals an enormous, diffuse halo extending more than three times the galaxy’s bright disk. The halo, previously invisible, indicates a vast stellar and dark‑matter envelope....