What NASA’s Artemis II Tells Us About the ‘Overview Effect,’ Moon Joy and Awe
NASA’s Artemis II crew completed the first crewed lunar flyby in over five decades, splashing down in the Pacific on April 4, 2026. The mission delivered unprecedented live video of the Moon’s far side, a total solar eclipse from orbit, and the iconic Earth‑rise behind the lunar horizon, sparking what mission control dubbed “moon joy.” Astronauts described a spectrum of psychological responses, from classic overview‑effect awe to unchanged perspectives, prompting scholars to question whether the effect is universal or culturally constructed. The episode also highlighted research linking awe‑inducing experiences to mental‑well‑being.
Original Apollo 11 Code Open-Sourced by NASA — Original Command Module and Lunar Module Code Repos Are Now Public Domain...
NASA has released the original Apollo 11 Guidance Computer software for the Command Module (Comanche 055) and Lunar Module (Luminary 099) as public‑domain code on GitHub. The repositories were digitized by Virtual AGC and the MIT Museum, providing full machine‑code listings and build tools....
Artemis II Splashes Down
NASA’s Orion spacecraft safely splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on April 10, 2026, concluding the ten‑day Artemis II mission. The crew set a new distance record for human spaceflight, surpassing Apollo 13, and returned with unprecedented images of the Moon’s far...
New Metal with Triple Copper’s Heat Conduction Challenges Fundamental Physics
Researchers at UCLA have identified a new metallic phase, θ‑phase tantalum nitride, that conducts heat at roughly 1,110 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹—about three times the thermal conductivity of copper. The breakthrough stems from a highly ordered crystal lattice that lets both electrons and phonons...
Knee Pain? New Study Shows This Supplement Helps (Not Turmeric)
A double‑blind, placebo‑controlled trial found that adding creatine to a four‑week physical‑therapy program significantly reduced knee pain and improved functional scores in adults with mild to moderate osteoarthritis. Participants took a 20 g loading dose for one week followed by 5 g...
Flight Path Data Shows How Mosquitoes Target Humans
Scientists from Georgia Tech and MIT applied Bayesian inference to more than 53 million data points, creating a dynamic model of Aedes aegypti flight with fewer than 30 parameters. The research uncovered two flight modes—active and idle—and demonstrated that mosquitoes are...
Artemis 3 and Beyond: What's Next for NASA After Artemis 2 Moon Success
NASA’s Artemis 2 crew safely returned on April 10, 2026, marking the first U.S. crewed lunar mission since 1972. The agency has now redirected Artemis 3 from a lunar landing to an Earth‑orbit test of Orion’s docking with SpaceX’s Starship and Blue Origin’s...
How to Breathe in Fewer Microplastics in Your Home
Microplastics are now recognized as a pervasive indoor pollutant, with studies showing indoor air can contain over 500 particles per cubic metre and U.S. adults may inhale up to 22 million fibers annually. Synthetic textiles, laundry, and household dust are the...
HIIT Vs. Strength: Just One Session Could Activate Anti-Cancer Proteins
Researchers found that a single session of either resistance training or high‑intensity interval training (HIIT) can trigger a surge in muscle‑derived myokines that suppress breast‑cancer cell growth. Blood samples taken immediately and 30 minutes after exercise reduced the proliferation of...
Losing Bone Density Isn't Inevitable — Study Shows How To Stop It
A University of Hong Kong study reveals that the protein Piezo1 acts as the body’s built‑in exercise sensor, converting mechanical stress from activities like walking or weight‑lifting into a bone‑building signal. When activated, Piezo1 triggers the Ccl2‑Lcn2 inflammatory pathway, steering...
Congratulations to the Artemis II Crew – but the Case for Sending Astronauts Into Space Is Rapidly Shrinking | Martin...
NASA’s Artemis II mission marked the first crewed flight of the new lunar system, returning astronauts safely after a 10‑day lunar loop. The program has already consumed roughly $100 billion, with Congress earmarking an additional $9.9 billion for Artemis IV and V. While the scientific...
Do the Microbes in Your Gut Influence What Foods You Like?
Scientists have long suspected gut microbes shape eating habits, and recent animal studies provide concrete evidence. In 2022, researchers transplanted microbiomes from wild carnivores, herbivores and omnivores into germ‑free mice, finding that the mice’s food preferences shifted to match their...
Trend Analysis of Atmospheric and Oceanic Variables and Their Compound Effect on Tropical Cyclones in the Arabian Sea
A new study examines how atmospheric and oceanic variables shape tropical cyclone genesis and intensity in the Arabian Sea, using ERA5 reanalysis and HYCOM model data spanning 2005‑2020. The analysis reveals that mixed‑layer ocean heat content (OHC) is rising, while...
The Sky Today on Saturday, April 11: Comet Tempel 2 in Scutum
Comet 10P/Tempel 2 has entered the constellation Scutum and will stay visible all summer, rising around 1 A.M. and reaching about 35° altitude by 5 A.M. local time. At roughly 12th magnitude it is still faint, requiring a moderate telescope, but it is...
Effects of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists on Perioperative Outcomes in Hip and Knee Arthroplasty: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Researchers performed a systematic review and meta‑analysis of six retrospective cohort studies covering over 48,000 hip and knee arthroplasty patients to assess the impact of pre‑operative glucagon‑like‑peptide‑1 receptor agonist (GLP‑1 RA) therapy. The analysis found a 20 % reduction in revision...
AI Can Screen 15 Million Molecules in a Day. It Still Can’t Cure Alzheimer’s.
Novartis used generative AI to design 15 million molecular‑glue candidates for Huntington’s disease and synthesized about 60, yielding a promising scaffold. While AI can trim early‑stage drug discovery timelines by 30‑40 percent and lower costs, no AI‑discovered compound has secured FDA approval...
New Yellow Fever Vaccine Matches Safety and Effectiveness of Current Shot
Sanofi's new live‑attenuated yellow fever vaccine, vYF, demonstrated safety and efficacy comparable to the licensed YF‑VAX in a phase 2 trial of 485 healthy adults. Protective antibodies appeared in 99.7% of vYF recipients versus 99.4% for YF‑VAX within 28 days, with...
Green Growth Solutions for Climate Change Adaptation in the Mangrove Forest Area of Tien Hai Wetland Nature Reserve, Vietnam
A mixed‑methods study of 143 households in Vietnam's Tien Hai Wetland Nature Reserve shows that ecological aquaculture, mangrove restoration, waste recycling and community‑based eco‑tourism can boost incomes—averaging about $105 per month per household—while raising climate awareness to 81% and green‑growth...
National Prevalence of Diarrhea and Associated Factors Among Children Under Five in Afghanistan
A 2022‑23 survey of 32,989 Afghan children under five found that 38.2% had experienced diarrhea in the past two weeks. The risk was highest for children aged 6‑35 months, while maternal age over 20, higher household wealth, and maternal education...
Energy Storage Breakthrough Traps Sunlight in a Molecule
Researchers at UC Santa Barbara have engineered an organic molecule, pyrimidone, that captures sunlight and stores the energy directly in its chemical bonds. The molecular solar thermal storage (MOST) system achieves an energy density of 1.6 MJ kg⁻¹ (≈ 444 Wh kg⁻¹), roughly double that...
Artemis II Splashdown Gives NASA Momentum in Renewed Moon Race
NASA’s Artemis II mission splashed down safely in the Pacific on April 11, 2026, concluding the first crewed deep‑space flight since 1972. The four‑person crew—three Americans and a Canadian—completed a lunar‑orbit trajectory that demonstrated the Space Launch System’s performance and re‑entry capabilities....
Joi Scientific’s Long Hydrogen Illusion
Joi Scientific has resurfaced with a refreshed website, new press releases and a 2024 patent family, but it is essentially a continuation of an 18‑year‑old hydrogen over‑unity narrative. The company’s earlier claims of 200‑300% energy return have been replaced with...
New Research Leads to Increased Understanding of Longevity Gains in the United States
A new BMJ Open study by University of Wisconsin–Madison scholars finds that every U.S. state experienced life‑expectancy gains for cohorts born between 1941 and 2000, overturning earlier research that suggested stagnation or declines in parts of the South. Using the...
Ideas Podcast: How to Change a Memory
Steve Ramirez, a Boston University neuroscientist and former MIT graduate student, details how his lab created false memories and argues that future technologies could edit, erase, or fabricate recollections. His new book, *How to Change a Memory*, blends memoir with...
The Artemis II Mission Has Ended. Where Does NASA Go From Here?
NASA’s Artemis II mission successfully completed a 700,000‑mile lunar flyby and splash‑down, marking humanity’s first deep‑space crewed flight in over 50 years. The Space Launch System delivered a near‑perfect orbit insertion, while Orion returned safely, providing valuable data on heat‑shield performance and...
EV-RNAs Show Promise for IBD Diagnosis and Treatment
A review in *ExRNA* led by Professor Xiyang Wei outlines how extracellular vesicle‑associated RNAs (EV‑RNAs) influence inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) pathogenesis and progression. By synthesizing multi‑omics and animal data, the authors show EV‑RNAs can serve as highly accurate, non‑invasive biomarkers...
Nanomedicine Offers Targeted Solutions for Breast Cancer Treatment
Nanomedicine is reshaping breast cancer therapy by using nanoscale carriers to improve drug solubility, targeting, and controlled release. Recent preclinical studies show lipid‑polymer hybrids boosting oral bioavailability over threefold and photothermal nanoparticles halving tumor growth when combined with chemotherapy. Metallic...
NASA’s Artemis II Mission Was a Historic Success
NASA’s Artemis II mission returned safely on 10 April after a historic crewed flyby of the Moon, the first human trip beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972. The Orion capsule traveled to a record‑breaking 406,771 km from Earth, surpassing Apollo 13’s distance...
How Recovery Personnel Will Secure Artemis II Capsule at Sea After Splashdown
NASA’s Artemis II Orion capsule splashed down in the Pacific off San Diego, leaving four astronauts afloat in a vessel that survived re‑entry temperatures near 5,000 °F. Five airbags on the capsule’s top automatically inflated, righting the spacecraft and stabilizing it against waves...
IFIT3 Knockdown Attenuates Pressure-Overload-Induced Cardiac Inflammation and Remodeling Through a JNK/H3K9 Lactylation-Associated Mechanism
The study identified interferon‑induced protein IFIT3 as a macrophage‑enriched hub gene in failing human hearts. Using AAV‑mediated knockdown in a transverse aortic constriction mouse model, researchers showed that reducing IFIT3 expression improves cardiac function, lowers inflammatory cytokine release, and attenuates...
Elon Musk's Next Big Bet: Inside the Rise of SpaceX
Fox Business aired a panel titled “Elon Musk's next big bet: Inside the rise of SpaceX,” where analysts examined the company’s rapid growth and its pivotal role in NASA’s Artemis II mission. The discussion highlighted SpaceX’s Starship development, expanding Starlink broadband...
A Multifunctional Terahertz Metadevice Enabled by Single-Layer VO2 : From Ultra-Broadband to Dual-Narrowband Perfect Absorption
Researchers have demonstrated a terahertz metamaterial absorber that switches between ultra‑broadband and dual‑narrowband perfect absorption using a single vanadium dioxide (VO₂) layer. In its metallic phase, the device delivers over 90% absorption from 4.10 to 12.58 THz, covering an absolute bandwidth...
NASA Artemis II Splashes Down in Pacific Ocean in ‘Perfect’ Landing for Moon Mission
NASA’s Artemis II mission successfully returned the four‑person crew to Earth after a ten‑day lunar flyby. The Orion capsule, named Integrity, splashed down in the Pacific off San Diego at 5:07 p.m. PT, with all astronauts in good health. The flight marked the first...
Back to Earth: What Happens to the Artemis II Astronauts Now?
The Artemis II crew safely splashed down off California after re‑entering at 25,000 mph, completing the first crewed flight to travel farther than any human before – roughly 4,000 miles beyond Apollo 13’s record. Upon landing, the astronauts were examined on a U.S. warship,...
Orion Survives Re-Entry, Crew Splashes Down Safe
Orion’s Orion capsule survived a high‑energy re‑entry and splashed down off California, with all four astronauts remaining inside the capsule as recovery crews arrived. The Artemis‑2 mission, a three‑day lunar fly‑by, is now complete, though analysis of the heat‑shield performance...
Protecting Flowering Plants Is Crucial to Our Future
Ecologist David George Haskell argues that flowering plants ignited a massive biodiversity surge and now underpin modern ecosystems. In his new book How Flowers Made Our World, he explains how floral genetics enabled angiosperms to colonize new habitats for over 130 million...
Early Permian Multi-Ovulate Fruit Rewrites Angiosperm History
Researchers have described a new fossil genus, Shuozhoufructella, from the Lower Permian of Shanxi, China. The plant bears a multi‑ovulate fruit in which ovules are attached by funiculi along the fruit rim, a configuration previously unknown in gymnosperms but typical...
‘It’s 13 Minutes of Things that Have to Go Right’: Artemis II Splashes Down Despite Faulty Heat Shield
NASA’s Artemis II mission returned safely to the Pacific after a historic 10‑day lunar flyby, despite a known flaw in the Orion heat shield. Engineers discovered the shield’s internal layers could trap gas during reentry, risking chunk loss. To mitigate, NASA...
Different People Attract Different Mosquito Species
Researchers tested three mosquito species against 119 people using a Uniport olfactometer, finding distinct preferences. Aedes aegypti showed an 89% attraction rate and uniquely favored male participants, while Aedes albopictus responded to specific skin ketones and Culex quinquefasciatus preferred a...
Longitudinal Study Links Associative Learning Gains to Later Improvements in Fluid Intelligence
A three‑year longitudinal study of 160 Chinese elementary students found that improvements in associative learning and fluid intelligence reinforce each other over time. Children who exceeded their baseline in forming associations showed greater gains in reasoning the following year, and...
Pyrazole-Derived TRPC3 Antagonist Ameliorates Synaptic Dysfunctions and Memory Deficits in Alzheimer’s Disease Models
Researchers have engineered a pyrazole‑derived, metabolically stable TRPC3 antagonist that readily penetrates the CNS. In cultured neurons, amyloid‑beta oligomers up‑regulate TRPC3, leading to calcium overload and toxicity. Administration of the compound to 5xFAD and APPKI mouse models reversed synaptic deficits...
Multi-Omics and Electrophysiological Examination of GABAA Receptors in the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex of Humans with Alcohol Use Disorder
Researchers recorded electrophysiological activity of reactivated GABA_A receptors from the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of postmortem brains of individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD). Multi‑omics analysis revealed significantly lower mRNA levels for several GABA_A subunits, yet protein abundance and synaptic function...
Chance Encounter in Space: JANUS Camera Captures Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS
The European Space Agency’s JANUS camera captured high‑resolution images of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS during a close flyby in early 2026. The observations were made when the comet passed within 0.3 AU of Earth, revealing an elongated nucleus and active gas jets....
The Local Universe’s Expansion Rate Is Clearer Than Ever, but Still Doesn’t Add Up
New observations from the Nearby Supernova Factory and Gaia‑based distance ladders have sharpened the local measurement of the Hubble constant to 73.2 ± 0.8 km s⁻¹ Mpc⁻¹, the most precise to date. Despite the reduced uncertainties, this value remains 5‑6 km s⁻¹ Mpc⁻¹ higher than the value inferred...
Flavored Tobacco Bans Linked to Lower Youth Vaping in California
Researchers at UC San Diego examined data from over 2.8 million California students and found that local bans on flavored tobacco products lowered youth vaping rates from 7.7% to 6.2% without increasing cigarette smoking. Using a dynamic difference‑in‑differences design covering 2017‑2022,...
Mysterious Flashes in 1950s Skies Linked to Nuclear Tests and UAP Sightings: Study
A statistical review of Palomar Observatory sky plates from 1949‑1957 uncovered over 100,000 brief, star‑like flashes that vanished within a single 50‑minute exposure. The researchers found these transients occurred on 310 of 2,718 days and were 45% more likely within...
Australia: Ingestible Smart Sensor Boosts Non-Invasive Diagnostics
A world‑first ingestible gas‑sensing capsule, developed from RMIT University research, has been commercialised in Victoria, offering clinicians a radiation‑free, real‑time view of the gastrointestinal tract. The device moves beyond invasive procedures, targeting the roughly 40% of people who suffer from...
Reprogramming Regulatory T Cells Could Help Immunotherapy Work in Pancreatic Cancer
Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University discovered that pancreatic tumors suppress immunotherapy by recruiting large numbers of regulatory T cells (Tregs). In mouse models, an agonistic CD40 therapy not only activated tumor‑killing immune cells but also reprogrammed Tregs into...
Under One Moon
NASA’s Artemis II crew completed a historic lunar flyby, capturing striking images of Earth rising behind the Moon and collecting data on previously unseen craters, a solar eclipse and meteor impacts. The mission demonstrated Orion’s deep‑space capabilities and reinforced the United...
Chang'e Mission Samples Reveal How Exogenous Organic Matter Evolves on the Moon
China’s Chang’e‑5 and Chang’e‑6 lunar sample returns have, for the first time, revealed nitrogen‑bearing organic compounds embedded in moon soil grains. The study shows these organics exist as particles, surface‑adhered films, and mineral inclusions, and bear isotopic signatures that point...