Science News and Headlines
Science News and Headlines
The recent US‑Israeli strikes on Iran and Iran’s retaliatory attacks have halted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, cutting roughly 20% of global oil flow and sending diesel and gas prices sharply higher in Europe and the United States. The disruption also creates a short‑term upside for U.S. gas producers while prompting calls for accelerated renewable investment. In China, the latest five‑year plan pledges a 17% cut in carbon intensity by 2030, a peak‑coal target within five years, and a shift of 30 million tonnes of coal to renewables, though analysts describe the approach as cautious. Meanwhile, Bristol’s 4.2 MW community wind turbine, highlighted in the UK’s local power plan, now generates £100,000 of annual profit for a deprived estate and is projected to avoid 87,600 t of CO₂ over its lifetime.
A UNIST research team engineered a methanol‑tolerant *Methylobacterium extorquens* strain that grows 1.7 times faster than conventional microbes at 2.5 % methanol. Using adaptive laboratory evolution, they identified recurring mutations in the metY and kefB genes that boost detoxification and energy...
Recent studies suggest that persistent inflammation in the gut, lungs and skin may trigger Alzheimer’s disease. Vaccinations such as Shingrix have been shown to cut dementia risk by about 17 percent, likely by dampening inflammatory pathways. Lifestyle measures—including a Mediterranean...
CERN has launched the final four‑month run of the Large Hadron Collider, kicking off with proton collisions on 7 March. The schedule includes nine weeks of proton collisions, three weeks of lead‑ion runs, and a two‑week high‑intensity proton test featuring 40%...
Mathematicians have finally proved the lonely runner conjecture for eight, nine, and ten runners, marking the first major advance in decades. The breakthroughs stem from Matthieu Rosenfeld’s computer‑assisted approach, which built on Terence Tao’s finite‑speed reduction, and an undergraduate, Paul...
University of Washington researchers have developed a recyclable composite that embeds microscopic gallium‑based liquid‑metal droplets in a stretchable polymer. The material can be patterned into functional circuits by scoring its surface, self‑heals after cuts, and can be chemically dissolved to...
Researchers have confirmed a super‑Earth, GJ 887 d, orbiting within the habitable zone of the nearby M‑dwarf GJ 887, only 10.7 light‑years from Earth. The planet, with a minimum mass about six times Earth’s and a 51‑day orbital period, is the second known...
Engineers at the University of Maine have introduced a hybrid method that blends advanced nonlinear finite‑element modeling with physical testing to predict the strength of gyroid‑infilled 3D‑printed parts. The approach outperforms traditional linear analyses by capturing plastic deformation and anisotropic...
Johnson & Johnson’s Tecvayli and Darzalex combination received FDA approval for second‑line multiple myeloma treatment, marking the third drug cleared under the Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher (CNPV) program. The decision was rendered in just 55 days after J&J’s filing, thanks...
Carolyn Porco, born March 6, 1953, rose from a doctoral candidate in earth and space sciences to become a leading planetary imaging scientist. She joined the Voyager team in the early 1980s and co‑planned the iconic 1990 “Pale Blue Dot” photograph with...
Researchers at the University of Melbourne have unveiled the world’s first laboratory‑based, host‑free feeding platform for the Asian longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis). The silicone‑membrane system, using defibrinated cattle blood, supports full feeding and reproduction without live animal hosts. This breakthrough...
Obstructive sleep apnea, long viewed as a male‑dominant disorder, is now recognized as a major, often hidden health issue for women, especially during perimenopause and menopause. A Lancet Respiratory Medicine projection estimates 30.4 million U.S. women could have OSA by 2050,...
Researchers in Washington’s Cascade Mountains found that thinning forest stands can boost snowpack by up to 30%, translating to roughly 4 million gallons of extra water per 100 acres. By spacing trees 13 to 52 feet apart, canopy interception drops, allowing...
The pharmaceutical industry has finally delivered an oral GLP‑1 weight‑loss pill, with Novo Nordisk launching an oral version of Wegovy earlier this year. Eli Lilly’s oral GLP‑1 candidate, orforglipron, is expected to receive approval imminently. Oral formulations overcome the injection barrier that...
Io will transit Jupiter’s disk on the night of March 6‑7, 2026, beginning at midnight EST and lasting about twenty minutes, followed by its shadow crossing for an additional hour. The event is visible from the East Coast, where Jupiter sits...
The European Space Agency announced a new AI Hub at its ECSAT campus in Oxfordshire, backed by the UK Space Agency. The facility will provide a testbed for AI‑driven satellite and converged communications, extending the capabilities of ESA’s existing 5G/6G...
Four Anode Plane Assemblies (APAs) built at STFC’s Daresbury Laboratory have arrived at Fermilab, marking the first direct UK‑to‑US shipment for the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE). The UK is tasked with delivering 137 of the 150 APAs required, and...
Researchers at Fermilab and CERN have demonstrated that superconducting microwire single‑photon detectors (SMSPDs) achieve markedly higher detection efficiency and timing resolution for charged particles by employing a thicker tungsten‑silicide film. The study recorded the first muon detection efficiency using SMSPDs,...
The UK’s STFC Daresbury Laboratory has shipped the first four anode plane assemblies (APAs) directly to Fermilab, marking a key milestone for the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE). The shipment brings the UK’s total completed APAs to 50 of the...
New James Webb Space Telescope observations collected on Feb. 18 and 26 refined the orbit of near‑Earth asteroid 2024 YR4, eliminating any chance of a lunar impact on Dec. 22, 2032. The asteroid is now projected to miss the Moon by about 13,200 miles (21,200 km)....
UK greenhouse gas emissions fell 2.4% in 2025 to 364 MtCO2e, the lowest level since 1872 and 54% below 1990. The decline was driven by coal use dropping to a 400‑year low and gas use reaching its lowest since 1992, both...
Researchers at RIKEN discovered that the pond microalga Euglena agilis processes the majority of its introns using a non‑canonical splicing code, bypassing the typical GT‑AG splice site signals. Over 70 % of its introns lack the standard motifs, instead following a...
A recent study of nearly one million U.S. hospitalizations shows in‑hospital deaths from first‑time heart attacks are climbing among adults 54 and younger. The increase is evident for both STEMI and NSTEMI cases, with women experiencing slightly higher mortality than men....
Observable Space’s CDK 14 is a 14‑inch Corrected Dall‑Kirkham telescope that delivers observatory‑class imaging in a compact, 48‑lb package. It features a fused‑silica primary, carbon‑fiber tube, and a fast f/7.2 focal ratio with a 2,563 mm focal length, providing a flat, coma‑free...
China’s new five‑year plan lowers its carbon‑intensity goal to a 17% cut between 2026 and 2030, a step back from the 18% target for 2021‑2025 that it already missed. Analysts warn the weaker pledge could let national emissions rise 3‑6%...
Asteroid 2024 YR4, a 60‑metre near‑Earth object, once carried a 4 % chance of striking the Moon in December 2032. New observations with JWST’s NIRCam in February 2026 precisely measured its orbit, eliminating the lunar‑impact risk. The asteroid will safely miss the Moon by...
Psychedelic antidepressants are poised for FDA review this year, driven by strong investor and patient interest. William Blair analysts note that while Johnson & Johnson’s Spravato generated $1.7 billion in 2025 sales, psychedelics are unlikely to capture the entire treatment‑resistant depression market. Companies...
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals has signed a deal with Tenaya Therapeutics, providing $10 million upfront and the potential for up to $1.13 billion in milestones to discover up to 15 new genetic targets for heart disease. Tenaya will apply its modality‑agnostic platform to validate...
UniQure’s one‑time gene therapy AMT‑130 showed a 75% slowdown in Huntington’s disease progression in its Phase 1/2 trial, prompting expectations for a BLA filing in early 2026. The FDA, however, reversed its earlier stance and now requires a sham‑controlled Phase 3 study,...
Astronomers can spot Earth’s shadow on any clear evening or morning, not just during lunar eclipses. The shadow rises about 4° after sunset and descends before sunrise, becoming visible when the surrounding sky brightens. Observers also see the pink “belt...
The FDA’s acting CDER director Tracy Beth Høeg is reportedly moving to hire Adam Urato, a maternal‑fetal specialist known for his skepticism of antidepressants during pregnancy. Urato has publicly called for stronger warnings on SSRIs and has filed a citizen...
PepGen’s Phase 2 FREEDOM2 trial in myotonic dystrophy type 1 received a partial FDA clinical hold due to concerns over a sub‑chronic mouse study that showed blood‑pressure changes. The agency did not question the Phase 1 human data, and the company continues dosing...
Researchers at Queen Mary University analyzed the BioTIME database and found species turnover has slowed by about a third since the mid‑1970s. The slowdown, measured over five‑year intervals, contradicts earlier expectations that climate change would accelerate community change. Ecologists note...
ESA’s Mars Express and ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter captured the May 2024 solar superstorm’s effects on the Red Planet, revealing unprecedented electron spikes in the upper atmosphere. A radiation monitor on TGO logged a dose equivalent to 200 Earth days in...
Astronomers announce a prime viewing window for Comet C/2024 E1 (Wierzchoś) beginning after sunset on March 5, when it will sit 20° above the horizon in Eridanus. The comet is easily located 2.9° east of the 4th‑magnitude star Eta Eridani and shows...
Astrophotographer Chenglu Peng captured a striking view of Orion’s familiar outline and the faint hydrogen glow of Barnard’s Loop from Yomegashima Island on Lake Shinji, Japan. Using a Sony mirrorless camera paired with a fast 50 mm f/1.2 lens, he recorded...
Preliminary trials of Zorevunersen, an experimental therapy for Dravet syndrome, showed it is safe and well tolerated in 81 children. A single 70 mg dose reduced seizures by about 50%, and three doses cut seizures roughly 80% compared with baseline. The...
Researchers from Keio University, the Broad Institute and City of Hope reported that a low‑protein diet combined with four specific gut bacterial strains converts white adipocytes into energy‑burning beige fat in mice. The microbiota‑driven transformation boosted beige fat levels, improved...
The United States will formally exit the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change on February 27, 2027, a year after the required notification period. The withdrawal follows the 2026 departure from the Paris Agreement, making the U.S. the first nation...
The NA62 Collaboration announced a refined measurement of the ultra‑rare K⁺→π⁺νν decay, presenting a branching ratio of 9.6 × 10⁻¹¹ with a 40% reduction in uncertainty. The result incorporates data collected in 2023‑2024 and leverages advanced machine‑learning analysis techniques. This measurement aligns...
The European Union will be permitted to count up to 5% of its 2040 emissions‑reduction target against high‑quality international carbon credits starting in 2036. France’s climate envoy Benoît Faraco argues that directing a share of these credits to clean‑cooking projects could...
Researchers studying humpback whales in New Caledonia found older males outperform younger ones in securing mates. Genetic sampling revealed that age correlates with song mastery, and females preferentially select seasoned singers. The study, published in *Current Biology*, underscores how decades...
Seven vulnerable Pacific island nations have warned they will push for a universal levy on all shipping emissions and higher charges if the International Maritime Organization reopens negotiations on its stalled Net‑Zero Framework. The coalition, led by Fiji, Kiribati, Vanuatu,...
NASA conducted its first-ever medical evacuation from the International Space Station in January 2026 when astronaut Mike Fincke experienced a microgravity‑related health event. The entire Crew‑11 returned early aboard a SpaceX capsule because no spare crew‑ready vehicle was available. The...
The U.S. Department of Energy’s three flagship light‑source labs—Advanced Light Source (ALS), Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) and Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL)—will convene for their first joint users’ meeting at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory from September 20 to 25,...
The Broad Institute launched a free, weekly video series called “Primer on Medical and Population Genetics,” offering informal deep‑dives into genetics fundamentals for a wide scientific audience. Episodes cover human genetic variation, genotyping technologies, DNA sequencing, statistical methods, and GWAS...
Scientists across the globe are sounding the alarm that microbes—tiny organisms driving half of Earth’s oxygen production and key carbon cycles—are under unprecedented threat. Long‑term monitoring programs such as the Bedford Basin Time Series reveal rapid shifts in microbial communities,...
Researchers at the Broad Institute and University of Helsinki analyzed over 81,000 individuals with autoimmune hypothyroidism (AIHT) and identified more than 400 genetic markers, including nearly 50 protein‑coding variants. The study distinguished genetic signals specific to thyroid autoimmunity from those...
The 2025 Global Methane Status Report finds human‑caused methane emissions have risen since 2020, though the increase is smaller than earlier forecasts. The Global Methane Pledge’s ambition has spurred national plans that could deliver an 8% cut by 2030, yet...
