Scientists used AI to crack one of water's biggest mysteries
Researchers at the University of Osaka used an AI model trained on computer simulations to evaluate 16 different structural descriptors of supercooled water. The system identified the most effective ways to distinguish between water's two competing liquid states.
Scientists finally crack nature's secret for building better cancer drugs
Researchers discovered how bacteria naturally produce multiple versions of potent anti-cancer drugs. This finding could simplify engineering new cancer treatments and creating improved variants of existing medicines.
Students Connect NASA Science With Indigenous Knowledge to Study Coastal Erosion
Students at Pleasant Point Passamaquoddy Reservation are combining NASA science with Indigenous knowledge to study coastal erosion affecting their community in Downeast Maine. The shoreline is eroding at an accelerating rate, threatening land with significant historical importance to the Passamaquoddy people.
NASA Awards Contracts for Mars Advanced Surface Mobility Technology
NASA selected seven companies to develop next-generation robotic vehicles for Mars exploration under the STRIDE initiative. The contracts will advance commercial surface mobility technology for future Mars missions.
Hubble Captures Star-Studded Cluster
The Hubble Space Telescope captured an image of Messier 3, one of the Milky Way's most massive globular clusters containing ancient stars. Approximately 150 known globular clusters exist in the galaxy, with these spherical collections formed from the same gas cloud at roughly the same time.
The Download: worms fight pollution, and geoengineering faces reality
Worms and microbes are being used to reduce manure pollution at dairy farms by breaking down waste in wood chip beds. California dairy farmer Anthony Agueda demonstrated this approach as a third-generation farming solution to address environmental contamination from livestock operations.
Ancient DNA reveals the mysterious collapse of Europe's megalith builders
A genetic analysis of remains from a 5,000-year-old French megalithic tomb shows that the people buried before and after a population collapse were unrelated, indicating a major migration occurred after the crisis. The shift coincided with new social traditions and the disappearance of the megalith-building communities that had constructed Europe's giant stone monuments.
How tall and short trees can coexist in old growth forests
Old-growth forests maintain trees of vastly different heights despite light competition, with tall trees blocking sunlight that would typically kill shorter trees below. Scientists have observed that reaching the canopy top is not the only survival strategy, contradicting the stem exclusion phase where shorter trees usually die.
Quantum vacuum could help break molecular bonds with less energy, simulations suggest
Researchers discovered that quantum vacuum effects can break molecular bonds with substantially reduced energy requirements compared to conventional methods. Computer simulations led by Felipe Herrera at the University of Santiago demonstrated this phenomenon through interaction with the quantum vacuum.
NASA's New Horizons spacecraft wakes from its longest hibernation in good health
NASA's New Horizons spacecraft has awakened from a hibernation lasting nearly a year and is functioning properly. The spacecraft is now ready to transmit science data it collected in the Kuiper Belt region beyond Pluto.
Schrödinger’s anthill: Quantum entanglement found in a crystal large enough to hold
A centimeter-sized crystal demonstrated quantum entanglement, proving that large everyday objects can exhibit quantum behavior. This finding may help explain strange metals and enable development of ultra-precise quantum sensors.
Incredible new material makes heat programmable
A new material can control and direct thermal radiation while remembering its settings without constant power. The technology could enable improved infrared sensors, energy systems, and memory devices that operate using light and heat.
NASA’s New Horizons Spacecraft Wakes from Hibernation in Good Health
NASA's New Horizons spacecraft awakened from a nearly one-year hibernation period on June 23 in good condition. Flight controllers at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory confirmed the spacecraft is ready to transmit science data collected from the Kuiper Belt region beyond Pluto.
What Makes AI Art Worth Collecting?
An anonymous artist posted a real Monet painting cropped to hide the signature as an NFT titled "Inferior Image," which sold for over $40,000 after 28 bids, exposing how people dismiss AI art as inferior without verification. The stunt revealed a growing but fragmented market for AI-generated art exists despite ongoing heated debate about its legitimacy.
Why worms (and microbes) are catching on as a manure pollution solution
Red earthworms in wood chip beds are breaking down dairy manure to reduce pollution on California farms. The worms convert waste material into usable compost while processing manure that would otherwise contaminate soil and water.
AI just supercharged the race to find room temperature superconductors
Machine learning combined with quantum physics identified two new superconductors and accelerated the search process for discovering more. The method substantially speeds up research toward finding a room-temperature superconductor, a goal scientists have pursued for decades.
New biobased polymers exhibit excellent tensile properties beyond polyolefins
Biobased poly(ester amide)s made from inedible biorenewables were developed with tensile properties exceeding those of commodity plastics. These polymers can be easily chemically recycled and perform better mechanically in film applications than polyolefins.
How an interstellar comet sheds light on universe's 'cosmic noon'
An interstellar comet designated 3I/Atlas entered our solar system last year, providing astronomers with data about distant galaxies and cosmic origins. NASA's detailed observations confirmed it was a natural comet rather than an alien spacecraft and revealed information about its ancient extraterrestrial composition.
AI system translates protein sequences into text, helping reveal functions of unknown proteins
An AI system called BetaDescribe translates protein sequences into natural-language descriptions, revealing protein functions. The system was developed by researchers from Technion and Tel Aviv University and published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
NASA Takes Flight For America’s 250th
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman piloted a personally owned Northrop F-5 Tiger jet in a flyover above the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on July 4, 2026, during the Great American State Fair. The event celebrated America's 250th anniversary and the nation's history of exploration and achievement.
NASA Seeks Industry Input on Second Phase of Commercial Space Stations
NASA released a draft Request for Proposals seeking feedback from American companies on commercial space stations for low Earth orbit. The initiative aims to ensure a seamless transition of activities from the International Space Station.
NASA’s CAPSTONE Completes Extended Mission Testing Lunar Technologies
CAPSTONE spacecraft completed testing of autonomous positioning and communication technologies for lunar operations without direct Earth connections. The mission validated capabilities needed for sustained human presence on the Moon by operating in lunar orbit.
NASA Webb Uncovers Unusual Galaxy Shaped by Cosmic Collision
# Summary The James Webb Space Telescope revealed previously hidden details of Centaurus A galaxy by detecting near- and mid-infrared wavelengths that penetrate dust lanes invisible to optical telescopes. The images show the galaxy's structure shaped by cosmic collision in unprecedented detail across infrared wavelengths.
5,000-year-old wolves found on remote island rewrite what we know about domestication
Ancient wolves discovered on a remote Baltic island show humans brought them there and fed them thousands of years ago. The findings suggest people had closer relationships with wolves and possibly selectively bred them much earlier than previously understood.
An island of calm at the violent heart of the galaxy
Stars form within an unexpected pocket of calm discovered in the violent center of the Milky Way, where gas typically churns chaotically at high speeds. Astronomers have begun understanding how stellar formation occurs despite the extreme turbulence in this galactic region.
Rats show empathy, according to model
Rats freed trapped cagemates from cages and subsequently shared food with them rather than eating alone, demonstrating empathetic behavior in a 2011 American study. The research examined whether rats possess empathy capacity equivalent to humans or whether meaningful differences exist between species.
Spring songbirds may help pollinate UK trees, with pollen on 89% of studied birds
Pollen was found on 89 percent of studied spring songbirds including chiffchaffs and blackcaps in the United Kingdom. These common warblers contribute to plant pollination as they move between flowers during their seasonal visits.
Ancient bees turned tooth sockets into tiny nurseries 20,000 years ago
Ancient bees filled empty tooth sockets in mammal bones with nests approximately 20,000 years ago. This fossil discovery represents the first known evidence of bees using animal bone cavities as reproductive sites.
Deuterium in comets tells interesting tales
Comets contain measurable amounts of deuterium, a heavy hydrogen isotope that provides clues about their origins in the solar system. The deuterium-to-hydrogen ratio in comet samples differs from Earth's water, suggesting comets formed in distinct regions of the early solar system.
European cities short on shade as heat waves hit, urban mapping reveals
More than 80 percent of homes and workplaces across 25 European cities lack sufficient nearby tree canopy for effective cooling. An open-data analysis by an urban greening expert revealed this gap during recent heat waves affecting Europe.