Earliest Americans specialized in megafauna hunting from Alaska to South America, analysis of 50 sites reveals
The earliest Native Americans specialized in hunting megafauna across the continent from Alaska to South America, according to analysis of 50 archaeological sites. This dietary pattern shows consistent targeting of the largest animals available on the landscape throughout these geographically distant regions.
New star activity catalog could sharpen hunt for habitable worlds
A new star activity catalog will help identify which exoplanet candidates might support habitable conditions by accounting for stellar rotation and activity patterns. The catalog addresses how a star's characteristics, including its rotation rate, affect temperature conditions in the orbital regions where planets might sustain liquid water.
Updated standards make the case for restoration: ‘We have to create uplift’
The Society for Ecological Restoration released updated standards and principles for ecosystem restoration on June 23, marking the third edition since 2016. The new guidelines aim to establish better practices for carrying out restoration work while avoiding previous approaches that caused environmental damage.
NASA’s Chandra Examines Milky Way at Arms’ Length
New measurements from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory indicate the Milky Way's outer spiral arms extend farther than previously believed. Astronomers used precise distance measurements to dust clouds to make this discovery about galactic structure.
Can coastal infrastructure be engineered to harbor marine life instead of harming it?
Concrete panels with varying textures have been installed in Cobh Harbor's centuries-old wall to create habitat for marine life. The installation consists of 60 hexagonal panels bolted into the stone infrastructure, with some featuring ridges or textured surfaces.
NASA Seeks Volunteers for New Yearlong Simulated Moon, Mars Mission
NASA is recruiting volunteers to spend one year in a simulated moon and Mars habitat at Johnson Space Center starting no earlier than August 2027. Participants will live in isolated conditions designed to replicate the environments of crewed missions to the Moon or Mars.
As AI Reshapes Global Energy Systems, Melbourne Leads Through Engineering Collaboration
Artificial intelligence is driving electricity demand so sharply that data centers are projected to consume 11 percent of Australia's electricity by 2035. Engineers across energy, infrastructure, and computing disciplines must collaborate to address this system-level challenge affecting global power systems.
Scientists Build Fully Synthetic Life Form That Can Eat and Reproduce
Researchers created a fully synthetic organism capable of consuming nutrients and reproducing itself. The synthetic life form represents advancement in engineered biology technology for potential bioeconomy applications.
LINK Spacecraft Set for Mission to Boost NASA’s Swift Observatory
A robotic servicing spacecraft called LINK will raise the orbit of NASA's Swift Observatory during a mission launching July 2 from Kwajalein Atoll. LINK, built by Katalyst Space, represents the first attempt to boost the aging observatory's altitude in the South Pacific.
NASA’s Webb Studies How Planet Survived Death of its Star
A planet survived its star's transformation into a white dwarf billions of years ago, with NASA's James Webb Space Telescope detecting the system's composition and orbital dynamics. The discovery provides evidence that planets can persist after their host star exhausts its fuel and collapses.
Curiosity Blog, Sols 4934-4940: In the Land of the Polygons
Curiosity rover traversed light-toned, smooth terrain during sols 4934-4940 in June 2026, operating through two planning cycles. The rover's position within this orbital-imaged unit allowed it to continue systematic surface observations and geological documentation.
Caltech Welcomes Astrophysicist Ray Jayawardhana as New President
Ray Jayawardhana became Caltech's 10th president, succeeding Thomas Rosenbaum who served since 2014. Jayawardhana holds the Sonja and William Davidow Presidential Chair and serves as professor of astronomy.
NASA’s TESS Mission Finds Planetary System in New Way
TESS identified a planet using gravitational wave ripples in space-time for the first time, detecting a super-Jupiter orbiting far from its host star. This differs from TESS's standard method of finding planets that pass in front of their stars blocking light.
Europe’s Future Circular Collider could revolutionize particle physics—if it’s ever built
A proposed 91-kilometer circular particle collider would succeed Europe's Large Hadron Collider, with scientific support established after decades of discussion. The megaproject's construction remains uncertain despite clear scientific justification for the undertaking.
Scientists discover a surprising link between vitamin C and brain health
A study of over 2,000 older Japanese adults found that lower blood vitamin C levels correlated with reduced gray matter and weaker connections in brain networks responsible for memory and attention. Participants with insufficient vitamin C showed particular weakness in cognitive function networks.
Physicists and AI model Claude 'collaborate' to prove a 10-year-old jamming conjecture
Physicists used the AI model Claude to prove a mathematical jamming conjecture that had remained unsolved for over 10 years. The proof of this mathematical relation was published in the Journal of Statistical Mechanics: Theory and Experiment by Nobel laureate Giorgio Parisi and Francesco Zamponi.
Cosmic eruption caught in the act by submillimeter array's new fastest response system
The Submillimeter Array achieved its first rapid-response observation of a gamma-ray burst on January 26, 2026, detecting the event within minutes of discovery. Scientists captured the earliest-ever submillimeter wavelength observations of such a cosmic eruption using this new capability.
Abundant catalyst converts methane into valuable liquid chemicals
Molybdenum disulfide catalyst converts methane into methyl peroxide and other liquid oxygenates at temperatures below 100°C. The process uses an earth-abundant industrial catalyst that requires minimal modification to selectively produce methyl peroxide, a precursor for methanol.
Quantum computer simulates hadronization, reproducing string breaking with 104 qubits
A quantum computer with 104 qubits successfully simulated hadronization, a key particle physics process involving string breaking. The simulation used a simplified quantum mechanical model and was conducted remotely on an IBM quantum computer at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
3,000-year-old Irish Bronze Age site may be one of Europe's earliest 'town-like' settlements
A 3,000-year-old Irish settlement called Haugheys Fort near Armagh shows evidence of being one of Western Europe's earliest large, organized settlements from around 1200 BC. The site combined settlement, craft production, and ritual activities in a carefully planned landscape at an unprecedented scale.
NASA’s Chandra Reveals ‘Red, White, Blue’ Universe for US 250th
NASA released four cosmic images from the Chandra X-ray Observatory colored in red, white, and blue to celebrate America's 250th anniversary. The images were accompanied by three new sonifications that convert astronomical data into sound.
Fossils reveal a prehistoric crocodile relative that walked on two legs
A bipedal shuvosaurid, a prehistoric crocodile relative, walked on two legs 212 million years ago. This ancient creature lived in what is now the United States during that period.
NASA Awards More Moon Base Science, Previews New Opportunities
NASA selected three companies to land four missions on the Moon in late 2028 as part of the Moon Base Program. Astrobotic, Firefly Aerospace, and Intuitive Machines will deliver the missions.
What’s jimbu? The herb that bolsters an iconic Nepali dish could also help save snow leopards
Jimbu, a Himalayan herb used in Nepali dal bhat dishes, is being cultivated as an alternative livelihood for communities in snow leopard habitats. This sustainable harvesting practice helps protect endangered snow leopards by reducing pressure on their mountain ecosystems.
One of the most distant 'leaky' galaxies ever found may reveal how the universe reionized
Astronomers identified a distant galaxy candidate that leaks ionizing radiation, the type believed to have transformed the early universe during reionization. The galaxy's leaked radiation may help explain how the epoch of reionization occurred in the early cosmos.
World Cup research reveals strategy to give teams a penalty-shootout edge
A new study questions the conventional belief that penalty shootout teams kicking first have a significant advantage. Research analyzing World Cup penalty shootouts reveals the outcome depends on strategic factors beyond simply going first.
How cricket mothers control the developmental timing of their offspring
Cricket mothers regulate offspring development timing through diapause, a dormancy state that allows eggs to survive harsh seasons. This reproductive strategy enables temperate insects to delay development until environmental conditions become suitable for survival.
How embryonic cells 'read' their boundaries to organize themselves
Mammalian embryonic cells detect their boundaries and position within the cluster to self-organize into defined structures during development. Cells use this spatial information to determine their orientation and establish where the fluid-filled cavity will form, a critical step in early embryonic organization.
Tiny new marsupial species, not seen in two decades, confirmed from museum specimens
A new marsupial species weighing just a couple of grams has been confirmed from museum specimens in Australia's Northern Territory and named the Arnhem Plateau planigale. The tiny rock-dwelling carnivore, which is among the world's smallest marsupials, was identified from specimens not observed in the wild for two decades.