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.
Mars express captures dozens of dust devils in Mars valley
Mars Express spacecraft photographed dozens of dust devils in a Martian valley, with some reaching heights up to 8 kilometers and speeds of 45 meters per second. These whirlwinds form when solar-warmed air swirls upward in Mars's lower gravity and play a key role in distributing dust across the planet.
A nearby black hole as a window into the early universe
A galaxy 1.8 billion light-years away has shown exceptional radio brightness for over eight years due to increased matter falling into its central black hole, which is triggering a high-energy particle jet. The black hole exhibits properties typical of the early universe, allowing researchers to study jet formation and black hole growth.
How proteins are inserted into cell membranes
Bacteria insert proteins into cell membranes through processes more similar to those in higher cells than previously believed. Researchers from Heinrich Heine University and Ludwig Maximilian University identified these biochemical similarities by analyzing the complex mechanisms bacteria use for protein insertion.
AI must be built with Indigenous Knowledges, not against them
AI development risks extracting Indigenous Knowledges without consent, credit, or benefit to Indigenous communities, repeating historical patterns of technological exploitation. The concern emerges as Australia marks 50 years of NAIDOC Week celebrating the world's oldest living culture.
Plug-and-play single-photon source can work at room temperature
A compact single-photon source that operates at room temperature without cryogenic cooling has been developed by KRISS and built into a 19-inch rack-mounted device. The plug-and-play system generates quantum light immediately upon powering on.
Small-molecule switches put therapeutic CRISPR editing under on-demand control in living tissues
Researchers developed PRINCE and Little Prince, dual small-molecule-controlled systems that activate CRISPR genome editing with drug inducers while keeping it silent otherwise. The systems use small-molecule switches to control CRISPR activity in living tissues on demand.
A device that revives eyeballs from dead donors could make eye transplants possible
A device preserves dead donor eyes by maintaining their biological functions outside the body, potentially enabling successful whole-eye transplants. Previous transplant attempts failed because transplanted eyes couldn't see, but researchers developed this preservation technology to prevent eye degradation during the transplant process.
Rare fungi help restore Palmyra Atoll rainforests, new study finds. Here’s how
A fungal partnership enables Palmyra Atoll's native rainforest trees to absorb sufficient nutrients from poor soil, supporting the seabirds that nest in them and sustain nearby coral reefs. The study identified rare fungi forming symbiotic relationships with tree roots, allowing the ecosystem cycle dependent on thousands of nesting seabirds to function.
A strange LIGO signal could reveal the missing link behind dark matter
LIGO detected an unusual gravitational wave signal that could indicate the existence of primordial black holes, which have been purely theoretical. Confirming these objects would potentially explain what dark matter is composed of.
Scientists stunned as bumble bees solve a classic intelligence test
Bumble bees invented a novel method to access a hidden reward without prior training. The finding demonstrates that these insects possess unexpected problem-solving abilities and adaptability previously underestimated by researchers.
Airborne AI spots underwater munitions in shallow seas with high precision
An airborne imaging system using multispectral sensing and artificial intelligence can detect unexploded underwater munitions in shallow coastal waters with high confidence, even when partially obscured by sediment or debris. The technology combines advanced multispectral imaging with AI analysis to identify these weapons reliably.