NASA Selects University Teams to Help Advance Aviation Research
NASA selected four university teams to develop aviation technologies including high-supersonic propulsion systems and low-noise routes for small urban aircraft. The awards were made through the University Leadership Initiative, which enables student teams to work on flight research advancing NASA's aeronautics goals.
Knee osteoarthritis isn’t inevitable — here’s what you can do
Exercise and stronger leg muscles can reduce stress on knees and help manage osteoarthritis pain. A healthier diet and modest weight loss also dramatically decrease knee stress and slow disease progression.
Schizophrenia’s lost brain connections follow a surprising pattern
Schizophrenia involves widespread loss of synapses connecting brain cells, with the left hemisphere affected more severely than the right. The damage follows an organized pattern linked to brain chemistry and wiring, with a left frontal region possibly serving as the origin point.
Scientists say the human family tree may need a major rewrite
New fossils have blurred the traits once used to distinguish Australopithecus and Paranthropus from Homo, prompting researchers to propose reclassifying both genera into Homo. This reorganization would simplify the human family tree and provide a more accurate representation of human evolutionary history.
The next big thing in hydrogen could be underground
Underground hydrogen deposits could provide new fuel sources for trucks, planes, and steelmaking. Scientists are searching for natural hydrogen gas beneath the Earth's surface as a potential climate-friendly alternative since burning hydrogen produces only water.
The “Asian water tower” is losing 24 billion tonnes of groundwater every year
The Asian Water Tower loses approximately 24.2 billion tonnes of groundwater annually, with the steepest declines occurring in densely populated farming regions. Glacier melt may provide temporary relief around 2060, but depletion is expected to accelerate afterward without changes in water consumption practices.
Support networks aim to help kids through the polycrisis
Support networks are being developed to help children cope with multiple simultaneous crises including climate change, conflict, and economic hardship. These initiatives recognize that young people face interconnected global challenges that require coordinated community and institutional responses.
Scientists crushed diamond beyond Neptune-like pressures—and solved a 20-year mystery
Scientists subjected diamond to pressures exceeding those found in Neptune and Uranus, revealing its behavior at extreme conditions and resolving a twenty-year discrepancy between theoretical predictions and experimental observations. The findings may improve fusion energy production and enhance understanding of diamond precipitation occurring within ice giant planets.
A SpaceX rocket smashed into the Moon — NASA just revealed the crater
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stage impacted the Moon on August 5, creating a crater approximately 60 feet wide. NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter photographed bright and dark debris streaks radiating from the impact site and exposed fresh subsurface material.
This total solar eclipse looked strangely golden — here’s why
During Spain's total solar eclipse, the Sun's corona appeared golden instead of its typical pearly white because sunlight passed through additional atmosphere as the Sun set. Smoke from nearby wildfires filtered out blue light wavelengths, creating the unusual coloring alongside a bright pink solar prominence visible during totality.
Warming waters draw summer 'feeding frenzies' by whales off Greenland
Warming waters in the Greenland Sea are creating summer feeding opportunities for baleen whales as fish populations shift northward into previously ice-covered regions. Researchers documented these whales exploiting newly accessible food sources in areas extending to the Arctic Circle and beyond.
Levitating molten metal on ISS could refine ultra-strong metallic glass
Researchers will remotely study metallic-glass alloys using hot, levitating droplets aboard the International Space Station starting August 31 for one week. The experiments, conducted with the European Space Agency and German Aerospace Center, aim to investigate properties of these alloys in microgravity conditions.
AI-designed “intrabodies” could unlock new treatments for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and MND
Researchers engineered antibodies into smaller intracellular molecules that function inside human cells to combat disease. This approach may enable new treatments for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's disease, and motor neurone disease.
Racing to build a radio telescope on the moon
A radio telescope on the moon would avoid Earth's radio interference and ionospheric blocking that currently limit detection of extraterrestrial signals from the ground. The moon-based telescope could detect lower-frequency radio waves that the ionosphere blocks from Earth-based observation.
MIT physicists discover electrons rebuilding like ice inside a quantum material
MIT physicists discovered that two electronic phases in a quantum material emerge through different mechanisms: one smoothly and one in expanding pockets resembling ice crystal growth. This finding reveals how exotic properties like superconductivity and magnetism can develop and coexist within the same material.
Researchers reveal deeper workings of brain’s information hub
The frontoparietal cortex reorganizes how it communicates with other brain regions in real time based on what information is needed for decision-making. Rather than simply increasing activity during difficult tasks, this network constantly shifts its connections depending on changing situations and uncertainty.
Coffee drinkers have less fat, more muscle, and surprising hormone differences
Regular coffee consumption was associated with less total and abdominal fat along with greater muscle mass, even among people with similar BMIs. Higher coffee intake correlated with lower levels of amino acids linked to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes risk.
Tiny quantum engines reveal useful energy hiding in “waste heat”
Researchers developed a theoretical framework showing how tiny quantum engines made from atoms and light particles can extract useful work from waste heat. The framework reconciles quantum physics with thermodynamics at microscopic scales where these light engines operate.
Pollen has a surprising problem — and honeybees have found a way around it
Honeybees detect nutrient imbalances in pollen and adjust their consumption to avoid harmful excesses. They transform pollen into nutritionally balanced food for larvae, demonstrating sophisticated management of essential nutrients inside the hive.
16 mummies and a dog reveal a hidden order inside an ancient Egyptian tomb
Sixteen mummified people, at least four additional remains, and a mummified dog were discovered in an Egyptian tomb showing burial practices spanning hundreds of years. The tomb contained wealthy individuals in coffins with amulets and imported goods alongside later bodies carefully stacked in increasingly crowded spaces.
Japanese scientists use tiny silver particles to make DNA assembly up to 5x more efficient
Silver nanoparticles precisely slice DNA and create longer sticky ends, enabling genetic fragments to join up to five times more efficiently than conventional methods. This technique could simplify construction of large DNA sequences for gene therapies, cancer vaccines, engineered drugs, and advanced crops.
Laser stability method advances precision control of electrons with light
Researchers developed a laser stability method that enables precise control of electric fields in light to manipulate individual electron dynamics. The Attosecond Microscopy research group at the University of Oldenburg's Institute of Physics, led by Dr. Jan Vogelsang, advanced this technique for controlling electrons at extremely small timescales.
Topography controls how mountains respond to large earthquakes
Large earthquakes trigger thousands of landslides that reshape mountain landscapes and accelerate erosion rates. Mountain regions show varying erosion responses to earthquakes depending on topography, with some areas experiencing intense long-lasting effects while others show limited responses.
Some bacteria build internal 'power cables' to extend respiration beyond the cell membrane
Some bacteria construct internal protein filaments that extend their respiration machinery beyond the cell membrane, allowing energy generation in multiple cellular locations. This discovery challenges the previous assumption that a cell's energy capacity depends solely on membrane surface area.
Krypton gas emerges as a new ingredient for quantum computing
Krypton gas enables deposition of tantalum at temperatures below 400°C, making it compatible with existing semiconductor foundry equipment. This process uses krypton instead of conventional deposition methods that require higher temperatures unsuitable for current manufacturing tools.
NASA’s LRO Images Falcon 9 Crater on Moon, Learns New Details
A SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage created a new crater on the Moon after impacting the surface on August 5, following its January 2025 launch. NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter captured images of the crater between August 11 and 12.
The Download: how people really use AI, and Flock’s design choices
AI companies publish usage reports for their products but release only partial data about how people actually use them. The gap between public metrics and real usage patterns remains largely unknown despite regular disclosures from providers like Anthropic and OpenAI.
Scientists may have finally proved that “empty” space isn’t really empty
A magnetar's magnetic field may have revealed vacuum birefringence, a quantum effect predicted by Werner Heisenberg nearly 90 years ago where empty space alters light behavior. If confirmed, this discovery would provide the first direct evidence of this phenomenon and demonstrate that the quantum vacuum affects light propagation.
Einstein’s biggest “mistake” came back — and changed cosmology forever
The cosmological constant that Einstein abandoned is now central to modern cosmology after astronomers discovered the universe's expansion accelerates. This model explains observations effectively but may ultimately prove incorrect.
A therapy that “rewrites” childhood memories can ease fear of failure
Imagery-based therapy allowing people to revisit and mentally modify painful childhood memories reduced fear of failure and associated emotions in young adults. The therapeutic approach produced lasting improvements in fear, guilt, sadness, and stress levels among study participants.