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'Food insecurity is no longer just about low-income countries': Environmental economist explains how climate change is pushing agricultural systems to the brink
As a U.N. report warns that extreme temperature swings are disrupting crops and endangering agricultural workers, we spoke with environmental economist Shouro Dasgupta about farming in an overheating world.
New AI method tackles one of science’s hardest math problems
Penn researchers have developed a smarter AI method for solving notoriously difficult inverse equations, which help scientists uncover hidden causes behind observable effects. By introducing “mollifier layers” that smooth noisy data, they’ve made these calculations more stable and far less computati
Webb space telescope reveals a scorching “super-Earth” that looks like Mercury
A scorching, airless world just 48 light-years away is offering scientists a rare glimpse into the geology of distant planets. Using the James Webb Space Telescope, researchers studied LHS 3844 b—a tidally locked “super-Earth” with a permanent dayside hot enough to melt metal—and discovered it’s a d
AI lets chemists design molecules by simply describing them
Creating complex molecules usually requires years of experience and countless decisions, but a new AI system is changing that. Synthegy lets chemists guide synthesis and reaction planning using simple language, while powerful algorithms generate and evaluate possible solutions. The AI doesn’t just c
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Both very low and very high heart rates may be linked to higher stroke risk, study says
Both unusually low and high resting heart rates may be linked to an increased stroke risk, though more research is needed to confirm a causal relationship.
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Mexico City is sinking up to 14 inches per year, satellite images show
Mexico City is one of the fastest subsiding cities in the world, dropping by up to 14 inches every year.
Scientists connect “time crystal” to real device in quantum breakthrough
A strange kind of matter that “ticks” forever without energy input has just taken a major leap toward real-world use. Known as a time crystal, this quantum system repeats its motion endlessly—like a clock that never winds down—and scientists have now managed to connect it to an external device for t
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Icy object beyond Pluto has an atmosphere that shouldn't exist, study suggests
Observations suggest there's a small, icy object with an atmosphere beyond Pluto, challenging assumptions about which bodies can sustain atmospheres.
Stanford’s new chip boosts light 100x with surprisingly low energy
Researchers at Stanford have developed a compact optical amplifier that dramatically boosts light signals using very little power. By recycling energy inside a looping resonator, the device achieves strong amplification with minimal noise and wide bandwidth. Its efficiency and small size mean it cou
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NASA just released 12,000 photos from Artemis 2. Here are our top picks
You could spend hours scrolling through the thousands of photos just released by NASA from the Artemis 2 moon mission.
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Watch SpaceX Starlink train circle Earth in amazing satellite video
A video captured by a newly launched SpaceX Starlink satellite shows us what it's like to zoom above our beautiful blue planet.
This tiny outer Solar System world has an atmosphere. It shouldn’t
Astronomers have spotted something surprising in the far outer Solar System—a faint, short-lived atmosphere clinging to a tiny icy world that shouldn’t be able to hold one at all. The object, called 2002 XV93, is far smaller than Pluto, yet observations during a rare stellar alignment revealed its p
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A tiny 'plutino' world beyond Neptune has grown a mysterious atmosphere, and we don't know how
A trans-Neptunian object was found to possess a surprising thin atmosphere after astronomers witnessed the object occult a distant star.
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Moon lander preps for the lunar surface | Space photo of the day for May 6, 2026
Blue Origin's MK1 moon lander has passed its tests in the vacuum chamber as NASA continues to develop the hardware needed to return astronauts to the moon.
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'SOL Shogunate' is a samurai space opera set on the moon, but with an aerospace engineer making sure it's 'getting the science right'
Chaos Manufacturing CEO Guy Costantini and aerospace engineer Taylore McClurg tell us about the process of creating a believable but striking lunar adventure.
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'I was not looking for this': Scientist accidentally finds shortcut to Mars that could slash travel time in half
A new study suggests early asteroid trajectory data could help design faster Mars missions, potentially cutting round-trip travel time to under a year.
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These 2 companies want to start removing space junk from orbit in 2027
Two private companies are partnering up to establish a repeatable debris removal service for low Earth orbit, and they want to debut it in 2027.
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Forget the AT-ST, at 20% off this Lego Star Wars AT-TE is the king of Star Wars walkers
Want a Star Wars vehicle that can't be taken down with a bit of string? Loaded with extras, this imposing Clone Wars-era Lego Star Wars AT-TE Walker set is $28 off.
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Former NASA chief Jim Bridenstine takes over as CEO of Quantum Space
Former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine is the new CEO of Quantum Space, a company developing maneuverable spacecraft for use by the U.S. military and commercial operators.
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NASA is making a powerful new ion engine to send astronauts to Mars — and it just passed its 1st test
A prototype ion engine that uses lithium metal vapor as a propellant has aced its first tests, achieving 25 times more power than the ion engine on the Psyche mission.