JWST Sees Hints of an Atmosphere on a Potentially Habitable Exoplanet
Hints of Atmosphere on Earth-Sized Exoplanet Raise Hopes for Life A monumental sign of an atmosphere on TRAPPIST-1e could be the precursor to finally finding a living world around another star By Jonathan O’Callaghan edited by Lee Billings This artist’s concept shows the volatile red dwarf star TRAPPIST-1 and its four most closely orbiting planets, […]
How to See Faster-Than-Light Motion
The UniverseFridays How to See Faster-Than-Light Motion Superluminal velocities are common but illusory By Phil Plait edited by Clara Moskowitz The light echo around the star V838 Monocerotis as seen by the Hubble Space Telescope in November 2005. Stay connected to The Universe: Get email alerts for this weekly column by Phil Plait When I […]
How Many Planets Orbit Our Nearest Neighboring Star?
New Instrument Checks on Proxima Centauri’s Planets Fresh results from near-infrared instruments foretell a bright future for finding life elsewhere in the Milky Way By Ivan Farkas edited by Lee Billings An artist’s impression of the Proxima Centauri system, with the planets Proxima b and Proxima d—the latter confirmed by the NIRPS planet-hunting instrument. Some […]
Starship’s 10th flight breaks streak of bad luck
Nell Greenfieldboyce SpaceX’s massive Starship rocket racked up some much-needed successes on its 10th test flight, hitting key test objectives and breaking a streak of failures that bedeviled the spaceship this year. The silver and black two-stage rocket, which stands about 400 feet tall, blasted off from the SpaceX facility in south Texas near Boca […]
SpaceX Successfully Launches Starship Spacecraft After String of Mishaps
SpaceX Successfully Launches Starship Spacecraft after String of Mishaps Overcoming three recent failed tries, Elon Musk’s rocket company successfully flew its reusable jumbo booster and upper-stage Starship spacecraft By Dan Vergano edited by Clara Moskowitz An earlier SpaceX Starship and Super Heavy booster are moved to the launch pad at Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas. […]
Weather tracker: Fierce thunderstorms and big hailstones hit parts of Europe
France particularly badly hit, while rainfall across southern China triggers landslides and widespread disruption This week, large parts of Europe have been affected by a series of intense thunderstorms, bringing torrential rain, damaging winds and large hail. Central France was particularly badly affected by the severe weather, as powerful storm systems swept south-westward across the…
Nurses to vote on pay deal as potential strike looms
Almost 350,000 nursing staff in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be asked to vote from Monday on a 3.6% pay increase. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has already dismissed the award as “grotesque” and says the vote will be crucial in determining the next steps which could include a ballot for strike action.…
Troops arrive in LA as Trump sends National Guard to curb immigration raid protests
By Joe Hernandez , Steve Futterman Members of the California National Guard arrived in the Los Angeles area Sunday morning, after President Trump activated the troops to curb protests against federal immigration raids that occured in and around the city in recent days. Some of the demonstrations, which came in response to a spate of…
Why Tom Felton Thought Draco Malfoy Role in Cursed Child Was a Prank
Harry Potter alum revealed at the 2025 Tony Awards that he thought the offer to bring Draco Malfoy to life once again for the Broadway show the Harry Potter and The Cursed Child was a prank. Tom Felton was raising an eyebrow with his wand for this role. After the Harry Potter alum announced that…
Nuclear Weapon Strike Decisions Could Come Down to Human Suggestibility
In Deciding to Launch a Nuclear Strike, Humans Are Shockingly Suggestible Surveys show that how nuclear strike options are presented strongly influences the decision a president may make By Sarah Scoles edited by Clara Moskowitz Thermonuclear Detonation 1967 Pacific Proving Grounds. No one has launched a nuclear weapon in war since 1945, when U.S. president…
‘Bee Speaker’ by Adrian Tchaikovsky: A Book Review
Another month, another book by Adrian Tchaikovsky. This time, returning to his irregular but excellent Dogs of War series. Each book nominally stands on its own. Indeed, I read book 2, Bear Head, before reading book 1, Dogs of War, with little detriment. Having said that, to fully understand the world Tchaikovsky has created, I…
Israel says Hamas Gaza chief Sinwar’s body identified
The Israeli military has said it has located and identified the body of Mohammed Sinwar, the military leader of Palestinian armed group Hamas in Gaza. His body was discovered in a tunnel underneath the European Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Sunday. It said it had…
Frequent TikTok users in Taiwan more likely to agree with pro-China narratives, study finds
Survey shows correlation between use of Chinese-owned platform and approval of unification with China Taiwanese people who spend large amounts of time on TikTok are more likely to agree with some pro-China narratives, a survey has suggested. The study, conducted by the Taiwan-based DoubleThink Lab, surveyed people across Taiwan in March, asking a series of…
10 Things Parents Should Know About Setting Up the Nintendo Switch 2
Nintendo’s launch of the Switch 2 has been a real ride, due, at least in part, to these unprecedented times in which we live. (Oh, dear reader, how I long to return to precedented times!) There was a trade war and related shipping concerns. There was a rush for pre-orders… and then a number of…
Palestinians say at least five people killed by Israeli gunfire near Gaza aid centers
By The Associated Press DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Palestinian health officials and witnesses say at least five people were killed and others were wounded by Israeli fire as they headed toward two aid distribution points in the Gaza Strip run by an Israeli and U.S.-backed group. Israel’s military said it fired warning shots at…
What Will Happen to Opioid and Drug Overdose Deaths after CDC Cuts?
Inside the Collapse of America’s Overdose Prevention Program Layoffs and funding freezes have gutted the CDC’s response to the opioid crisis—just as harm reduction was beginning to work By Lois Parshley edited by Lauren J. Young A worker checks on a patient at an overdose prevention center in New York City on February 8, 2022.…
Why Teen Mom’s Jenelle Evans Wants to Normalize Cannabis Use for Moms
Teen Mom alum Jenelle Evans is ready to blaze her own trail in the cannabis industry. The mom of three explained to E! News why she wants to “normalize” the practice for her fellow mothers. When it comes to her next career move, Jenelle Evans is feeling pretty fired up. “I’m looking to start a…
Gaza health workers say four killed by Israeli gunfire near aid centre
At least four Palestinians have been killed by Israeli gunfire as they were heading to an aid distribution centre, health workers in Gaza have said. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said troops had directed warning shots after issuing a verbal challenge at a group that was moving towards them and was deemed a threat. It…
Jailed Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong hit with new charges
Wong accused of conspiracy in move rights groups condemn as ‘outrageous’ attempt to keep influential dissident imprisoned Jailed pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong has been hit with further national security charges, a move rights groups said showed the Hong Kong government was trying to keep dissidents behind bars for as long as possible. Wong, a well-known…
‘Choose Your Own Evolution:’ A Book Review
Now and then, a book comes along based on a premise so simple, yet so obviously genius, you can only wonder why you’ve never seen it before. So it is with Choose Your Own Evolution. Written by Jules Howard and illustrated by Gordy Wright, this book takes you from being a Dickinsonia, 570 million years…
How Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris Became the Perfect Teammates
Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris are a winning team. Learn more about the love story between the One Tree Hill actress and the soccer star. As a former goalie, Ashlyn Harris was a pro at protecting the net. But over the past few years, she’s been focused on protecting something else—her peace. Yes, even amid all…
Recovery Failure: Why we struggle to rebuild for the next storm
Laura Sullivan This is the first of two episodes from NPR’s The Sunday Story from Up First. You can listen to both episodes here or wherever you listen to podcasts. Loading… When Shalana Jordan finally arrived at her parents’ trailer home in Swannanoa, N.C., alongside the river, she paused and let out a long sigh. The building was…
Shot Colombian presidential candidate has had successful surgery, mayor says
Miguel Uribe said to have entered ‘critical hours’ after attack allegedly by 15-year-old who is in custody The Colombian presidential candidate who was shot in Bogotá has successfully undergone a first operation after being flown to hospital in critical condition, the city’s mayor has said. Miguel Uribe, a 39-year-old senator who has been running for…
Mathematicians Solve Multidimensional Shape-Slicing Dilemma
Mathematicians Solve Multidimensional Fruit-Slicing Dilemma A 40-year-old conjecture on shapes’ cross sections is finally proven By Max Springer edited by Sarah Lewin Frasier Join Our Community of Science Lovers! In 1986 Belgian mathematician Jean Bourgain posed a seemingly simple question that continued to puzzle researchers for decades. No matter how you deform a convex shape—consider…
Bowen: Israel is accused of the gravest war crimes – how governments respond could haunt them for years
Even wars have rules. They don’t stop soldiers killing each other but they’re intended to make sure that civilians caught up in the fighting are treated humanely and protected from as much danger as possible. The rules apply equally to all sides. If one side has suffered a brutal surprise attack that killed hundreds of…
Salmonella outbreak linked to California egg distributor sickens 79 people
Clare Marie Schneider As of Friday, a salmonella outbreak linked to a California egg producer had sickened at least 79 people. Of the infected people, 21 hospitalizations were reported, U.S. health officials said. Organic and cage-free brown eggs from August Egg Company with specific sell-by dates distributed across nine states and retail locations should be…
Father’s Day Gift Guide 2025
Price: $69.95 Amazon Perfect for the prequel-loving dads, his 616-piece LEGO set brings Jango Fett’s iconic Mandalorian helmet to life in amazing detail. From the color-scheme to the adjustable range finder, it’s a stylish display piece that’s as fun to build as it is to show off. Whether he’s Team Fett or just a sucker…
The National Weather Service Is Understaffed and Underfunded. Here’s Why That Matters.
Summer Brings Hurricanes, Tornadoes and Extreme Heat—And an Underresourced National Weather Service What happens when the U.S.’s most trusted source of extreme weather alerts can’t staff the night shift? By Rachel Feltman, Andrea Thompson & Fonda Mwangi Rachel Feltman: For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m Rachel Feltman. About 317 billion times per year members of…
Trump orders National Guard into LA after immigration raid protests
US President Donald Trump is deploying 2,000 National Guardsmen in Los Angeles to deal with unrest over raids on undocumented migrants. His border czar, Tom Homan, told Fox News on Saturday: “We are making Los Angeles safer.” The Californian city saw a second day of unrest on Saturday as residents of a predominantly Latino district…
Jared Leto Denies Sexual Misconduct Accusations
Jared Leto’s rep denied allegations of sexual conduct several women have made against the Oscar winner, including a few who said they were underage when they met him. Jared Leto has been accused of sexual misconduct by several women online. The Oscar winner denies any wrongdoing in response to the allegations, detailed in Air Mail…
Scott Morrison sought advice to obstruct Nauru asylum seekers from accessing abortions, documents reveal
Advocate claims Abbott government was concerned asylum seekers and refugees were using medical transfers as a back door to get into Australia Australia news live: latest politics updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Scott Morrison overrode medical advice in the case of an asylum seeker in offshore detention trying…
Coco Gauff wins the French Open to claim her 2nd Grand Slam title
Becky Sullivan Coco Gauff, the 21-year-old American tennis star, has defeated Aryna Sabalenka in the French Open women’s singles final to claim the second Grand Slam title of her young career. Saturday’s final between Sabalenka and Gauff, who are respectively ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the world, was the first Grand Slam women’s…
Chris Pratt Is Unrecognizable as He Shares Shocking Transformation
Chris Pratt debuted a shocking new look on social media. Find out more about the Guardians of the Galaxy star’s hair transformation and the reason behind it. Chris Pratt‘s got himself in a hairy situation. The Guardians of the Galaxy star is unrecognizable after undergoing a shocking transformation. The 45-year-old revealed his new, bearded look on social…
‘I had 30 Lamborghinis’: Pablo Escobar’s top cocaine pilot gives first interview
A man who eventually became Pablo Escobar’s go-to cocaine pilot has revealed that he first turned down an employment offer from the notorious Colombian drug lord because he was content with the $4m a month he was earning while flying for a competitor. But, in a new podcast containing what is believed to be his…
Trump’s Cuts Threaten NASA Plans for Astronauts on Mars
Can Trump’s NASA Afford to Send Humans to Mars? The White House’s budget plan for NASA would be woefully inadequate for achieving near-term human voyages to Mars, experts say By Alexandra Witze & Nature magazine If humans set foot on Mars (as shown in this artist’s rendering), they will contend with a harsh environment. US…
Zia Yusuf returning to Reform UK two days after quitting
Zia Yusuf, who resigned as Reform UK chairman on Thursday, is to return to work for the party in a new role. Yusuf will lead what the party calls its “Doge team” – which is modelled on the Department of Government Efficiency set up by US President Donald Trump. Earlier this week, Yusuf quit the…
Kenya tells tea factories to cut ties with Rainforest Alliance due to costs
Government says ethical certification is adding financial strain on smallholders rather than being paid by customers The Kenyan government has told its tea factories to stop working with the Rainforest Alliance because it says the costs involved in securing the ethical label don’t add up for farmers. The non-profit organisation is one of the world’s…
Spending Review: Massive cheques from the chancellor for some – but what do totals hide?
The next few days are vital – “one of the last moments to weave it all together – to look politically credible to the people Labour has lost”, one senior figure reckons. There have been huge fights inside government about the looming Spending Review. As I write, the home secretary and deputy prime minister are…
Forest Preservation, Tree Planting Could Actually Worsen Climate Change
Tree Planting Efforts Could Actually Worsen Climate Change With wildfires turning forests into “massive carbon emitters,” planting trees in some places could inadvertently increase carbon emissions, a new report says By Anne C. Mulkern & E&E News Ross Moore Lake wildfire in British Columbia, Canada on July 28, 2023. CLIMATEWIRE | Carbon markets that fund…
This Treasure Map Leads to the Cast of The Goonies Then & Now
We’re checking in on the stars of one of the all-time classic summer movies, because Goonies never say die! Hey, you guyyyyys! We’re happy to report that The Goonies remains just as heartwarming and enjoyable more than three decades after the Steven Spielberg-produced, Richard Donner-directed film about a ragtag group of kids who set off to…
Israel says it has retrieved the body of a Thai hostage in Gaza
By The Associated Press TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel said Saturday it had retrieved the body of a Thai hostage abducted into Gaza during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that sparked the war, as it continued its military offensive, killing at least 95 people in the past 24 hours, according to Gaza’s health ministry. The…
‘The US was our El Dorado’: Africans on Trump’s travel bans and taxes
Already affected by US aid cuts, many Africans now face limits on travel to US and looming remittance tax When Essi Farida Geraldo, a Lomé-based architect, heard about partial restrictions on travel to the US from Togo as part of the travel bans announced by Donald Trump on Thursday, she lamented losing access to what…
Inside the Secret Meeting Where Mathematicians Struggled to Outsmart AI
At Secret Math Meeting, Researchers Struggle to Outsmart AI The world’s leading mathematicians were stunned by how adept artificial intelligence is at doing their jobs By Lyndie Chiou edited by Clara Moskowitz On a weekend in mid-May, a clandestine mathematical conclave convened. Thirty of the world’s most renowned mathematicians traveled to Berkeley, Calif., with some…
Government struggles to cut foreign aid spent on asylum hotels
The government is struggling to cut the amount of foreign aid it spends on hotel bills for asylum seekers in the UK, the BBC has learnt. New figures released quietly by ministers in recent days show the Home Office plans to spend £2.2bn of overseas development assistance (ODA) this financial year – that is only…
The Trump-Musk Fight Could Have Huge Consequences for U.S. Space Programs
The Trump-Musk Fight Could Have Huge Consequences for U.S. Space Programs A vitriolic war of words between President Donald Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk could have profound repercussions for the nation’s civil and military space programs By Lee Billings edited by Dean Visser Elon Musk (left) and President Donald Trump (right) seemed to be…
Catholics now make up little more than half Brazil’s population
Census finds just 56.7% in world’s biggest Catholic country follow Roman church as evangelical numbers rise Home to the world’s largest Catholic population, Brazil has once again witnessed a decline in the faith’s following, according to new figures released by the country’s national statistics institute (IBGE). Thirty years ago, Catholics made up 82.9% of Brazil’s…
US brings man wrongly deported to El Salvador back to face charges
Kilmar Ábrego García, a 29-year-old from El Salvador mistakenly deported in March, has been returned to the US to face prosecution on two federal criminal charges. He has been accused of participating in a trafficking conspiracy over several years to move undocumented migrants from Texas to other parts of the country. El Salvador agreed to…
Suki Waterhouse Shares Thirst Traps Before Robert Pattinson Romance
Suki Waterhouse—who shares a baby girl with Robert Pattinson—unveiled topless photos she found on her old iPhones that were taken “between 2015 to 2017.” Suki Waterhouse is revisiting her old thirst traps. The Daisy Jones & the Six star took a walk down memory lane on June 6, sharing a series of scantily-clad selfies she…
Spanish Flamenco thrives in New Mexico, with its own unique flavor
By John Burnett A lot of folks know New Mexico for green chiles, the largest hot air balloon festival in the world, and the birthplace of the bomb. But it’s also a global center of flamenco—the passionate dance, song and music of the Roma people of southern Spain. The epicenter is Albuquerque. New Mexico’s largest…
Why Reform was the other big winner in the Hamilton by-election
The Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election is a surprise win for Labour – giving the party a much-needed boost with less than a year until a full Scottish Parliament vote. But the other big winner was Reform UK who finished third behind the SNP. They recorded their best ever parliamentary election result in Scotland –…
Canada’s PM faces backlash for inviting India’s Narendra Modi for G7 summit
Mark Carney declined to answer if he believed Indian PM had a role in murder of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar Canada’s prime minister, Mark Carney, has defended his decision to invite India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, to the upcoming G7 summit in Alberta, despite the conclusion of Canada’s federal police’s that the murder of…
Resilience, a Private Japanese Spacecraft, Crash-Landed on the Moon
A Japanese Spacecraft Has Crash-Landed on the Moon—Again Investigations by the Japanese company ispace identified issues with speed and an altitude sensor that likely doomed the lander By Rachel Fieldhouse & Nature magazine A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket transported the M2 lunar lander into space. Join Our Community of Science Lovers! A Japanese spacecraft has…
Kristin Cavallari Shuts Down Botox Rumors With Makeup-Free Photo
Kristin Cavallari shared a photo of herself without makeup as proof that she doesn’t get Botox: “You can see every line and pore in this picture.” Kristin Cavallari is leaving nothing unwritten. Addressing rumors that she got Botox to combat wrinkles on her face, the Hills alum shared a close-up photo of herself with “zero…
Supreme Court grants DOGE access to confidential Social Security records
By Nina Totenberg , Anuli Ononye The Supreme Court, on Friday, for now gave the DOGE team launched by Elon Musk unfettered access to information collected by the Social Security Administration, data that includes Social Security numbers, medical and mental health records, and family court information. In an unsigned order, the court, acting at the…
Group stranded with Ice in Djibouti shipping container after removal from US
Deportees and officers are ‘ill’ and face risks after flight to South Sudan was stopped by US court in late May A group of men removed from the US to Djibouti, in east Africa, are stranded in a converted shipping container together with the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) officers sent to supervise them…
Teen Mom’s Jenelle Evans Reveals How Her 3 Kids Reacted to Her Divorce
More than a year after her breakup from David Eason, Teen Mom‘s Jenelle Evans is ready to sign divorce docs. As for her kids Jace, Kaiser and Ensley? Here’s how they feel about her finally moving on. Spring is here, the sky is blue, whoa. Birds all sing as if they knew. Today’s the day…
South Korean maestro Chung will be the first Asian to head Italy’s famed La Scala
Anthony Kuhn BUSAN, South Korea — South Korea’s K-pop artists are on such a roll across the globe that it can be easy to forget their classical music forebearers were rocking the world’s concert halls well before they were born. And they’re still at it. One of the notable recent milestones of “K-classics,” as South…
Labour wins Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election
Scottish Labour has taken Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse from the SNP in a closely fought by-election. The party’s Davy Russell won with 8,559 votes, with a majority of 602 over the SNP. The vote followed the death of SNP MSP Christina McKelvie, who had represented the constituency since 2011. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said…
What Is the Analemma?
The UniverseFridays This Is Why the Sun Makes a Figure Eight in the Sky A curious celestial phenomenon known as the analemma is a reflection of Earth’s orbit and tilted axis By Phil Plait edited by Lee Billings An illustration of the analemma—a figure-eight pattern formed by plotting the sun’s position at the same time…
Mikayla Nogueira Addresses Pregnancy & Divorce Rumors
TikToker Mikayla Nogueira cleared up online rumblings that she might be pregnant, saying she is “not ready” to have a baby with husband Cody Hawken yet. Being a mom isn’t on Mikayla Nogueira’s For You Page just yet. The TikTok influencer addressed fans who were speculating that she and husband Cody Hawken may be becoming…
A good result for Labour – but the party squeaked through on a thin margin
Let’s start with the basics – victory in the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election is a good result for Scottish Labour. Their position in the polls has slipped considerably since last year’s general election and they’ve often found themselves on the defensive when it comes to controversial UK Labour policies, such as cuts to winter…
Canada: premature baby with measles dies amid outbreak in Ontario
Infant had ‘contracted the virus before birth from their mother’, while the country has recorded 2,755 measles cases A Canadian infant who was born prematurely and had measles has died, officials said on Thursday without confirming a cause of death, raising heightened concern about the virus’s resurgence. Canada has recorded 2,755 measles cases – including…
Trump says it may be better to let Ukraine, Russia ‘fight for a while’
By The Associated Press WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Thursday that it might be better to let Ukraine and Russia “fight for a while” before pulling them apart and pursuing peace, even as Germany’s new chancellor appealed to him as the “key person in the world” who could halt the bloodshed by pressuring Vladimir…
Idris Elba: ‘I want to build the African Odeon’
Speaking at an SXSW London event, the actor outlined his desire to ignite the cinema experience for a new generation across the continent Idris Elba has spoken of his ambition to create the “African Odeon” – a chain of cinemas to ignite the cinemagoing experience across the continent. Elba was speaking at an event at…
Young offenders are often denied credit for “dead time” behind bars
By Caitlin Thompson The first time L.J. was sent to the juvenile detention center outside of Philadelphia, he’d been caught hanging out with friends in an abandoned building. After that, he went in and out of custody for minor offenses throughout his teenage years. Detention was a challenging place to grow up. “It’s like a…