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. […]
More students head back to class without one crucial thing: their phones
Sequoia Carrillo As students across the country head back to class, one thing won’t be coming with many of them: their cell phones. This year more states than ever are banning students’ devices during school hours. In Texas, every public and charter school student will be without their phones during the school day this fall.…
More parents to get childcare funding as nurseries struggle with demand
The final phase of the largest-ever expansion of publicly funded childcare support has begun in England, as thousands of working parents receive more help with their nursery costs. Those eligible are now able to access 30 hours of childcare per week during term-time, paid for by the government, for their children aged nine months to…
Snoop Dogg Slams LGBTQ+ Representation in Kids Movies
Snoop Dogg admitted that he’s “scared to go to the movies” after seeing a same-sex couple represented onscreen while taking his grandson to see Disney’s Lightyear: “I didn’t come here for this s–t.” Snoop Dogg’s latest comments are raising eyebrows. After taking one of his seven grandchildren to see Disney’s Lightyear, the “Gin and Juice”…
Xi Jinping criticises ‘bullying behaviour’ and Putin blames west for Ukraine war at Shanghai summit
China’s leader urges attendees to oppose ‘cold war mentality’ while Russian president claims Ukraine war was ‘provoked by the west’ Xi Jinping has criticised the “bullying behaviour” of other countries while Vladimir Putin has blamed the west for his war on Ukraine, on the second day of a major summit in China which seeks to…
Guatemala says it suggested that U.S. send its unaccompanied migrant children home
Chiara Eisner After planes with Guatemalan children were loaded in the U.S., then prevented from taking off by a federal judge’s decision to temporarily halt the children’s removal, the Guatemalan government said on Aug. 31 that it was responsible for recently proposing to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that the unaccompanied Guatemalan minors…
Taylor Swift Celebrates Brittany Mahomes’ 30th Birthday in Nashville
Taylor Swift was seen celebrating Brittany Mahomes’ 30th birthday at a restaurant in Nashville, just days after she announced her engagement to Travis Kelce. Taylor Swift is celebrating another year of friendship with Brittany Mahomes. Days after she announced her engagement to Travis Kelce, the pop superstar was seen celebrating Brittany’s 30th birthday while sitting outside…
5 Books Scientific American Recommends for August
Turn the Page on Summer: August’s Essential Book Picks Check out this collection of nonfiction and fiction books recommended by Scientific American By Brianne Kane edited by Andrea Gawrylewski The dog days of summer have been nipping at our heels this August: the humidity has been oppressive, the vacations not quite long enough, and the…
Indonesia protests: president scraps lawmakers’ perks in bid to calm tensions
Police set up checkpoints across Jakarta on Monday after deadly protests that have forced Prabowo Subianto to remove perks include a housing allowance worth 10 times the minimum wage Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto has pledged to revoke lawmakers’ perks and privileges, including a controversial $3,000 housing allowance, in a bid to ease public fury after…
Family reunion rules to be tightened in asylum cases
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is to announce details of a tightening of rules for migrants who have been granted asylum bringing their families to the UK. As MPs return to Westminster, Cooper will also set out reforms to the asylum appeals system. When a person is granted asylum in the UK, they can apply to…
Giant ‘Gullies’ in the Earth Threaten Cities in Africa amid Rapid Urbanization
Huge Cracks in the Earth Are Slicing through Cities, Swallowing Houses and Displacing Thousands of People Hundreds of thousands of people are at risk of losing homes, businesses—and lives—as giant “gullies” expand into cities across Africa By Miryam Naddaf & Nature magazine A view of a deep urban gully in Kamonia in the Democratic Republic…
Putin, Modi and Erdoğan among leaders in China for talks with Xi
Chinese president hosts bilateral meetings on sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin have met on the sidelines of a showpiece summit in China that seeks to challenge US-led, western-dominated blocs and is being attended by the leaders of more than two dozen nations. The Chinese and Russian leaders,…
Rudy Giuliani hospitalized with broken vertebrae after car accident, spokesperson says
By Chandelis Duster Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani has been hospitalized with a broken vertebrae after a car accident, his spokesperson said on Sunday. Giuliani, 81, was traveling on a highway in New Hampshire when his car was “struck from behind at high speed,” said Michael Ragusa, who is also his head of…
Rudy Giuliani Hospitalized After “High Speed” Car Accident
Former New York City mayor Rudy Guiliani was hospitalized after he was involved in a motor vehicle accident in New Hampshire, during which he was allegedly hit from behind on the highway. Rudy Guiliani is recovering from a terrifying car crash. The former New York City mayor was hospitalized after being involved in a motor…
Hamas spokesman Abu Obeida killed in Gaza, Israel says
Abu Obeida, the spokesman for Hamas’s armed wing, has been killed in an aerial attack in Gaza City, Israel has said. Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz congratulated the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Israel’s security agency, Shin Bet, for the “flawless execution” in a post on X. Hamas has not confirmed his death. The Palestinian…
AI Spots Hidden Signs of Consciousness in Comatose Patients before Doctors Do
AI Spots Hidden Signs of Consciousness in Comatose Patients before Doctors Do A machine-learning algorithm spotted signs of “covert consciousness” in coma patients—in some cases, days before doctors could do so By Andrew Chapman edited by Allison Parshall Join Our Community of Science Lovers! Imagine lying in a hospital bed, awake but unable to move…
UK secures £10bn deal to supply Norway with warships
The UK has secured a £10bn deal to supply the Norwegian navy with at least five new warships. The agreement to provide Type 26 frigates will be the UK’s “biggest ever warship export deal by value”, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said, while Norway said it would be its largest “defence capability investment” to date.…
Kaitlyn Bristowe Shares Stepdad Was Diagnosed With Stage 4 Cancer
The Bachelorette alum Kaitlyn Bristowe shared the heartbreaking news that her stepdad Rob has been diagnosed with an “incurable” stage 4 cancer. Kaitlyn Bristowe is asking for prayers. The Bachelorette alum shared the heartbreaking news that her stepdad Rob has been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. “About 8 months ago, I asked everyone to pray…
How 3 Hawaiian teen princes brought surfing to the mainland
Chloe Veltman The mouth of the San Lorenzo river in Santa Cruz, Calif., isn’t a great place to surf. Rocks, pollution and swift currents make it precarious almost year-round. But before the construction of a harbor in the mid-1960s altered the surroundings, the spot was a surfer’s paradise, with easy, consistent swells. “They looked very…
‘I’m holding his political wake’: the trumpeter waiting to mark Bolsonaro’s judgment day
Brazil’s ex-president is expected to be convicted over failed coup – and Fabiano Leitão, who has provoked him for years, is ready When Jair Bolsonaro was Brazil’s far-right president, the guerrilla trumpeter Fabiano Leitão would stalk him around the capital, Brasília, to taunt him with renditions of the anti-fascist anthem Bella Ciao. In March, when…
Tories pledge to get all oil and gas out of North Sea
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has said her party will remove all net zero requirements on oil and gas companies drilling in the North Sea if elected. Badenoch is to formally announce the plan to focus solely on “maximising extraction” and to get “all our oil and gas out of the North Sea” in a speech…
2025 Pokémon World Championships show how competitive the game still is
By Jamal Michel Twenty-five years ago, I drove my mother up the wall every Saturday to take me to the local Toys R’ Us in South Florida. At the time, the retailer hosted some of the first Pokémon Leagues in the U.S. — it was a place for neighborhood players and traders to convene and…
Fire kills three people in Indonesia after protesters torch council buildings
Cities in Indonesia rocked by protests after motorcycle taxi driver run over by police tactical vehicle Protesters have torched parliamentary buildings in three further Indonesian provinces, a day after at least three people were killed by a fire started by demonstrators at a council building in the city of Makassar. Protests erupted across Indonesia after…
EPA Fires 5 Employees Who Signed ‘Dissent’ Letter
EPA Fires ‘Dissent’ Statement Signers The EPA fired five agency employees who signed a June declaration decrying moves that contradict science and undermine public health, alongside four more served removal notices By Dan Vergano edited by Jeanna Bryner EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin Join Our Community of Science Lovers! The Environmental Protection Agency fired five agency…
First week ‘critical’ to avoid children missing school later, parents told
Pupils in England who missed school during the first week back in September 2024 were more likely to miss large parts during the rest of the year, figures suggest. More than half (57%) of pupils who were partially absent in week one became “persistently absent” – missing at least 10% of school, according to government…
Putin embarks on China visit with Ukraine war top of agenda
Analysts say Putin and Xi will aim to align positions during Russian leader’s unusually long stay Vladimir Putin will travel to China this weekend for what the Kremlin has called a “truly unprecedented” visit to his most important ally, which comes at a crunch moment in talks over Ukraine. During the trip, which is expected…
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…
See Justin Bieber and Hailey Bieber’s Romantic Basketball Date Night
Justin Bieber and Hailey Bieber, who share 12-month-old son Jack Blues Bieber, stepped out for a PDA-packed date night at The League x Blem basketball tournament in Los Angeles. Justin Bieber and Hailey Bieber are taking their romance courtside. Indeed, the couple stepped out for a PDA-packed outing at The League X Blem basketball tournament…
Opinion: It’s time to ‘move our feet’
Scott Simon The tragedy this week at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis marked the first school shooting of the new school year. It’s heartbreaking and outrageous to have to note that there will almost certainly be more. Education Week, which tracks shootings at K through 12 schools, says there were more than two dozen during…
Spirit Airlines files for bankruptcy for 2nd time in less than a year
By The Associated Press Budget carrier Spirit Airlines said Friday that it has filed for fresh bankruptcy protection months after emerging from a Chapter 11 reorganization. CEO Dave Davis said the airline’s previous Chapter 11 petition focused on reducing debt and raising capital, and since exiting that process in March, “it has become clear that…
Voting Integrity Messages Fight Misinformation in the Lab. But What about the Real World?
Voting Integrity Messages Fight Misinformation in the Lab. But What about the Real World? Telling people exactly how voting security works helps defeat election misinformation, experiments suggest. But outside experts question how well that works in the real world By Dan Vergano edited by Jeanna Bryner People cast their ballots on November 5, 2024 in…
Civil rights groups alarmed over Quebec’s move to ban prayer in public
Announcement follows statements from Quebec premier, who expressed frustration over public prayers in Montreal Quebec says it will ban prayer in public, a move that civil rights groups described as an “alarming measure” that targets religious minority groups and would infringe on “basic democratic freedoms”. The province’s secularism minister, Jean-François Roberge, said the move had…
Yemen’s Houthi rebels say prime minister was killed in Israeli strike
Yemen’s Houthi rebel movement has confirmed that its self-proclaimed Prime Minister Ahmed Ghaleb Nasser al-Rahawi was killed in an Israeli air strike earlier this week. The Iran-backed group said several other senior officials were killed when the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) targeted Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, on Thursday. The IDF said Rahawi and other senior Houthi…
Councils still planning asylum hotel legal action despite Epping ruling
Some councils say they are still pursuing legal action to stop asylum seekers from being housed in hotels in their areas, despite a Court of Appeal ruling. The court on Friday overturned a temporary injunction which would have prevented asylum seekers from being housed at The Bell Hotel in Epping, which was seen as a…
Neglecton Particles Could Be Key to More Stable Quantum Computers
A Forgotten Math Idea Could Supercharge Quantum Computers Scientists have revived an ignored area of math to envision a path toward stable quantum computing By Ananya Palivela edited by Clara Moskowitz & Lee Billings Aaron Lauda has been exploring an area of mathematics that most physicists have seen little use for, wondering if it might…
Kelly Stafford Gets Candid About Daughter’s Behavioral Issues
Kelly Stafford shared insight into her recent struggles navigating one of her and Matthew Stafford’s four daughters’ behavioral issues: “She has become a little girl I don’t recognize.” Kelly Stafford is sharing insight into her recent parenting struggles. The internet personality—who shares daughters Sawyer and Chandler, both 8, Hunter, 7, and Tyler, 5, with Los…
Houthi rebels say Israeli airstrike killed their prime minister in Yemen’s capital
By The Associated Press CAIRO — The Iranian-backed Houthis said Saturday an Israeli airstrike killed the prime minister of the rebel-controlled government in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa. Ahmed al-Rahawi was killed in a Thursday strike in Sanaa along with a number of ministers, the rebels said in a statement. The Israeli military said Thursday that…
Irish missionary and seven others freed weeks after kidnapping in Haiti
Gena Heraty was abducted at orphanage she ran along with seven Haitian colleagues including three-year-old child An Irish aid worker and seven fellow captives have been released nearly a month after they were kidnapped in Haiti. Gena Heraty, a missionary who ran the Our Little Brothers and Sisters orphanage in the hills outside Haiti’s capital,…
As drug deaths hit five-year low, Trump continues to cite fentanyl as major threat
Brian Mann Drug deaths in the U.S. have plunged dramatically and steadily since the summer of 2023, according to the latest preliminary data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Figures released this month by CDC show fatal overdoses falling to 77,648 in the 12-month period ending in March of this year. That’s…
Subliminal Learning Lets Student AI Models Learn Unexpected (and Sometimes Misaligned) Traits from Their Teachers
Student AIs Pick Up Unexpected Traits from Teachers through Subliminal Learning AI can transfer strange qualities through seemingly unrelated training—from a love of owls to something more dangerous By Emma R. Hasson edited by Sarah Lewin Frasier Join Our Community of Science Lovers! From a teacher’s body language, inflection, and other context clues, students often…
Court blocks Trump bid to end protections for 600,000 Venezuelans
Appellate panel upholds lower court’s ruling as homeland security spokesperson attacks ‘activist’ judges A federal appeals court on Friday blocked Donald Trump’s plans to end protections for 600,000 people from Venezuela who have permission to live and work in the US, saying that plaintiffs are likely to win their claim that the president’s administration’s actions…
Kevin Costner Is Dating Kelly Noonan After Christine Baumgartner Split
Eight months after Kevin Costner’s ex-wife Christine Baumgartner announced her engagement to Josh Conner, the Yellowstone alum is reportedly dating director Kelly Noonan Gores. Kevin Costner is getting back on the saddle. Over a year after he legally ended his 18-year marriage to Christine Baumgartner, the Yellowstone alum is casually dating director Kelly Noonan Gores,…
Sixty-nine people drown as migrant boat capsizes off coast of Mauritania
Coastguard reports boat carrying about 160 people capsized in sight of town 50 miles north of Nouakchott Sixty-nine people drowned when a vessel full of migrants overturned off the coast of Mauritania earlier this week, coastguard officials said on Friday. The accident occurred late on Tuesday after passengers on the boat spotted the lights of…
Most of President Trump’s tariffs are illegal, U.S. court rules
By Scott Horsley , Rafael Nam An appeals court ruled that most of President Trump’s tariffs are illegal — but held off on enforcing the decision until mid-October, given expectations that it will be appealed to the Supreme Court. The ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, in Washington, D.C., focused…
What 100 Years of Quantum Physics Has Taught Us about Reality—And Ourselves
Quantum Physics Is Bizarre. So Why Have We Loved It for 100 Years? A survey of Scientific American’s century of quantum coverage helps explain the enduring popularity of strange physics By Jacklin Kwan edited by Clara Moskowitz We’re celebrating 180 years of Scientific American. Explore our legacy of discovery and look ahead to the future.…
Police make three arrests during Epping protest
Three men were arrested during a protest outside The Bell Hotel in Epping on Friday, after the Court of Appeal overturned a temporary injunction that blocked asylum seekers from being housed there. Essex Police said the men were arrested on suspicion of different offences – one for violent disorder, one for assaulting a police officer,…
First Pig-to-Human Lung Transplant Marks Milestone in Xenotransplantation—But Surgeons Have Many More Questions
What Does the First Pig-to-Human Lung Transplant Mean for Xenotransplantation? Surgeons think the first transplantation of a pig lung in a human is an exciting step forward for the field, but many questions remain open By Humberto Basilio edited by Sarah Lewin Frasier Pig lungs, illustration. Scientists announced this week that they have managed to…
Witnesses describe terror and courage during the Minneapolis school shooting
Vanessa Romo MINNEAPOLIS — The students were running a little late for their first Mass of the school year at the Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis on Wednesday. “I checked my watch, it was supposed to start at 8:15. It was 8:18 and they were still filing in,” Cathrine Spandel told NPR on Thursday outside…
How Key Changes to the Pelvis Helped Humans Walk Upright
How Humans Became Upright: Key Changes to Our Pelvis Found Genetic and anatomical data reveal how the human pelvis acquired its unique shape, enabling our ancestors to walk on two legs By Katie Kavanagh & Nature magazine Humans have been walking on two legs for millions of years. All vertebrate species have a pelvis, but…
Ruling won’t feel like much of a victory at Home Office
The Court of Appeal ruling that will allow asylum seekers to stay at the Bell Hotel, in Epping, is a technical victory for the government. Let’s begin with the good news for ministers. They will be breathing a sigh of relief having feared that, had they lost this appeal, other local councils could bring legal…
Uncontacted Peruvian tribe on deadly collision course with loggers, group says
Survival International says Mashco Piro seen in nearby Amazon village in alarming sign group is under stress Members of an Indigenous tribe who live deep in Peru’s Amazon rainforest and avoid contact with outsiders have been reported entering a neighboring village in what activists consider an alarming sign that the group is under stress from…
Kim Kardashian Steps Out With Polarizing Ensemble for Party in Venice
Kim Kardashian stepped out in a head-turning outfit for Diane von Furstenberg’s annual DVF Awards in Venice, Italy. Kim Kardashian isn’t keeping up with fashion norms. While attending Diane von Furstenberg‘s 16th annual DVF Awards in Venice, Italy, on Aug. 28—where Kim was one of five honorees awarded for their commitment to improving the lives of…
Ministers didn’t do cost review of council mergers
The UK government did not do its own analysis of the cost of the biggest reorganisation of councils in England for decades, the BBC has learned. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said “a significant amount of money” could be saved by merging councils in 21 areas into single authorities. Rayner’s department, the ministry of local…
Contract breach or banditry? Inside the collapse of the Taliban’s oil deal with China
By Anthony Kuhn , Vincent Ni Turbaned Afghan officials and hard-hatted Chinese engineers gathered in Afghanistan’s Sar-e-Pul province in 2023, to mark the opening of Chinese-invested oil fields. The fields are located in the Amu Darya River basin, a major Central Asian watershed that includes glacier-capped mountains and vast, arid deserts. At a signing ceremony…
Teen Mom Status Check: See Which Couples Are Still Together
From 16 and Pregnant to 30-something and settled down. Check out which Teen Mom stars have found their forever person and who jokingly declared to E! News that she’s ready “to be that cat lady.” In the inaugural episode of 16 and Pregnant, viewers were introduced to Maci Bookout, a Tennessee-based softball player and cheerleader…
Type 1 Diabetes Patient’s Insulin Production Restored with New Cell Transplant Therapy
New Cell Transplant for Type 1 Diabetes Sidesteps Need for Immunosuppressants Scientists treated a person’s type 1 diabetes with genetically modified insulin-producing cells that evaded immune system attacks. This is the first therapy for the condition that does not require immunosuppressant drugs By Humberto Basilio edited by Lauren J. Young Insulin-producing cells can be genetically…
Brawl erupts in Mexico’s senate after debate over US military intervention to fight drug cartels
Alejandro ‘Alito’ Moreno and Gerardo Fernández Noroña grabbed and shouted at each other over the presence of foreign troops Mexico’s senate devolved into violence this week as two of the country’s top politicians shoved, grabbed and shouted at each other after a heated discussion over the presence of foreign troops. Alejandro “Alito” Moreno, head of…
20 Years After Hurricane Katrina, How Safe Is New Orleans From Another Catastrophic Flood?
Opinion Is New Orleans Safer Now Than When Hurricane Katrina Hit 20 Years Ago? Scientists and engineers have been implementing steps to better protect New Orleans, but recent government actions are undermining the work, raising alarm By Mark Fischetti Water surrounds homes in the devastated Ninth Ward in this aerial view of damage from Hurricane…
Children offered chickenpox vaccine on NHS
All young children in England and Wales will be offered a free chickenpox vaccine by the NHS from January 2026. It will be given as two doses, at 12 and 18 months of age, combined with the existing MMR jab which protects against measles, mumps and rubella. A catch up campaign is planned for slightly…
Josh Hall Calls Out Ex Christina Haack After Divorce Settlement
Josh Hall, who filed to end his marriage from Christina Haack in July 2024, reacted to a judge signing off on the divorce. Josh Hall is glad to be done with his divorce from Christina Haack. Over a year after the 44-year-old filed to end his two-year marriage with the Christina on the Coast star,…
Beach returned to First Nation after 170 years following Canada legal battle
Stretch of Lake Huron shore was promised to Saugeen people in 1854 treaty with crown but was wrongly omitted from map A stretch of beach will be returned to a First Nation in Canada 170 years after it was mistakenly omitted from its reserve. The sandy sliver of land measures less than two miles long,…