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. […]
Israeli strikes kill 22, including 5 journalists, in a Gaza hospital
By Anas Baba , Aya Batrawy , Willem Marx Editor’s note: This story contains a graphic image. KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — Israeli forces killed 22 people, including five journalists, in two consecutive strikes on Gaza’s largest functioning hospital, drawing global condemnation and prompting a rare admission of regret by the Israeli government. The death…
180 Years of Scientific American Means 180-Degree Turns in Science—Here Are Some of the Wildest Ones
Scientific American Celebrates 180 Years with Stories of Scientific U-turns In honor of SciAm’s 180th birthday, we’re spotlighting the biggest “wait, what?” moments in science history. By Rachel Feltman, Jeffery DelViscio & Alex Sugiura Drawings of Mars showing its ‘canals’ and polar ice caps in drawings created from observations made at the Lowell Observatory in…
Drop Everything & Check out Rebecca Serle’s Once and Again Book Cover
Rebecca Serle’s latest novel Once and Again hits shelves March 10, 2026—and E! News can exclusively reveal the book’s cover and first chapter. Once and again, Rebecca Serle is bringing the magic to your TBR list. Nearly two years to the date after releasing Expiration Dates, the best-selling author is back with her last sweeping examination of life and love in Once and…
Hospitality hit by half of all UK job losses since Budget, industry leaders warn
Leaders in the hospitality industry have said that more than half of the UK’s job losses since the last budget have come from their sector. Job losses in restaurants, bars, pubs and hotels total around 89,000 since last October, according to UKHospitality analysis of Office for National Statistics data. The group said higher taxes announced…
The Way People Search the Internet Can Fuel Echo Chambers
How You Search the Internet Can Reinforce Your Beliefs—Without You Realizing It Users’ Internet search questions can strengthen echo chambers, even on factual topics, but there are simple ways to lessen the effect By Simon Makin edited by Sarah Lewin Frasier Join Our Community of Science Lovers! People’s views are becoming more and more polarized,…
Is Edinburgh’s Fringe still fringe, or has it — gasp — gone mainstream?
Lauren Frayer EDINBURGH, Scotland — For decades, devotees repeated rumors in hushed reverence about starving artists sleeping in bathtubs, out of dedication to the Fringe — one of the world’s biggest theater and comedy festivals. Now they deride and local residents for cashing in and renting out those mythical bathtubs. Fringe dates back to 1947,…
Dinner or a shower? Elderly people fear tough choices when Australia’s new aged care changes are rolled out
Advocates warn increased costs for basic assistance like showers and wound cleaning will push older people into aged care or hospital Margaret Duckett is scared for her friends. The 77-year-old pensioner is the recipient of a home care package – which allows her to get support with cleaning, gardening, transport, physiotherapy and podiatry – and…
How to Understand Hurricane Forecasts and the Cone of Uncertainty
How to Decode a Hurricane Forecast Hurricane forecasts feature a “cone of uncertainty,” but what is it actually showing? Scientific American breaks it down for you By Andrea Thompson If you’ve ever taken even a cursory glance at a hurricane forecast, you’ve seen some version of the “cone of uncertainty.” It sounds like some other-dimensional…
Crochet, isolation and the prison chaplain: Erin Patterson’s life behind bars detailed in court
Victorian supreme court also hears that mushroom lunch murderer spends 22 hours a day in cell and has had no contact with other inmates Full report: Mushroom lunch survivor forgives Erin Patterson as defence agrees triple murderer deserves life sentence Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Erin Patterson has become…
These Bring It On Secrets Are the Poo, So Take a Big Whiff
Is it cold in here? Because with Bring It On marking its 25th anniversary, there must be some behind-the-scenes secrets from Kirsten Dunst and Gabrielle Union’s cheerleading flick in the atmosphere. They’re sexy, they’re cute and 25 years later, Kirsten Dunst, Gabrielle Union and the rest of the Bring It On cast are still popular…
Virginia Giuffre memoir to be published months after death
A posthumous memoir by Virginia Giuffre, who accused the Duke of York and the late disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein of sexual assault, will be published in October. Ms Giuffre had finished working on the book, titled Nobody’s Girl, before she took her own life in Australia in April, at the age of 41. Publishing house…
South Korean President Lee to meet with Trump in Washington on Monday
Anthony Kuhn SEOUL, South Korea — En route to his first summit with President Trump, South Korea’s president has pushed back against U.S. pressure to refocus his country’s 71-year-old military alliance with the U.S. away from deterring North Korea and toward countering China. “This is not an issue we can easily agree with,” Lee Jae-myung…
Murray Watt advised by own department to declare protection order over part of Burrup peninsula
Exclusive: Environment department document states that part of site is a ‘significant Aboriginal area’ which is ‘under threat of injury or desecration’ Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast The environment minister, Murray Watt, has been advised by his department to declare a protection order over part of the Burrup peninsula…
New Treatments for Peanut Allergies Offer Hope—Despite Lingering Questions
The Mystery of America’s Peanut Allergy Surge—And the Promising Science behind New Treatments Peanut allergies more than tripled in U.S. kids between the late 1990s and late 2000s, and the prevalence has risen even more since then. Scientists are still searching for answers—and new ways to treat them. By Rachel Feltman, Jeffery DelViscio, Fonda Mwangi…
Maren Morris Says Fan “Grabbed My Ass” During Meet-and-Greet
Maren Morris claimed that a fan “grabbed my ass” during a meet-and-greet ahead of her Aug. 23 concert in Grand Rapids, Michigan: “Please don’t override someone’s personal space.” Maren Morris is setting boundaries with her fans. Following a recent performance of her Dreamsicle Tour in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the “My Church” singer alleged that a…
Kilmar Abrego Garcia expects to be detained by ICE again, attorney says
By Chandelis Duster , Scott Detrow The attorney for Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man wrongfully deported to a notorious El Salvadoran prison and later returned to the U.S., said he expects him to be detained by immigration officials again on Monday. Abrego Garcia, who was released from criminal custody in Tennessee on Friday while…
Inside Donetsk as residents flee attacks on Ukrainian region Putin wants to control
The Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine has long been in Moscow’s sights. Vladimir Putin reportedly says he’ll freeze the war in return for full control of it. Russia already controls 70% of Donetsk and nearly all of neighbouring Luhansk – and is making slow but steady advances. I’m heading to the front-line Donetsk town of…
Coalition’s climate tussles to get public airing as parliament debates Barnaby Joyce’s bill to dump net zero
Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast The Coalition’s internal struggle over climate change will be on full display on Monday as the House of Representatives prepares to debate Barnaby Joyce’s private bill to dump Australia’s net zero target. Over the weekend, the Queensland Liberal National party convention voted to abandon…
Bachelorette’s Jillian Harris Marries Justin Pasutto After 13 Years
The Bachelorette alum Jillian Harris tied the knot with Justin Pasutto in an intimate church ceremony followed by a flower-themed wedding surrounded by friends and family two days later. Jillian Harris and Justin Pasutto have officially tied the knot. The Bachelorette alum married the former snowboarder in a church ceremony on Aug. 21 followed by…
It was the costliest hurricane in U.S. history: Have we forgotten Katrina’s lessons?
By Greg Allen , Marisa Peñaloza NEW ORLEANS — On a quiet street in the Gentilly neighborhood, a small brick house stands as a testament to one of the worst disasters in U.S. history. It’s one of thousands of homes that flooded twenty years ago in Hurricane Katrina. It’s been preserved by Levees.org, a group…
How AI Chatbots May Be Fueling Psychotic Episodes
Truth, Romance and the Divine: How AI Chatbots May Fuel Psychotic Thinking A new wave of delusional thinking fueled by artificial intelligence has researchers investigating the dark side of AI companionship By Conor Feehly edited by Allison Parshall You are consulting with an artificial intelligence chatbot to help plan your holiday. Gradually, you provide it…
Kylie Jenner Honors Late Hairstylist Jesus Guerrero in Birthday Tribute
Kylie Jenner honored her late friend and hairstylist Jesus Guerrero with an emotional birthday tribute, six months after his sudden passing at the age of 34. Kylie Jenner will always carry on Jesus Guerrero’s legacy. Six months after her longtime friend and hairstylist died unexpectedly at the age of 34, the Kardashians star celebrated what…
Zelensky vows to continue fighting as Ukraine marks independence day
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine would continue to fight for its freedom “while its calls for peace are not heard,” in a defiant address to the nation on its independence day. “We need a just peace, a peace where our future will be decided only by us,” he said, adding that Ukraine was “not a…
New Zealand to spend $3bn upgrading helicopters and ‘embarrassing’ defence planes
Government says country will buy five Seahawk helicopters and two Airbus A321XLR aircraft New Zealand will spend nearly NZ$3bn ($1.7bn) upgrading its ageing defence fleet, including replacing its “embarrassing” planes that have left multiple prime ministers grounded during international travel, the government has announced. The defence minister, Judith Collins, said NZ$2bn would be spent buying…
Indonesia working on details of plan to treat 2,000 people from Gaza amid concerns about right to return
Security ministry and the ministries of health and foreign affairs have met to discuss how the controversial proposal to treat Palestinians would work Indonesia announced earlier this month that it would provide temporary medical assistance to 2,000 Palestinians from Gaza, with the uninhabited island of Galang identified as one possible site. Located just south of…
Checking In With Jillian Michaels and the Cast of The Biggest Loser
As The Biggest Loser trainers Jillian Michaels and Bob Harper each publicly weigh in on their complicated relationship, we’re doing a check-in with all 18 winners from the competition series. No surprise that Jillian Michaels is keeping it quite real when it comes to her feelings about the Netflix documentary Fit for TV: The Reality of…
Will a Lunar Impact in 2032 Cause a Meteor Storm?
The UniverseFridays If This Asteroid Hits the Moon, Watch for Shooting Stars and Stricken Satellites The 60-meter asteroid 2024 YR4 has a 4 percent chance of hitting the moon. Could such a lunar collision create a dangerous new meteor shower? By Phil Plait edited by Lee Billings This artist’s concept shows a small meteoroid striking…
National flags have started lining some English streets. They may say something more
Driving through the south west of Birmingham, it’s hard not to notice something about the lampposts. For more than a mile, almost every one has a St George’s or union jack flag attached – thousands of them. In one district, Weoley Castle, the BBC found two men carrying a ladder and shopping bags. A DIY…
Smithsonian artists and scholars respond to White House list of objectionable art
Mandalit del Barco The list of objectionable content comes a week after White House officials sent a letter asking eight of the Smithsonian’s museums to submit their current and future plans for exhibitions, social media content and other material. The institution’s director Lonnie Bunche was told it had 120 days to comply for what the…
Government plans to overhaul asylum appeals system
The government is planning an overhaul of the asylum appeals system, as it tries to cut the number of migrants staying in hotels while they await a ruling. A new, independent body will be established, staffed by independent adjudicators, with the aim of hearing cases more quickly. The Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, said she was…
Menendez Brothers’ Lawyer Claims Parole Hearings Were “Rigged”
After Erik Menendez and Lyle Menedez were denied parole after over 30 years in prison, their lawyer Mark Geragos claimed the decisions made by the California Board of Parole Hearings were “rigged.” The Menendez brothers’ lawyer Mark Geragos is speaking out. Days after Erik Menendez and Lyle Menedez were both denied parole in separate hearings…
Thailand former PM cleared of royal insult charge but Shinawatra dynasty’s fate still hangs in balance
Lese-majesty case against Thaksin Shinawatra is dismissed, but his daughter Paetongtarn will hear next week if she will be removed as prime minster A criminal court in Thailand has dismissed a case accusing former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra of defaming the monarchy, the first of three court cases that could decide the fate of one…
Boxed in by shifting tariff rules, European shippers pause some U.S.-bound parcels
Camila Domonoske Many European parcel companies — including DHL, the Royal Mail, and the French and Spanish national post offices — are temporarily suspending some shipments to the U.S., citing new U.S. tariff policies that kick in this week. And while the financial costs of tariffs have dominated trade news this summer, in this case,…
Strange Deep-Sea Animals Discovered in Underwater Argentine Canyon
Pastel Pink Lobsters, Goofy-Looking Squid Among Deep-Sea Oddities Discovered in Ocean Abyss Researchers spied a wild array of life, including dozens of suspected new species, in an underwater gorge By Ashley Balzer Vigil edited by Andrea Thompson A glass squid floats in the deep sea. Two miles below the ocean’s surface, off the coast of…
Evacuations ordered as wildfire blazes California’s famed Napa County
By Alana Wise Evacuation orders are in effect as wildfires blaze across the West, including in California’s scenic Napa County. The Pickett Fire, which has burned nearly 4,690 acres, first sparked Thursday afternoon and continued to rage Saturday with only 7% of the wildfire contained. #PickettFire UPDATE: @CAL_FIRE Intel Aircraft mapped the fire at 4,690…
North Korea accuses South Korea of ‘deliberate provocation’ after warning shots fired at soldiers on border
Seoul says military fired warning shots on Tuesday after troops from the North briefly crossed border South Korea fired warning shots at North Korean soldiers who briefly crossed the heavily fortified border earlier this week, Seoul said on Saturday, after Pyongyang accused it of a “deliberate provocation” that risks “uncontrollable” tensions. South Korea’s new leader…
Norman Reedus & Helena Christensen’s Son Mingus Arrested for Assault
Mingus Reedus, the 25-year-old son of superstars Norman Reedus and Helena Christensen, was arrested on Aug. 23 after allegedly assaulting a woman in New York City, according to the NYPD. Mingus Reedus is in trouble with the law. The son of superstars Norman Reedus and Helena Christensen was arrested in New York City on Aug.…
Farage vows mass deportations to tackle small boats
Reform UK is pledging mass deportations of asylum seekers who arrive in the UK in small boats. The party’s leader – Nigel Farage – has told The Times that there is a “massive crisis” in the UK, which threatens national security and could lead to public disorder. Under the plans, people could be arrested on…
Climate Links to Dengue Will Allow Better Outbreak Predictions
Heat and Rain Can Help Predict When Dengue Will Surge A new analysis uncovers seasonal patterns of dengue, a mosquito-borne disease, across the Americas, which could help scientists anticipate future outbreaks By Mariana Lenharo & Nature magazine Join Our Community of Science Lovers! Major dengue outbreaks in the Americas tend to occur about five months…
Brazil police file court documents accusing Bolsonaro of planning to flee to Argentina to seek asylum
Brazil’s former president is accused of allegedly plotting a military coup, but he denies the charges Brazilian police have claimed in court documents that they have found a document on the mobile phone of former president Jair Bolsonaro suggesting he had planned to flee to Argentina ahead of his judgment for allegedly plotting a military…
Asylum seeker hotel protests take place in UK
Protests over the use of hotels for housing asylum seekers have been held across the UK. Demonstrators gathered in parts of England including Bristol, Liverpool and London, as well as in Mold in Wales and Perth in Scotland. There have been no reports of serious trouble though police have had to step in to keep…
Emily in Paris Assistant Director Dies at 47 After Collapsing on Set
Emily in Paris assistant director Diego Borella died at 47 on Aug. 22 after collapsing on set while filming the final episode of the Netflix show’s fifth season, Paramount Television Studios confirmed. Hollywood is mourning the loss of a talented director. Diego Borella, an assistant director of Emily in Paris, died on Aug. 22 while…
Trump administration halts work on an almost-finished wind farm
By Michael Copley The Trump administration has ordered companies to stop construction of a wind farm that’s being built off the coast of Rhode Island. The acting director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Matthew Giacona, wrote in a letter to one of the developers, a Danish firm called Ørsted, that the government was…
The Brain’s Map of the Body Is Surprisingly Stable—Even after a Limb Is Lost
The Brain’s Map of the Body Is Surprisingly Stable—Even after a Limb Is Lost The brain’s body map doesn’t reorganize itself after limb amputation, a study found, challenging a textbook idea in neuroscience By Katie Kavanagh & Nature magazine The brain’s map of the body in the primary somatosensory cortex remains unchanged after amputation. A…
Trump makes over the Rose Garden, Mar-a-Lago style
Tamara Keith Since returning to the White House in January, President Trump has been on a mission to renovate — including an overhaul of the iconic Rose Garden, where work is nearly complete. Trump has swapped out the grass in the Rose Garden with stone, turning what had been a lawn into a patio. And…
Ghislaine Maxwell claims in DOJ interview that Epstein list doesn’t exist
Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted associate of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, told US officials that a highly discussed “client list” does not exist, according to a released transcript of her interview. In a July interview with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, Maxwell said she was “not aware of any blackmail” and did not witness any inappropriate…
Menendez Brothers Case: Lyle Menendez Denied Parole
After the California Board of Parole Hearings denied Erik Menendez’s bid for parole on Aug. 21, his brother Lyle Menendez was also denied one day later. The Menendez brothers are staying behind bars. One day after Erik Menendez was denied parole in an Aug. 21 hearing, his older brother Lyle Menendez now shares the same…
Thousands face deportation to danger as Trump targets temporary protections
People with temporary protected status face possible deportation even though their home countries – including Afghanistan and Haiti – remain unsafe Many thousands of immigrants living in the US who came from certain countries regarded as risky or dangerous are at the mercy of US judges and the Trump administration’s agenda to slash their work…
Does Culture Change Visual Perception? Debunking the Carpentered-World Hypothesis
By Nora Bradford edited by Allison Parshall & Sarah Lewin Frasier The Müller-Lyer illusion. If you’re enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today. The idea that this simple illusion…
As Trump touts D.C. arrests, experts caution they’re not the best indicator of public safety
Meg Anderson The Trump administration announced Friday that it has arrested more than 700 people in Washington, D.C., as part of the president’s mission to crack down on crime in the nation’s capital. U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro has frequently pushed for those who commit crimes to face harsher punishments. During a visit Thursday…
Canada to drop counter-tariffs on some US goods one day after call with Trump
Mark Carney says change will go into effect on 1 September but tariffs on steel, aluminum and autos will remain Canada will drop its counter-tariffs on some American goods in the coming days, Mark Carney has said, as the country’s prime minister looks to end a protracted trade war with longtime ally the United States.…
Famine in Gaza City is ‘failure of humanity’, UN chief says
The United Nations chief has described the famine confirmed in Gaza City and its surrounding areas as a “failure of humanity”. Antonio Gutteres said the situation was a “man-made disaster” after a UN-backed body, which identifies hunger levels around the world, raised its food insecurity status in parts of the territory to Phase 5 –…
Famine is declared in Gaza: What does it take to make this pronouncement?
By Nurith Aizenman , Tom Benner The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) confirmed on Friday that famine has taken hold in the Gaza Governorate, encompassing Gaza City and nearby areas, and warned it could extend to central and southern Gaza by late September. The declaration comes nearly two years into an armed conflict with…
Sophie Turner Shares the Dating Habit She’s “Not Proud Of”
Sophie Turner sheepishly admitted that she’s “not proud of” her tendency to ghost people after a date: “I do like to do that quite a lot.” Ghost is not just the name of a direwolf in Game of Thrones. After all, Sophie Turner confessed to being a “big ghoster” when it comes to dating IRL.…
Why Do SpaceX’s Starships Keep Exploding?
Can SpaceX Solve Its ‘Exploding Starships’ Problem? After a string of fiery failures, SpaceX’s biggest rocket faces another test flight with sky-high stakes for U.S. space ambitions By Adam Rogers edited by Lee Billings SpaceX’s Starship soars through the sky during the rocket’s ninth test flight on May 27, 2025. Both the “Super Heavy” booster…
Cash Rewards Have Less Sway in Collectivistic Cultures
Cash Rewards Have Less Sway in Collectivistic Cultures Money talks louder in some languages than others By Thomas Talhelm edited by Daisy Yuhas If you’re trying to get someone to do something, what’s the best way to achieve that? Paying them probably comes to mind, and this intuition is a basic tenet of economic theory.…
Home Office seeks to appeal against court ruling on Epping asylum hotel
The government is seeking the right to appeal against a High Court ruling which blocks asylum seekers being housed in an Essex hotel. Earlier this week, Epping Forest District Council was granted a temporary injunction to stop people being placed at the Bell Hotel in Epping. The court refused a last-minute effort from Home Secretary…
Fed Chair Jerome Powell signals possible rate cut, sending stocks sharply higher
Scott Horsley Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell signaled a possible cut in interest rates in the near future, sending stocks soaring on Friday. Speaking to a gathering of economists and central bankers in Jackson Hole, Wyo., Powell said current economic conditions, including a marked slowdown in job growth, suggest a downward adjustment in the Fed’s…
Eswatini government faces court challenge over men deported by US
Group of NGOs claim deal was unconstitutional and violated the imprisoned men’s human rights A group of NGOs is challenging Eswatini’s acceptance of five people deported by the US, arguing the deal was unconstitutional and violated the imprisoned men’s human rights. The men from Vietnam, Jamaica, Laos, Yemen and Cuba, who the US said were…
Millie Bobby Brown, Jake Bongiovi May Have Revealed Baby’s Initials
Stranger Things’ Millie Bobby Brown and Jake Bongiovi stepped out with a telling accessory after announcing the arrival of their adopted baby girl. Millie Bobby Brown may have just shared more about her new baby girl. After the Stranger Things actress and her husband Jake Bongiovi announced that they had recently adopted a daughter, she may…