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. […]
Menendez Brothers Case: Erik Menendez Denied Parole
Three months after Erik Menendez and Lyle Menendez were resentenced to 50 years to life in prison for the murders of their parents, the parole board denied Erik’s release to parole supervision. One of the Menendez brothers’ fate has been decided. After Los Angeles County Judge Michael Jesic ruled that Erik Menendez and Lyle Menendez…
Carbon Dioxide Isn’t What You Think It Is
Carbon Dioxide Defines Our Terrifying, Exhilarating World—and Always Has In his latest book, science journalist Peter Brannen argues that CO2 is the most important—and most misunderstood—molecule on Earth By Lee Billings When we talk about carbon dioxide, the narrative is almost always that of a modern-day morality play. We hear about gigatons of CO2 emitted,…
Bolsonaro given 48 hours to explain alleged plans to flee to Argentina
Brazilian supreme court judge sets ultimatum after police claim far-right populist sought to flee to avoid punishment over failed coup A supreme court judge has given Brazil’s ex-president, Jair Bolsonaro, 48 hours to explain police claims he was planning to flee to Argentina to avoid punishment for allegedly masterminding a failed coup after losing the…
Vance touts tax cuts, Trump’s domestic agenda in Georgia
Stephen Fowler PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. — Vice President Vance appeared in Georgia Thursday, promoting tax cuts included in President Trump’s sweeping domestic policy bill signed into law last month. Speaking at an industrial refrigeration equipment manufacturer in a suburb south of Atlanta, the vice president said the legislation was reflective of a “government that stands…
Israel will begin talks to free all hostages, Netanyahu says
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he has instructed negotiations to begin for the release of all remaining hostages and an end to the war in Gaza on terms “acceptable to Israel”. Netanyahu told Israeli troops on Thursday night that his cabinet had also approved plans for a massive assault on Gaza City in…
OpenAI Model Earns Gold-Medal Score at International Math Olympiad and Advances Path to Artificial General Intelligence
Can Writing Math Proofs Teach AI to Reason Like Humans? OpenAI researchers reveal how their experimental model, devoid of any external aids, powered through hours-long proofs to earn a gold-medal score at the International Math Olympiad—and they discuss the project’s origins and describe how such work could help lead to artificial general intelligence By Deni…
Supreme Court allows NIH to stop making nearly $800M in research grants for now
By Nina Totenberg , Anuli Ononye The Supreme Court on Thursday overturned by a 5-4 decision a lower court order, deciding at least temporarily, that the National Institute of Health does not need to continue paying out approximately $783 million in research grants to projects that the institute has since-stopped funding. But the court, in…
Brent Hinds, Mastodon Guitarist, Dies in Motorcycle Crash
Brent Hinds, the former guitarist for the heavy metal band Mastodon, died after a motorcycle crash in Atlanta on Aug. 20, the band confirmed. He was 51. The music world is mourning one of their own. Brent Hinds, best known as a founding member and the former guitarist for the heavy metal band Mastodon, died…
Pressure grows on Tanzania to free victim of domestic violence who has been on death row for 13 years
Lemi Limbu, who was convicted of murdering her daughter, has severe intellectual disabilities and ‘absolutely should not be in prison’, say campaigners Pressure is mounting on the Tanzanian government to release a woman with severe intellectual disabilities who has been in prison awaiting execution for 13 years. Lemi Limbu, who is now in her early…
What to Know about Measles as the Outbreak in Texas Ends and the School Year Begins
Texas’s Measles Outbreak Is Over, but the Disease Is Still a Threat Texas may have declared its measles outbreak over, but rising cases elsewhere and the return to school mean it could easily resurge By Lauren J. Young edited by Megha Satyanarayana Instructions for a Measles vaccination is seen outside of the Lubbock Public Health…
Uganda reaches agreement with US to take in some failed asylum seekers
African country’s foreign ministry says the two states are working on the details of a deal over deportees Uganda has reached an agreement with the US to take in deportees from third countries who may not get asylum but are “reluctant” to go back to their own countries, according to Uganda’s foreign ministry. The country…
Walmart says tariff costs are rising ‘each week’ and will continue
Alina Selyukh Walmart says it’s been able to mitigate many of the tariff costs so far, but they are rising “each week” and will continue to do so through the rest of the year. The world’s largest retailer — like many others, including Home Depot and Target — has had to raise prices on some…
Record 111,000 UK asylum applications in past year, figures show
A record 111,000 asylum applications were made to the UK during the year to June, but the government is processing cases faster, new Home Office figures show. This is an increase of 14% from the previous year, and it is higher than the peak of 103,000 in 2002. But officials are processing more cases than…
Teen Mom’s Jenelle Evans Reveals How Much She’s Made From OnlyFans
Jenelle Evans shared insight into the eye-popping revenue from her OnlyFans account, which she began in May 2022, vowing she’d consider any request, even feet pics, “as long as I have a pedicure.” Jenelle Evans has been spicing up her portfolio. Three years after the Teen Mom alum joined OnlyFans, she revealed the seven-figure profit…
Nathan Lents’s New Book Explores How Animal Behavior and Evolution Challenge Binary Sex and Gender Norms
What Can Nature Teach Us about Sex and Gender? By Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi & Alex Sugiura Rachel Feltman: For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m Rachel Feltman. This approach has led scientists to miss fascinating examples of alternative reproductive strategies and complex social behaviors across the animal kingdom. What we’ve often labeled as anomalies might…
Major Russian drone and missile attack on Ukraine kills 1, injures 15
By The Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine — Russia launched one of its biggest aerial attacks of the year on Ukraine, firing 574 drones and 40 ballistic and cruise missiles overnight, the Ukrainian Air Force said Thursday, while a recent diplomatic push to stop the three-year war is trying to gain momentum. The attack mostly targeted…
Can these fishermen save a 3,000-year tradition?
On a sunny morning in January, along the northern coast of Peru, wastewater rushed from a treatment plant into nearby wetlands. These wetlands hold totora— a type of reed grass — that local fishermen have used for more than 3,000 years to build fishing boats. More than 45 totora ponds were destroyed. A foul odor…
Second U.S. Malaria Case Not Tied to Travel Raises Fears of Local Transmission
Second U.S. Malaria Case Not Tied to Travel Raises Fears of Local Transmission One-off cases of malaria in the U.S. may become more common as warming temperatures lead to booming mosquito populations By Stephanie Pappas edited by Lauren J. Young An adult female Anopheles mosquito bites a human body. Join Our Community of Science Lovers!…
1000-Lb. Sisters’ Tammy Slaton Debuts New Teeth Amid Weight Loss
1000-Lb. Sisters star Tammy Slaton unveiled the progress she’s made in filling the gap in her smile by getting new false teeth put in with a bridge, saying, “I’m still getting more done with it.” Tammy Slaton is giving her smile an upgrade. The 1000-Lb. Sisters star unveiled the progress she’s made so far on…
Badenoch encourages Tory councils to challenge asylum hotels
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch is encouraging Tory-controlled councils to consider launching legal challenges against the use of hotels to house asylum seekers in their areas. Badenoch said Epping Forest District Council had achieved “a victory for local people”, after a High Court ruling blocked a hotel from housing asylum seekers. In a letter to Conservative…
One civilian injured in crash with D.C. National Guard military vehicle
Luke Garrett A National Guard military vehicle crashed into a car in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday morning, injuring the driver. The incident comes after President Trump ordered hundreds of Guard troops to the District as a part of his D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force. The Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected All-Terrain Vehicle (MATV) — a military…
South African minister investigated for historical racial slurs on social media
South Africa’s sport, arts and culture minister, Gayton McKenzie, is under investigation by the country’s human rights commission for historical social media posts containing a highly offensive racial slur, reigniting a debate about racism, identity and the lingering effects of colonialism and apartheid. McKenzie, an anti-immigrant populist from the Coloured community with a history of…
Four Remarkable Stories from the History of Math Behind Bars
Math Breakthroughs from Behind Bars People in prisons and jails have contributed to some of the greatest ideas in mathematics By Manon Bischoff edited by Daisy Yuhas In 2014 Mura Yakerson, a college student at the time, decided to practice driving in a quiet area in the countryside near Saint Petersburg, Russia. Then something went…
Massacres in eastern Congo cast doubt on U.S. mediated peace deal
By Emmet Livingstone KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of Congo — Rwandan backed M23 rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo killed 141 villagers in July, Human Rights Watch said Wednesday, despite hopes that President Trump-backed peace talks would end long-running violence in the troubled region. The rights organization found that the rebels committed massacres in at…
Uganda denies reports that it has struck deal with Trump to take in US deportees
Ugandan official said the east African country does not have the capability to take in undocumented immigrants Uganda said it has not reached any agreement with the US to take in undocumented immigrants, contradicting reports that the east African country had struck a deal with the Trump administration to do so. Henry Oryem Okello, Uganda’s…
Tiny Probes Can Surf Sunlight to Explore Earth’s Mesosphere and Mars
These Tiny Disks Will Sail on Sunlight into Earth’s Mysterious ‘Ignorosphere’ With no fuel or engines, tiny explorers will surf sun-warmed air alone to explore high in the skies of Earth and Mars By Payal Dhar edited by Lee Billings This artist’s impression shows multiple small devices soaring on sunlight at the edges of Earth’s…
Ex-priest found guilty of 17 indecent assaults
A former priest accused of abusing members of a church group he led has been found guilty of 17 counts of indecent assault against nine women. Chris Brain, 68, was head of the Nine O’Clock Service (NOS), an influential evangelical movement based in Sheffield in the 1980s and 90s Brain, of Wilmslow, in Cheshire, was…
Swimmers are warned to avoid East Coast beaches as Hurricane Erin moves north
By Joe Hernandez Federal forecasters are warning people to avoid beaches along the East Coast as Hurricane Erin moves north and slams much of the shoreline with dangerous waves and other severe weather. Though the massive storm was roughly 365 miles from Cape Hatteras, N.C., as of 11 a.m. ET, the effects of Erin will…
Todd and Julie Chrisley Break Silence on Nic Kerdiles’ Death
Todd Chrisley and Julie Chrisley spoke out for the first time following the death of their daughter Savannah Chrisley’s ex-fiancé Nic Kerdiles in 2023 following a motorcycle accident. Todd Chrisley and Julie Chrisley’s family will never be the same. Almost two years after the death of their daughter Savannah Chrisley’s ex-fiancé Nic Kerdiles, the Chrisley Knows…
Air fares and food prices push up inflation in July
Prices in the UK rose by 3.8% in the year to July, driven mainly by a jump in the price of air fares and food. That means inflation is at its highest level since January 2024 and still far above the Bank of England’s target of 2%. The cost of eating out, as well as…
Trump’s return to ‘law and order’ highlights a sore spot for Democrats: crime policy
Elena Moore When President Trump launched an effort to address crime in Washington, D.C., he argued that the source of the city’s problems was clear. “This dire public safety crisis stems directly from the abject failures of the city’s local leadership,” Trump said from the White House last week. “The Democrats are weak on crime.…
U.S. Cuts Antarctica’s Only Research Icebreaker Ship under Trump Budget Squeeze
U.S. Cuts Antarctica’s Only Research Icebreaker Ship under Trump Budget Squeeze The National Science Foundation will stop operating the Nathaniel B. Palmer icebreaker and slash polar science funding by 70 percent, devastating Antarctic research By Douglas Fox edited by Mark Fischetti Bow shot of National Science Foundation research icebreaker Nathaniel B. Palmer during sea ice…
Conservative leader wins Canada byelection, regaining parliament seat
Pierre Poilievre returns to House of Commons after shock April loss and narrower margin in Tory stronghold Canada’s Conservative leader, Pierre Poilievre, has won a closely watched byelection in the province of Alberta, giving him a chance to return to parliament after suffering a shock defeat in April’s federal election. Poilievre finished with 80.4% of…
Brazil issues last-ditch plea for countries to submit climate plans ahead of Cop30
Only 28 countries have submitted carbon-cutting proposals to the UN, with some of the biggest emitters yet to produce plans Brazil has issued an urgent call for all countries to come forward with strengthened national plans on the climate, in a last-ditch attempt to meet a key September deadline. Only 28 countries have so far…
Councils consider legal action over asylum hotels
Councils across England are poised to take legal action to remove asylum seekers from hotels in their areas. It follows the High Court granting a district council a temporary injunction blocking asylum seekers from lodging at The Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex. All 10 councils controlled by Reform UK will “do everything in their power…
Why Hurricanes like Erin Trigger Rip Currents Hundreds of Miles Away
Why Hurricanes like Erin Trigger Rip Currents Hundreds of Miles Away From Miami to Maine, the East Coast is under moderate or high rip current risk advisories because of Hurricane Erin By Meghan Bartels edited by Andrea Thompson On August 19 Hurricane Erin is crawling past the Bahamas as a strong Category 2 storm and…
A growing number of 20-somethings are getting what’s known as ‘baby Botox’
By Sarah Boden A growing number of 20-somethings are trying to stop wrinkles from forming on their face with a preventative treatment known as “baby Botox,” which freezes facial muscles to limit movement. MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST: A growing number of 20-somethings are getting a treatment known as baby Botox. It is designed to prevent…
The Still Bizarre Case of Amanda Knox’s Wrongful Murder Conviction
Amanda Knox, who spent four years in an Italian prison before eventually being cleared of the 2007 murder of Meredith Kercher, is still unpacking her own story. Italian authorities thought they knew who killed Meredith Kercher in November 2007. So they arrested Amanda Knox, a 20-year-old American college student who had been sharing a flat…
Diphtheria cases spiralling in Somalia, health officials warn
MSF says low vaccination coverage and poor living conditions driving spread of deadly bacterial disease Diphtheria cases are rapidly increasing across Somalia, officials and humanitarians warn, with children accounting for more than 97% of the cases. Diphtheria, a highly contagious and deadly bacterial disease that mainly affects children, is preventable by a vaccine. While Somalia…
Too much to pack, not enough hugs: A Kenyan man’s last 48 hours in America
Sergio Martínez-Beltrán LANSING, Mich. — Five suitcases are scattered around Samuel Kangethe’s living room in his home in West Lansing, a neighborhood lined with tall trees and big front yards in Michigan’s capital. Clothes mixed with finance and accounting books, and somewhere in the chaos are his Air Jordan sneakers. “I just want to take…
Practical and political pain for Home Office after hotel ruling
The High Court judgment granting a temporary court injunction to prevent asylum seekers from being housed at a hotel in Epping will be a political and practical headache for the government. Practically, the Home Office has less than a month to find alternative accommodation for the asylum seekers housed at Epping’s Bell Hotel. The hope…
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope Discovers New Moon of Uranus
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope Discovers New Moon of Uranus Using the powerful James Webb Space Telescope, scientists have spotted a moon nestled near Uranus’s rings that’s so small you could walk around it By Andrea Tamayo edited by Sarah Lewin Frasier An image of Uranus taken by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared…
Bryan Kohberger Murders: Victims’ Families Sue Over Crime Scene Photos
The families of Madison Mogen and Ethan Chapin—two of the four college students murdered by Bryan Kohberger in 2022—are suing the city of Moscow, Idaho, over the release of crime scene photos. The families of Bryan Kohberger‘s murder victims are taking legal action. One week after the Moscow Police Department released nearly 200 pictures from…
WWE Star Naomi Pregnant, Expecting First Baby With Husband Jimmy Uso
WWE star Naomi confirmed during Monday Night Raw Aug. 18 that she and fellow wrestler Jimmy Uso are expecting their first baby together after over 10 years of marriage. There is a new WWE star in the making. Quite literally, as World Wrestling Entertainment’s Naomi (real name Trinity Fatu) and husband and fellow wrestling star…
Air Canada says flights will resume Tuesday night after flight attendants strike ends
By The Associated Press TORONTO — Air Canada said Tuesday it will gradually restart operations after reaching an agreement with the union for 10,000 flight attendants to end a strike that disrupted the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of travelers. The union first announced the agreement early Tuesday after Air Canada and the union…
180 Years of Standing Up for Science
180 Years of Standing Up for Science Our anniversary celebration begins with an outstanding collection of stories about times that science itself has made a full about-face By David M. Ewalt We’re celebrating 180 years of Scientific American. Explore our legacy of discovery and look ahead to the future. Join Our Community of Science Lovers!…
Air Canada flight attendants reach ‘tentative’ deal with airline to end strike
Strike over wages and ground work has cancelled travel for 500,000 people worldwide Air Canada flight attendants say they have reached a “tentative” deal with the airline to end a strike over wages and ground work that has cancelled travel for half a million people worldwide. Roughly 10,000 flight attendants walked off the job after…
Asylum seekers to be removed from Epping hotel after council wins High Court injunction
Asylum seekers are due to be removed from an Essex hotel after a council was granted a temporary High Court injunction blocking them from being housed there. The injunction was sought by Epping Forest District Council to stop migrants being placed at The Bell Hotel in Epping, which is owned by Somani Hotels Limited. Thousands…
Weather tracker: southern Arabian peninsula braced for storms
Elongated area of low pressure likely to bring higher-than-usual levels of rainfall to normally arid region Unusual levels of rainfall are due to hit the southern Arabian peninsula this week, as a tropical wave – an elongated area of low pressure – progresses across the region, triggering a marked increase in convective activity across western…
Businesses face ‘chaos’ as EPA aims to repeal its authority over climate pollution
By Michael Copley The Trump administration’s plan to undo a landmark finding that climate pollution threatens public health and welfare poses lots of risks for corporate America. The Environmental Protection Agency’s endangerment finding has served as the legal basis for federal climate regulations under the Clean Air Act since 2009. The finding concludes that the…
These 40-Year-Old Virgin Secrets Are Much Perkier Than Bags of Sand
The 40-Year-Old Virgin, directed by Judd Apatow and starring Steve Carell as a socially insecure super-nice guy, came out 20 years ago and seeded a whole raunchy cinematic universe. Judd Apatow‘s first time didn’t happen until he was 37. That is, the prolific producer—who now has a whole film-and-TV universe to his name—didn’t direct a…
More Teens Are Getting Vaccines
More Teens Are Getting Vaccines Bucking national trends in childhood vaccination rates, more teens are getting recommended shots, including for measles and whooping cough By Megha Satyanarayana edited by Josh Fischman A healthcare worker fills a syringe with the MMR vaccine at a vaccine clinic put on by the Lubbock Public Health Department on March…
Hamas source says group agrees to latest Gaza ceasefire proposal
Hamas has agreed to the latest proposal from regional mediators for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal with Israel, a source in the Palestinian armed group has told the BBC. The proposal from Egypt and Qatar is said to be based on a framework put forward by US envoy Steve Witkoff in June. It…
How Are AI Chatbots Affecting Teen Development?
The Science of ParentingMondays How Are AI Chatbots Affecting Teen Development? More and more kids are turning to artificial intelligence chatbots for social interaction. We are scrambling to understand the pros and cons of their use By Jacqueline Nesi edited by Megha Satyanarayana Cut through the claims: Get email alerts for The Science of Parenting…
Trump wants to stop states from voting by mail and using voting machines
Ashley Lopez President Trump announced Monday on his social media site, Truth Social, that he plans to “lead a movement” to get rid of mail-in ballots and voting machines in the country ahead of next year’s midterm elections. Part of his plan includes signing an executive order that bars states from using mail ballots and…
Flight attendant union leaders ‘ready to go to jail’ as Air Canada strike outlawed
Arbitrator orders 10,000 striking staff back to work after government intervenes – unconstitutionally, union says Union leaders representing 10,000 striking flight attendants have said they would be willing to go to jail rather than comply with an order to return to work, as Canada’s federal government seeks to end a bitter contract dispute that has…
How Sasha Pieterse Navigated 70-Pound Weight Gain, Epilepsy Diagnosis
Pretty Little Liars alum Sasha Pieterse detailed her decade-long journey to receiving a PCOS diagnosis while simultaneously suffering from epilepsy and playing the “it girl” on the ABC hit series. When it comes to her health journey, Sasha Pieterse isn’t keeping any secrets. Because while the Pretty Little Liars alum spent her teenage years…
Zelensky leaves White House unscathed as he buys more time
The optics could not have been more different this time. Unlike the shockingly ill-tempered previous meeting in February, US President Donald Trump and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky seemed determined not to look confrontational – despite their remaining differences. Zelensky wore a collared suit (although not of the classical variety), and Trump complimented his attire. The…
Can a Generative AI Agent Accurately Mimic My Personality?
I Gave My Personality to an AI agent. Here’s What Happened Next A large language model interviewed me about my life and gave the information to an AI agent built to portray my personality. Could it convince me it was me? By Webb Wright edited by Mark Fischetti On a gray Sunday morning in March,…
Ex-Israel military intelligence chief said 50,000 Gaza deaths ‘necessary’
By Itay Stern TEL AVIV, Israel — Leaked audio recordings broadcast Friday reveal remarks by Israel’s former chief of military intelligence about the price he believed Palestinians should pay for Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack. The tape recordings, aired by Israel’s Channel 12 TV, captured former Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva saying in Hebrew, “The fact…